| San Diego Zoo | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to the zoo with sculptureRex's Roar, after the lion that inspired the zoo | |
 | |
| 32°44′10″N117°09′05″W / 32.73611°N 117.15139°W /32.73611; -117.15139 | |
| Date opened | 1916 (Precursor Panama–California Exposition in previous year) |
| Location | Balboa Park, San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Land area | 99 acres (40 ha)[1] |
| No. of animals | 3,700+[1] |
| No. of species | 650+ (incl. subspecies)[1] |
| Annual visitors | 4 million (2018)[2] |
| Memberships | AZA,[3]AAM,[4]WAZA[5] |
| Major exhibits | Absolutely Apes, Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, Elephant Odyssey, Panda Ridge, Lost Forest, Monkey Trails, Polar Bear Plunge, Africa Rocks |
| Public transit access | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Bus Route 7; Rapid Bus 215 |
| Website | zoo |
TheSan Diego Zoo is azoo inSan Diego, California, located inBalboa Park. It began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915Panama–California Exposition that were brought together by its founder, Dr.Harry M. Wegeforth. The zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cage-less exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats.[6]
The zoo sits on 100 acres (40 ha) of land leased from the City of San Diego.[7][8] It houses over 12,000 animals of more than 680 species andsubspecies. It is the most visited zoo in the United States; travelers have cited it as one of the best zoos in the world.[9][10][11][12]
Its parent organization, theSan Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a private nonprofit conservation organization and has one of the largest zoological membership associations in the world. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance also operates theSan Diego Zoo Safari Park.
The San Diego Zoo grew out of exotic animal exhibitions abandoned after the 1915Panama–California Exposition.[13] Dr.Harry M. Wegeforth founded the Zoological Society of San Diego, meeting October 2, 1916,[14] which initially followed precedents set by theNew York Zoological Society at theBronx Zoo. He served as president of the society until 1941.[13]
"Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a zoo in San Diego? I believe I'll build one."
— Harry M. Wegeforth, after hearing a lion roar at the 1915 Panama–California Exposition[13][14][15]
A permanent tract of land in Balboa Park was set aside in August 1921; on the advice of the city attorney, it was agreed that the city would own all the animals and the zoo would manage them.[16] The zoo began to move in the following year. In addition to the animals from the exposition, the zoo acquired a menagerie from the defunctWonderland Amusement Park.[16]Ellen Browning Scripps financed a fence around the zoo so that it could begin charging an entrance fee to offset costs.[17] The publicationZooNooz commenced in early 1925.
Animal collectorFrank Buck went to work as director of the San Diego Zoo on June 13, 1923, signed to a three-year contract by Wegeforth.William T. Hornaday, director of the Bronx Zoo, had recommended Buck for the job, but Buck quickly clashed with the strong-willed Wegeforth and left the zoo after three months to return to animal collecting.[18]
After several other equally short-lived zoo directors, Wegeforth appointed the zoo's bookkeeper,Belle Benchley, to the position of executive secretary, in effect zoo director; she was given the actual title of zoo director a few years later. She served as zoo director from 1925 until 1953.[19] For most of that time she was the only female zoo director in the world.[19] She was succeeded as director by Dr. Charles Schroeder.
In October of 1938, the zoo made ongoing national news, when, under the direction of Belle Benchley, it arranged to have two three-year old giraffes, later named Lofty and Patches,[20] transported fromBritish East Africa via freighter, where during their 54 days at sea they were caught in theHurricane of 1938. The giraffes were then kept for 16 days at theU.S. Animal Quarantine Station inAthenia, New Jersey and driven cross-country over 14 days via the nascentLee Highway on a specially customized1938 International D-40 truck — to the zoo in San Diego.[21] The quarantine station, the giraffes, the highway, the zoo and Benchley featured prominently in the 2019 novel,West With Giraffes. Lofty and Patches passed away in 1959 and 1962 respectively both due to old age.
The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in building "cageless" exhibits.[17] Wegeforth was determined to create moated exhibits from the start, and the first lion area at the San Diego Zoo without enclosing wires opened in 1922.[22]
Until the 1960s, admission for children under 16 was free, regardless of whether they were accompanied by a paying adult.
