Built on the former Tanganyika Tidal Wave water ride, Tigris officially opened on April 19, 2019 as the park's ninth roller coaster.

[6] An environmental resource permit was submitted on June 26, 2018, to the Southwest Florida Water Management District revealing the location of a new attraction to be within the confines of the tiger exhibit and section of Jungala.

[4] The documents and permits, reported in July, discussed upcoming developments on the site of the prior water ride under the working title "Project TEEL".

[11] During the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) exposition in November 2018, the design of Tigris's cars were revealed by Premier Rides in the form of a cake.

[18] Busch Gardens announced a media event to present the roller coaster's car alongside additional information on the Gwazi attraction.

[22][29] The queue of the ride features educational pieces of the tiger's living conditions in the wild and actions wildlife conservationists take with the species.

[16] The landscape was preserved with recycled materials from the previous Tanganyika Tidal Wave water ride and other byproducts from the construction of Falcon's Fury and Cobra's Curse attractions.

A writer for the Tampa Bay Times, Daniel Figueroa IV, enthusiastically remarked about the roller coaster's overall intensity and its "visually impressive" speed.

[38] Figueroa IV further commented that any seat on the roller coaster had favorable moments to experience, with the front being more visually notable and the back for more intensity.

[34] Andrew Stilwell of Coaster101 categorized Tigris as a mid-tier attraction for "thrill seekers" among other Busch Gardens roller coasters while praising its overall speed and different seating experiences.