Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Curtis.
Hi Rob, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for tigers began as a 10-year-old boy. I began formally working with tigers at age 19. At the age of 22 years, I was the youngest person ever licensed in the state of California to own and exhibit big cats. Since then, I have dedicated my life to the care and the preservation of the tiger species.
We developed Diamond Valley Lodge to be a one-of-a-kind wedding and event center. Diamond Valley Lodge is also home to the Sage Tiger Institute, which is a tiger sanctuary. We care for and display the largest and most prestigious collection of Royal Bengal Tigers this side of Las Vegas!
Diamond Valley Lodge offers an incredible experience called Dinner With Tigers. This is a wildlife conservation-preservation educational experience wrapped in a dinner party-type event.
Guests dine a mere four feet away from our Royal White Tiger Habitat. These visitors can also add interactive experiences to their visit. One of these experiences is bottle-feeding milk to our tigers. The other experience is “Extreme Feeding” our tiger’s steak on the end of a long shish kabob-type pole.
While visitors are very close to our tigers, they never come into direct contact with them. This is for safety reasons and in accordance with U.S.D.A. guidelines.
Our tigers do not do tricks or any sort of demeaning behavior. We display them in a natural setting, allowing them to be themselves. Our tigers have free will in everything that they do.
Visitors are taken aback by how gentle, happy and playful our tigers are. You will not see them hiss, snarl or make any displays of aggression. Visitors to the Dinner With Tigers experience often describe it as “Incredible, Magical and Life-Changing!”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our journey has been laden with many struggles. We just took the keys to our new property one month before the Covid pandemic. It took enormous faith, endurance and commitment to weather that storm.
Recently, we were also impacted by the Fairview Fire. We are incredibly protective and had excellent planning and resources in place which helped us to stay secure.
Our commitment to the short-term and long-term care of the wildlife that we care for is paramount. We have been unwavering in the care and protection which we have provided.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We use a “Zen” approach in caring for and displaying our tigers. Visitors marvel at the gentle relationship that we have between the human caretakers and our tigers. The respect and love that we have for the tiger species is evident in everything that we do. Visitors to Diamond Valley Lodge and Dinner With Tigers most often comment about how well-taken care of our tigers are and how visibly happy they are. That’s the very best compliment that visitors offer us.
How do you define success?
Happy, healthy, thriving animals!
Captivating visitors with our incredible and beautiful tigers. Encouraging them to join us in our fight to save the tiger species.
Pricing:
- $95.00 Basic Dinner Seating Price
- $165 VIP Dinner Seating with Single Experience
- $235 VIP Dinner Seating with Double Experience
- *First experience choice, bottle feeding milk to our tigers
- *Second experience choice, “Extreme Feeding” steak to our tigers on a long shish kabob pole
Contact Info:
- Website: diamondvalleylodge.com
- Instagram: Diamond Valley Lodge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiamondValleyLodgeTigers
- Twitter: Diamond Valley Lodge
- Youtube: Diamond Valley Lodge
Image Credits
Diamond Valley Lodge Photo Team