The zoo's Center for Reproduction ofEndangered Species (CRES) was founded in 1975 at the urging ofKurt Benirschke, who became its first director. In 2005, CRES was renamed the Division of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species under newly appointed directorAllison Alberts to better reflect its mission. In 2009, CRES was significantly expanded to become the Institute for Conservation Research.[23]
The world's only albino koala in a zoological facility was born September 1, 1997, at the San Diego Zoo and was named Onya-Birri, which means "ghost boy" in anAustralian Aboriginal language.[24] The San Diego Zoo has the largest number of koalas outside of Australia.
In 2014, a colony ofAfrican penguins arrived for the first time in the zoo since 1979. They have since moved into Africa Rocks when it opened in 2017.
In 2016, Baba, the lastpangolin on display in North America at the time, died at the zoo.[25]
In October 2020, two gorillas charged at the glass of their enclosure, damaging the outer pane.
The San Diego Zoo has had several notable escapees through the years; the most noteworthy of them isKen Allen, aBornean orangutan who came to be known as "the hairy Houdini", for his many escapes.[26]
In 1940, aMalayan Tapir managed to escape several times, earning it the nickname "Terrible Trudy".[27][28]
In 1977, ananimal control officer for the County of San Diego, Tom Van Wagner, a previous employee of the San Diego Zoo as atour bus guide, captured aTasmanian devil escapee in a south-central San Diego home's garage. The animal was transported to the zoo and the zoo hospital staff took possession of the capture.[citation needed]
In March 2013, the zoo, which was hosting a private party at the time, had to initiate alockdown when twostriped hyenas somehow got past their barriers. They were "darted with a sedative and taken to the veterinary care clinic."[29]
In 2014, akoala named Mundu escaped to a neighboring tree just outside its Koalafornia Australia Outback enclosure. Zookeepers lured him down the tree once the park closed that day.[30]
In early 2015, twoWolf's guenons monkeyed around outside of their Lost Forest enclosure after escaping. One of the monkeys neared a fence line off ofRoute 163, but was brought back to safety without injury.[31]
Adira is a 2-year-old female red panda, who also happens to be an escape artist. Over in Panda Canyon, Adira scaled a tree in her enclosure and escaped for 6 hrs on January 29, 2023. Luckily, Adira stayed close to home and was easily led back into her enclosure. A zoo social media account speculated, "January is the start of the panda's breeding season, which one could speculate may have been the reason for the jailbreak."[32] The San Diego Zoo is currently breeding the red pandas because of their status being labeled endangered on theIUCN Red List; there are thought to be less than 10,000 left in the world. Adira and Lucas said hello to their first little cub on June 9, 2023, the first baby red panda since 2006 for the San Diego Zoo. The hope for saving red pandas has also sparked lots of attention from the people because of the new movie Turning Red, which highlights red pandas as its main character and theme.[33]
The zoo offers a guided tour bus that traverses 75% of the park.[34] There is also an overheadgondola lift called the Skyfari, providing an aerial view of the zoo. The Skyfari was built in 1969 by theVon Roll tramway company ofBern, Switzerland.[35] The San Diego Zoo Skyfari is a Von Roll type 101.[citation needed]
Exhibits at the zoo are often designed around a particularhabitat. The same exhibit may feature many different animals that can be found side by side in the wild, along with native plant life. Exhibits range from an Africanrain forest (featuring gorillas) to the Arctictaiga andtundra in the summertime (featuringpolar bears). Some of the largest free-flightaviaries in existence are here, including the Owens Aviary and the Scripps Aviary. Many exhibits are "natural", with invisible wires and darkened blinds (to view birds), and accessible pools and open-air moats (for large mammals).
