RHINO RALLY PREMIERS AT BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA 

TAMPA, Fla. - Starting May 23, 2001, the bar by which all theme park attractions are measured rose a few more inches when Busch Gardens Tampa Bay premiered Rhino Rally, a rugged safari experience with components never before seen in the entertainment industry.

Rhino Rally is a perfect fit within a theme park that has broken the mold for family entertainment. The Rhino Rally journey is so unpredictable and unique that it cannot be replicated, even in the wild. Billed as the world's boldest off-road safari and wild river adventure, Rhino Rally catapults guests to the heart of the animal-saturated Serengeti Plain in a customized Land Rover for a mysterious and enchanting African adventure. The presenting sponsor of Rhino Rally is Motorola TalkAbout Two-Way Radios.

"Rhino Rally cannot be compared to any other attraction in the global theme park industry," says Mark Rose, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's vice president of design and engineering. "The up-close animal experiences coupled with the Land Rover journey and surprise elements, including a water ride, make it the most innovative attraction in the world."

From the internationally-flavored Rally Plaza with colorful flags from around the globe, 17 guests at a time board a one-of-a-kind Land Rover for an eight-minute or longer journey dominated by endangered white rhinoceroses and elephants, Cape buffalo, Nile crocodiles, zebra, antelope, warthogs, gazelle, wildebeests, flamingos and other species, for a total lineup of more than 100 exotic African animals.

"Guests will get closer than ever before to these majestic species as the vehicle challenges the rugged course," says Glenn Young, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's vice president of zoo operations. "Depending on the time of day and time of year, each experience will be different because the animal herds are always exploring their terrain."

Cut into 16 acres of Busch Gardens' world-renowned Serengeti Plain, Rhino Rally's extreme course features surprises at every turn, especially during the adrenaline-rushing river portion following the land adventure. A torrential downpour precedes a raging flash of white water, which engulfs a pontoon bridge while the Land Rover is crossing. Tearing away a section in a dazzling moment, even the boldest adventurers will be startled. How will guests and vehicles make it back to the safe haven of Rally Plaza? You'll have to ride it to find out.

Since it opened in March 1959, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has been a pioneer in wildlife conservation and preservation. More than two dozen endangered and threatened exotic species from around the world reside at the park. In 1965 it became the world's first zoo featuring free-roaming herds of majestic African species. This 65-acre parcel located in the middle of the park became the Serengeti Plain.

Guests experiencing Rhino Rally have the unique opportunity to venture on the Serengeti to share a slice of authentic African culture: the ability to co-exist with powerful, beautiful, elusive and diverse animals. The journey is but a moment in time, but will be remembered by guests for a lifetime. Those returning time and again will experience a different journey each time. This is Rhino Rally's legacy.

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