Page 136 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

SAN DIEGO ZOO
& SAFARI PARK
Born to be wild
B Y M A R I B E T H M E L L I N A N D C H R I S T I N E D E L S O L
ONE OF THE WORLD’S 10 largest zoos,
San Diego Zoo earns its worldwide fame on
many fronts. It pioneered the concept of
zoos without cages. It houses 3,500 ani-
mals representing 650 species and
subspecies on 100 acres of Balboa Park,
forming a lush, 700,000-plant arboretum
in the process of re-creating the animals’
natural habitats. Many of its denizens are
increasingly scarce in the wild. Perhaps
most important, the zoo’s Institute for
Conservation Research lends its expertise
to 140 conservation and species-preserva-
tion projects in 80 countries and has been
instrumental in replenishing populations
of the giant condor, giant panda and Tas-
manian devil, among many other species.
The Panda Trek, Asian leopard habitat
and the Australian Outback, home to
koalas mingling with other marsupials and
birds, are among the most popular areas.
Under construction for two years, a major
new Africa Rocks project opens this
summer at the center of the zoo. The eight-
acre habitat is the largest attraction created
for the zoo in its 100 years in operation.
The landscape recreates parts of six
African regions, with a 65-foot waterfall
representing Madagascar, and is designed
to make baboons, monkeys, zebras and
crocodiles feel right at home. Endangered
African penguins have their own habitat,
where the zoo hopes to breed flocks of
baby penguins.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Originally a breeding facility for the down-
town zoo, this 1,800-acre adjunct park 35 miles
to the northeast in Escondido offers wide-
open spaces where more than 2,600 animals
run free. While it concentrates on herd ani-
mals such as giraffes, antelopes and rhinos
from the African and Asian savannahs, the
park houses about 300 species and subspecies.
Getting close to these creatures can be
as simple as walking through areas such as
the Tiger Trail, the Lemur Walk or the
Cheetah Run, where you can feel the
whoosh of the world’s fastest cat speeding
past you. Riding on the popular Africa
Tram presents photo ops with herds of
giraffes, crashes of rhinos and flocks of
A CHILD GETS TO FEED a giraffe at San
Diego Zoo, top; Flightline Safari, a zip-line
adventure, above.
exotic birds. To focus on a favorite animal,
attend an animal encounter with
zookeepers explaining the characteristics
of Sumatran tigers or training birds for the
Frequent Flyers bird show. For a complete
overview, join one of the various safaris,
undertaken by cart, caravan, jungle ropes
or zip line. You can even sleep among the
animals on a Roar and Snore Safari. Like
the downtown zoo, the Safari Park creates
a lineup of special exhibits and animal pre-
sentations that guarantee a new
experience even for visitors who return
over and over throughout their lives.
134 2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
SAN DIEGO ZOO & SAFARI PARK