The San Diego Zoo also operates theSan Diego Zoo Safari Park (formerly the San Diego Wild Animal Park), a nearly 2000-acre park located 30 miles northeast of the Zoo nearEscondido, which features animals in more expansive, open areas than the zoo's urban 100 acres can provide. Exhibits are themed mainly around Asia, Africa, and Australia, with the five largest being 100- to 200-acre "savannas"; these mixed-species field exhibits feature grassy rolling hills, canyons, lakes, and rocky outcrops to give the animals a more naturalistic, enriching home. This approach has brought the Safari Park much-breeding success, and (in an effort to maintain fresh bloodlines) animals are regularly relocated between the two locations. The San Diego facilities also actively exchange animals with other zoos around the world, in accordance withSpecies Survival Plan (SSP) recommendations.
San Diego has one of the world's largest and most diverse animal collections; however, the total number of animal species in the collection has been reduced somewhat over the past two decades (2000–2020), from around 860 to approximately 650. This comes as exhibits are redeveloped into more spacious, naturalistic areas, and as several animals are transitioned to the Safari Park.
The temperate, sunny maritime climate of California is well suited to many plants and animals. The zoo is also an accredited botanical garden; the botanical collection includes more than 700,000 exotic plants.[36] As part of its gardening effort, some rare animal foods are grown at the zoo. For example, 40 varieties ofbamboo were raised for the pandas when they were at the zoo on long-term loan from China. It also maintains 18 varieties ofeucalyptus trees to feed its koalas.
Keepers and most other employees at the San Diego Zoo are members ofTeamsters Union Local 481.[37]
Monkey Trails showcasesprimates and other animals native to the tropicalrainforests of Asia and Africa. Opening in 2005,[38] it replaced a decades-old area of exhibits known asApe and Bird Mesa. These were some of the oldest animal "houses" still in use (at the time) at the San Diego Zoo, being built in the 1930s, with little to no change until the demolition of Monkey Trails. In addition to a few small bird aviaries and a troop ofsiamang apes living on a treehouse in the center of a pond, the site was centered around two square buildings; these plain structures contained many small exhibits lined up, one after another, on all four sides. One of the buildings was focused on monkeys, while the other was mainly songbirds, parrots, and tropical avian species. There had been a few efforts at landscaping these cages; however, the monkeys notably lived in bleak, "prison-cell" like cages. Several Zoo members and guests left comments over the years regarding the exhibits and their lack of plant life, the (apparent) lack of enrichment for the monkeys, and, mostly, the appearance of cement "cell blocks" as exhibits.
Monkey Trails is home primarily to monkeys such as theAngola colobus,tufted capuchin,De Brazza's monkey,lesser spot-nosed monkey,Black mangabey,Wolf's mona monkey, andmandrill.[38] There is also a pair ofpygmy hippopotamus named Elgon and Mabel, who share their underwater-viewing pond with a large school of Africancichlids andtilapia. On April 9, 2020, Mabel gave birth to Akobi, a male calf. His birth marked the first pygmy hippo born at the zoo in nearly thirty years.[39]
Throughout the walking paths, visitors can also seeWest African slender-snouted crocodiles, different reptiles, and various African freshwater fish; these different animals live in a series of densely-plantedpaludarium- andriparium-style exhibits, complete with thick glass panels for close-up animal encounters. Monkey Trails utilized a newer concept for the displaying ofarboreal animals; by making the exhibits two storeys high, with stairs, walkways, and elevators for access, the habits of animals can be observed from ground level as well as from the treetops. Some of the horticultural highlights of Monkey Trails include several massiveBanyan fig (Ficus) trees (viewable in public areas as well as in animal exhibits),cycads, and a bog garden withSarracenia,Drosera,Venus flytraps and othercarnivorous plants.[38]
The Owens Aviary contains about 200 individual tropical birds from around 45 species, mainly fromAustralasia,Oceania, andPapua New Guinea. The aviary is built onto the side of an approx. 60' high canyon wall, being accessible via an entry/exit at the uppermost level and another at the lower end of the aviary (essentially the canyon floor). The walkway inside the aviary connects these entryways as it ascends and descends with the natural slope. The naturally steep location proves to be perfect for the exhibit's waterfall, which cascades downhill through the aviary before splashing down into a large pond. The ambient white noise of the waterfall is quite noticeable, but relaxing and tranquil, rather than very loud. The waterfall churns up mist, and cool steam fills the aviary with ambient humidity; additionally, the outside of the structure is painted a dark green color, which helps to block any excess sunlight from penetrating inside. This further gives visitors the feeling of walking through a lush, dense jungle.
