Ehnuk

After considering many posters opinions I have decided that I need to relax my feelings for the name of this attraction... for now. To be fair to the park I will hold further judgement until the attraction opens, and make a decision about the name after it opens. Overall I like posting on the site so far- I honestly feared many posters would jump down my throat, but everyone has been really respectful here. I have enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on the matter, thanks! And Bonemachine-- I think it is awesome you are considering a career in the animal care field. If you have any questions, or anything I can help with feel free to message me!

I looked at the park's facebook page as well, and the only rude comments I found are from the name supporters. There are people calling others stupid, and telling them that they are wasting their time, and that this argument is pointless-- that is rude! No one should be made to feel like something that they are passionate about is a waste of time. Now that I have seen the facebook page I have to say that I find the parks response to this issue disappointing- and very un-Busch like. They will not directly address the real concern that fans have about the insensitivity of the word HUNT. Instead they have only stated that they can't believe anyone would think that it refers to hunting cheetahs, and how they are disappointed that this is the attention they are getting from the ride. That is NOT a response- that is DENIAL! Clearly people have been offended, and the park should directly address those fans! A good response should be something like this... 'We would like to apologize to our fans that have been offended by the title of our new attraction Cheetah Hunt. We value your opinion, and our creative team has spent a lot of time re-evaluating this new, one of a kind attraction. At this time we have decided to keep Cheetah Hunt as announced, as we feel it best describes the thrill that our guests will encounter. We hope that fans will come out to experience this new attraction first hand. After becoming immersed in the detailed themeing, seeing amazing animals up-close, and feeling the rush of speed; we are confident there will be no confusion of the ride's intention. Thank you for your support!' ^That is the type of response I would expect from a 'world class' park. It shows empathy for unintentionally offending some guests without admitting fault-- it makes them feel that their voice was heard, and opinion considered--- and even though in this pretend responce the parks does not make a change, they still go out of their way to encourage the offended guests to visit the park to check out the attraction, and assures them that the intention of the ride will be clear.

I love the idea of adding a 's to the name. Simple and effective. Cheetah's Hunt; there is no misinterpretation there. I also like the name "Cheetah Charge", I find that to be just as effective to describe the experience (plus I love alliteration). Really though, if a name is just a name (which I don't believe is true), then why not change it?

It is more than just a name. I am new to the forums here, and I look forward to becoming a productive contributor in discussions. I have a strong opinion of the name of this attraction, and I hope no one thinks too poorly of me for my first post being a complaint. I will try to explain my position briefly. To begin I would like to remind everyone of a simple concept of communication. It does not matter WHAT you say, but HOW your audience interprets it. In other words BGT may be inferring that we the riders are a cheetah on the hunt; however many people are clearly interpreting the name to mean that we are HUNTING cheetahs. I know when I heard the name that is what I first thought. Therefore to many people, BGT is promoting the hunting of an endangered animal.... O.k... maybe that is being a little dramatic- but at the very least they are equating it to an thrilling adventure. As an Animal Care Specialist working in zoos for the past ten years, I find the name of this attraction offensive and appalling. Our role in zoos is to inspire our guests to want to protect and conserve the animals that they view. We do this by allowing guests to view animals in a safe, up-close setting; therefore allowing them to connect with those animals- and remind them that we share this planet with incredible species of life. To use the word HUNT in any capacity goes against this goal, and is insensitive. I understand that this is a roller coaster site, and coasters are your main focus. However just to emphasize my point- look at how many of you have already proclaimed that the name doesn't matter- it is all about the ride. If the ride is great who cares what the name might insinuate? Well I do, all the other animal keepers in the world do, and I would have thought that BGT did. I don't mean to be over-dramatic over a name, but realize I have chosen animal conservation as my profession, and it means a lot to me. To see another zoo pull something like this is disappointing. Thanks for reading- I hope to be able to have some great positive discussion in the further! MOD EDIT: Link deleted as it violates TPR's TOS that you agreed to in registering on the site.