Busch Gardens opening new Animal Connection attraction

TAMPA

As Sheri Ebanks tried to read the teleprompter script with a straight face, a furry, long-tailed critter named Koto climbed up her arm, scrambled around the back of her head and started nibbling on her husband's ear.

"Whooo! What a flirt!" exclaimed Mark Ebank, a vacationer from Davie, while his wife soldiered on.

That's a wrap worthy of a $29.95 video souvenir, concluded a Busch Gardens videographer at a practice session for Animal Connection, a new attraction that today takes over the stable that once housed an Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale team.

The majestic draft horses ended a 50-year run in Tampa on Jan. 6 when the last four left to rejoin the brewer's main teams at Grant's Farm in St. Louis. Aside from the park name, the stable was one of the last remaining vestiges of Anheuser-Busch InBev since the Belgian brewing giant sold the theme park to Blackstone Group.

For Animal Connection, park designers hoked it up to the hilt.

"It's a chance to be one of our animal ambassadors like Jack Hanna on Jay Leno or Julie Scardina on the Today show," said Joilee Hazley, a park animal educator.

Busch treats participants like talk show VIP guests. Before the filming, they whisk them to a backstage green room with lighted makeup mirrors, cosmetics and hair care products, plus the standard potted palm, leather couch and bowl of green M&Ms.

Videos are filmed in front of a green screen that can be filled in with a rainforest or African veld backdrop. Choices for animal co-stars include a lemur, owl monkey, macaw, marmoset or Koto, an African bush baby.

"Most of our animals are all but guaranteed to climb right into your hair," said animal handler Lauren Stone. If they like you, lemurs are known to stick their tongues in ears and noses.

After "as many takes as it takes" some would-be animal trainers will learn before leaving why the green room has hair care products and mirrors.