The entire aviary is lushly landscaped and thick with palms, ficus,Araceae species (such asMonstera deliciosa andThaumatophyllum),Clivia sp.,ferns and many more varieties. The varied collection of bird life includes theChinese hwamei,eclectus parrot,black-naped fruit doves,common emerald doves,red-billed leiothrix,Victoria crowned pigeons,Bali mynas,Nicobar pigeons, theblue-crowned laughingthrush,white-rumped shamas, themaleo,Himalayan monal,Indian peafowl, andgreat argus pheasants.[40]
The Scripps Aviary was built in 1923[41] and is home to many colorful birds from Africa such as theviolet-backed starling,African gray parrots,blue-bellied rollers,tambourine doves,great blue turacos,hamerkops,superb starlings,black-headed weavers,white-headed buffalo weavers,white-faced whistling ducks,African spoonbills,Madagascar crested ibises andsouthern bald ibises.
The Parker Aviary houses various birds from South America includingAndean cock-of-the-rocks,blue-crowned motmots,blue-headed macaws,crested oropendola,Inca terns,keel-billed toucans,ringed teals,sunbitterns andtoco toucans as well asgolden lion tamarins.[42] It is situated next to a complex of 20 smaller aviaries previously known as Wings of Australasia, exhibiting tropical birds from Southeast Asia and the Pacific. San Diego Zoo has the largest collection of birds in North America. Together the zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park hold America's most diverse collection of hornbills, with 15 species displayed in 2014.
The San Diego Zoo had been one of four zoos in the U.S. that had giant pandas on display and had been the most successful in terms of panda reproduction.[citation needed] The first two giant panda cubs inU.S. history to have been born in the U.S. and survive into adulthood—Hua Mei (female, born to Bai Yun andShi Shi) andMei Sheng (male, born to Bai Yun andGao Gao)—were born at the zoo, in 1999 and 2003, respectively. After that, three more giant panda cubs—Su Lin andZhen Zhen (both females) andYun Zi (male)[43]—were born to the resident giant panda parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.[44]Xiao Liwu (meaning "little gift"), was born on July 29, 2012, and was let outside for visitors to see on January 9, 2013.[45] By 2015, all of the cubs had been sent back to China to participate in the breeding program there.[46][47]
By April 2019, the giant panda exhibit had closed. The pandas in the enclosure had been repatriated to China after successfully serving its conservation mission.[48] Since the closing of Panda Trek, the exhibit had been repurposed to display other Chinese animals, includinggolden takins,red pandas,Mang Mountain pit vipers,Amur leopards,snow leopards and an exhibit comparing several types of bamboo.[citation needed]
In November 1984, the Chinese Wildlife Protection Association, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Construction and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Forestry, and theChengdu Zoo formed a Chinese delegation to the United States to carry a pair of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys to the San Diego Zoo for a 13-day exhibition of snub-nosed monkeys. This was the first time that golden snub-nosed monkeys were exhibited abroad.[49]
In November 2023, China's PresidentXi Jinping hinted at the return of giant pandas to the zoo as a "gesture that China is ready to continue cooperation with the U.S. on panda conservation."[50][51] In June 2024, a pair of pandas, named Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, were loaned to the zoo.[52] The two giant pandas made their debut at the San Diego Zoo on August 8, 2024.[53]
The Urban Jungle houses different animals including a herd of sixMasai giraffes,Soemmerring's gazelles,American flamingos, aGrant's zebra, aminiature donkey and a maleIndian rhinoceros named Maza. Many of the Zoo's animal ambassadors live there including abinturong,southern ground hornbills,red kangaroos,fennec foxes,South African cheetahs andCape porcupines.
