Page 113 - 2018 Travel Guide to California

SAN DIEGO ZOO & SAFARI PARK
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
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 animals
representing 650 species and subspecies on
100 acres of Balboa Park, forming a lush,
700,000-plant arboretum while 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-preservation projects in 80 coun-
tries and has been instrumental in
replenishing populations of the giant
condor, giant panda and Tasmanian 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 opened in 2017 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 Mada-
gascar, 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.
A GREY KANGAROO RELAXES
in the Australian Outback exhibit,
above; an endangered African
penguin surveys the scene, left.
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 animals 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 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, car-
avan, jungle ropes or zip line. You can even
sleep close to the animals on a Roar and
Snore Safari. Like the downtown zoo, the
Safari Park creates a lineup of special
exhibits and animal presentations that
guarantee a new experience even for visi-
tors who return over and over throughout
their lives.
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