The Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy lets the cat out of the bag
It’s the best kept Secret in town – lush manicured grass, graceful palm trees, bright flowers and crystal-clear waterfalls and pools abound within the borders of this ethereal place.
You may hear a few roars now and then but that’s just the satisfied residents itching to let the cat out of the bag about this 15-acre refuge at the Mirage called The Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy. They want the public to know what is most cherished by Siegfried & Roy – that some of the world’s rarest animals can live in harmony with one another and with mankind, with only chain-link fences separating animals from humans.
Opened officially in May 1997, the Secret Garden allows the public to view the amazing results of Siegfried & Roy’s more than 20 years of conservation efforts. The attraction is home to six different showcases of lions, tigers and leopards. They are all rare and exotic breeds that are on the endangered list. Not only does the Secret Garden provide a comfortable and secure haven for these magnificent creatures and preserve these animals from extinction, but visitors also have the opportunity to gain a better understanding and awareness about them.
The rare breeds found in the Secret Garden are the Royal White Tigers of Nevada, the White Lions of Timbavati, heterozygous Bengal tigers (possessing both tawny and white genes), six leopards, a snow leopard and a black panther. All the animals have names and all are showcased in their natural environments.
In 2008, the Secret Garden boasted the birth of five white tiger cubs, who recently celebrated their first birthday and can be seen frolicking together in their open-air habitat. The latest addition to the attraction’s family is Java, a baby leopard born to Asabi and Mu-gamba, two leopards in the habitat. Java is the result of this pair’s second litter together.
Perhaps Roy stated it best soon after the opening of the $13 million sanctuary. “The Secret Garden has done exactly what we wanted it to do,” he said. “We wanted to give people a breath of fresh air. We wanted them to see the animals and look directly into their eyes. We wanted to bring the public closer to what was once on this earth and does not exist in the wild anymore. We achieved that with the Secret Garden. The public can see white tiger, white lions and other rare species flourishing.”
There are informative facts about the animals written on plaques spread throughout the facility. There is also a gift shop where guests can purchase Secret Garden souvenirs, including plush replicas of the exotic cats.
Guests can enter the Secret Garden and the adjoining Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage for one fee.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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