Polar Bear Plunge, which opened in 1996,[54] and was renovated in March 2010, houses over 30 species representing theArctic. The main animals in the area are the three polar bears, named Kalluk, Chinook, and Tatqiq. More animals that make their home in the Plunge includereindeer,arctic foxes,racoons,eurasian lynx and an underwater viewing area is available to observe the polar bears swimming in their 130,000-US-gallon (490,000 L) pool.[54]
Farther down the path lies an aviary with several species ofdiving ducks. Some of the horticultural highlights include giantredwood trees, many differentpine trees, andmanzanita.[54]
Just up the path of Polar Bear Plunge is Northwest Passage, housingmountain lions,maned wolves,giant anteaters,Patagonian maras,gerenuk,bontebok,tufted deer,Grévy's zebras,musk deer,Cuvier's gazelle,lesser kudu,Speke's gazelles,Chacoan Peccarys, as well as the Eagle Canyon, home toAndean condors,harpy eagles,ornate hawk eagles andSteller's sea eagles.[55]
Opened in 2022, the Wildlife Explorers Basecamp was built on the site of the historic Children's Zoo, allowing children to get closer to several animals and also includes interactive play opportunities and sculptures.[56] There are 4 main zones in the basecamp that feature wildlife that lives in the 4 main ecosystems: Desert Dunes, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows, and The Rainforest.[57]
The Rainforest includesNaked Mole Rats, Goats,binturong,Burmese star tortoises,sloths,caracals,ocelots,wombats,Brazilian porcupines andsouthern tamanduas. Desert Dunes includesblack-tailed prairie dogs,burrowing owls, andfennec foxes. Wild Woods includessquirrel monkeys andcoatis.[58]
A small aviary that, as of July 2022,[59] includes three species ofhummingbirds, theAnna's,Costa's, andAmazilia hummingbirds, along with other birds from South America such asbananaquits,crested quail-doves,golden-collared manakins,blue-necked tanagers,green-backed trogons,opal-rumped tanagers,paradise tanagers,swallow tanagers,turquoise tanagers,screaming pihas,violaceous euphonias,green honeycreepers,purple honeycreepers,red pileated finches,spangled cotingas andpompadour cotingas. Guests can view the birds from an observation bridge, and the aviary also includes acenote pool.[60]Wattled jacanas can also be seen in the aviary.
The McKinney Spineless Marvels featuresnaked mole-rats and a large invertebrate collection consisting ofCentral American giant cave cockroaches,Madagascar hissing cockroaches,leafcutter ants,Goliath beetles,giant dead leaf mantises,ghost mantises,two-spotted assassin bugs,giant African millipedes,giant desert hairy scorpions,golden silk orb-weavers,Antilles pinktoe tarantulas,Brazilian black tarantulas,Mexican fireleg tarantulas,golden-eyed stick insects,goliath stick insects,jungle nymphs,thorny devil stick insects andwestern honey bees.
This two-story building houses fish, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. Some of the species housed here areaxolotl,Chinese giant salamanders,Cuvier's dwarf caimans,Fiji banded iguana,leopard geckos,Indonesian blue-tongued skinks,common chuckwallas,yellow-spotted river turtles,freshwater angelfish,giant danios,pinktail chalceus,threadfin acara, multipleLake Malawicichlids,South American lungfish andsunburst diving beetles.
Previously called Reptile Mesa, the Reptile Walk houses small outdoor yards, one housing European species likeEuropean pond turtles,marginated tortoises,scheltopusiks andocellated lizards while the other contains African species,radiated tortoises,Sudan plated lizards andyellow-throated plated lizards. Nearby is the Komodo Kingdom, a new exhibit for the zoo'sKomodo dragons.
Walking down the path leads to a building split in two. One side contains terrariums for amphibians such as theAmazon milk frog,Panamanian golden frog,brown mantella,magnificent tree frog,fire salamander,Kaiser's mountain newt and many species ofpoison dart frog including thedyeing poison dart frog,green and black poison dart frog,black-legged poison frog andsplashback poison frog. The other side contains native Californian species like theColorado River toad,California kingsnake,coastal rosy boa,Baja California rat snake,San Diego gopher snake andgiant horned lizard.
The walkway then passes an enclosure for the endangeredChinese alligator and afterwards is a building housing turtles, includingbroad-shelled river turtles,Roti Island snake-necked turtles,Argentine snake-necked turtles,red-headed Amazon River turtles,Malayan snail-eating turtles,Parker's snake-necked turtles,mata mata andpig-nosed turtles.
Nearby is thegharial pond. Various turtles likeIndian flapshell turtles,Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles,northern river terrapins,painted terrapins and others are also housed with the gharials.
Concluding the Reptile Walk are yards housingAsian forest tortoises,African spurred tortoises,blue iguanas,Jamaican iguanas,Galápagos tortoises andleopard tortoises.[61]
This is a renowned Spanish-influence structure. As of July 2022,[59] animals at the reptile house includeMertens' water monitors,Ethiopian mountain adders,flower snakes,Mangshan pit vipers,king cobras,Gila monsters,timber rattlesnakes,Philippine sailfin lizards,Santa Catalina Island rattlesnakes,eyelash vipers,blue-spotted tree monitors,black tree monitors,Madagascar tree boas,Mexican beaded lizards,ringed tree boas,Angolan pythons,emerald tree monitors,green tree pythons,snouted cobras,eastern diamondback rattlesnakes,shinglebacks,Mary River turtles,red-bellied short-necked turtles,fathead minnows,African bush vipers,black-headed bushmasters,Central Fijian banded iguanas,Pascagoula map turtles,philodryas baroni,Madagascar ground boas,yellow-spotted monitors,monocled cobras,banded water cobras,mangrove vipers,Gray's monitors,woma pythons,pancake tortoises,West African gaboon vipers,western green mambas,Solomon Islands skinks,puff adders,spider tortoises,simalia boeleni,bothriechis lateralis,banded rock rattlesnakes,twin-spotted rattlesnakes,western diamondback rattlesnakes,Chiapan beaded lizards,crotalus willardi,yellow-blotched palm pit vipers,Chinese crocodile lizards, andSulawesi forest turtles.
Based upon the realIturi Forest in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo in the central part of the continent of Africa, this exhibit opened in 1999[62] as 'Ituri Forest' and houses different animal species from the rainforests ofcentral Africa. The exhibit begins with a forested exhibit forokapi,black duiker, andforest buffalo, then winds past a recreation of two-leaf-coveredMbuti huts with signage about the people's customs and traditions.[62][63][64] Next, the path leads to thehippopotamus exhibit housing threehippopotamus named Funani and her daughter Amahle, and Guadalupe, and has an underwater viewing area.[65]
After the hippos, the path passes through a bunch of bamboo before reaching a clearing where the aviaries are located[66] A thatched-roof gift shop and a food stand are located in a plaza near by.[62][67][68] Immediately to the right is an exhibit withred river hogs,Allen's swamp monkeys,Red-tailed monkeys, andspotted-necked otters.[62][69] The plaza leads to a bridge flanked by the red river hog exhibit on one side and an exhibit that only the monkeys and otters can access on the other.[70][71] Across the bridge is a creek where the otters can swim, with viewing both above and below the water's surface.[72] Afterwards, the path joins the rest of the zoo.[73]
This exhibit opened on May 23, 2009, on the site of the former Hoof and Horn Mesa area, and was met with mixed reviews. The main feature of the exhibit is the 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) elephant habitat—more than three times the size of the zoo's former elephant exhibit Elephant Mesa (now the "Urban Jungle" exhibit area). Currently a herd of four, which includes one older female Shaba, and three younger males named Inhlonipho, Vus'Musi and Tsandizkle, who came from from theSan Diego Zoo Safari Park,Fresno Chaffee Zoo, andReid Park Zoo respectively. Elephant Odyssey also features a glimpse of the past, with the Fossil Portal and life-size statues of ancient creatures of Southern California next to exhibits of their modern-day counterparts. The ancient life represented include theColumbian mammoth, thesaber-toothed cat, theAmerican lion, theDaggett's eagle, aMerriam's teratorn, thedwarf pronghorn, thedire wolf, theshort-faced bear and theJefferson's ground sloth.
The Fossil Portal is an artificialtar pit that periodically drains to reveal man-madePleistocene-era bones. The path turns a corner and opens up at the Mammoth Passage Plaza, with exhibits forjaguars andAfrican lions, with a lion named Ernest and a lioness named Miss Ellen, as well as an exhibit that has housesLinnaeus's two-toed sloths to the right, and the tip of the elephant exhibit, with a large wading pool, straight ahead. The path continues to the left along with the pool, passing by the jaguar exhibit on the left. The northern end of the elephant pool drains into the mixed-species exhibit, which housesBaird's tapirs,guanacos, andcapybaras. The path meets up with the elephant exhibit again before it reaches the Elephant Care Center, where visitors can watch keepers care for the pachyderms.
Next is an exhibit forsecretary birds with grasses, a tree, and a statue of the extinct Daggett's eagle nearby. Afterward, the path goes down acrevasse with a wall embedded withvivaria fordung beetles. The path tunnels below the elephant exhibit to reach the other side, where it continues between the elephant exhibit and a creek for native reptiles and amphibians. Just past the source of the stream is a restaurant and gift shop, and after that are exhibits fordromedary camels,llamas,horses, &burros and another withpronghorns. Next the path splits between aplayground, arattlesnaketerrarium, and aCalifornia condor aviary with artificial rock spires and a stream. The paths then reunite and join the rest of the zoo.[74]
Simulating therainforests of central Africa, and opened in 1991,[75] Gorilla Tropics has an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) enclosure for the eponymous species.[76] The exhibit has waterfalls, a meadow, and tropical plants such asallspice,coral trees, andAfrican tulip trees, as well as several species ofbamboo.[77]
Guests can view the sixwestern lowland gorillas, which are a pair consisting of Paul Donn and Jessica as well as a bachelor troop consisting of four males named Ekuba, Maka, Mandazzi and Denny from a viewing window, across a waterfall, and across a creek. Nearby are thebonobo habitat, an enclosure for an aviary housingcrowned eagles and a small glass aviary by the bonobos housing a variety of smaller birds likeexclamatory paradise whydahs,purple grenadiers,red-billed firefinches,red-cheeked cordon-bleus,zebra waxbills and more. There is also a row of other mesh aviaries which include more birds like three species ofbird-of-paradise, theraggiana bird-of-paradise,magnificent bird-of-paradise,superb bird-of-paradise alongside others like Bali mynas,crested wood partridges,red-tailed black cockatoos,tricolored parrotfinch,mountain peacock-pheasants,western crowned pigeons,beautiful fruit doves,Guam kingfishers,Mindanao bleeding-hearts andblue-crowned lorikeets.
This exhibit opened in 2003, as a major renovation of the former "Whittier Southeast Asian Exhibits", which had opened in 1982. It houses an adult maleSumatran orangutan, Labu, three females,Karen, Indah, and Aisha, as well as one juvenile male, Kaja. The orangutans live alongside twosiamangs Eloise and her daughter Selamat in an 8,400-square-foot (780 m2) exhibit,[78] which is flanked by a 110-foot (34 m) glass viewing window.[79]
The exhibit provides sway poles and artificial trees for theapes to swing on and a faketermite mound for them to fish condiments out of.[80] The viewing area is designed to resemble the mulch-lined exhibit side of the viewing window by having rubber mulch, and miniature sway poles for kids.[80] Some plant species in the exhibit aretoog trees,carrotwood trees, andmarkhamia trees.[81]Silvery lutungs reside in an exhibit adjacent to this area.
This $3.5 million exhibit opened in 1989, and exhibitsBornean sun bears,François' langurs,White-cheeked gibbons, andAye-ayes.[82] One end of the 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) complex houseslion-tailed macaques in a grassy exhibit with a stream and climbing ropes. The oblong sun bear exhibit straddles the path along the rest of the complex, and an aviary houses some species of birds,[82] includingAsian fairy-bluebird andRed-billed leiothrix.[83] Farther down the path, visitors can seegrizzly bears,sloth bears,spotted hyenas,spectacled bears andriver otters.
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Tiger Trail, located in a sloping canyon, opened in 1988 and houses twoMalayan tiger brothers, Conner and his younger brother Berani.[84] From the top of the canyon, It proceeds to another pavilion, this time flanked by a bunch of aviaries which featureAsian fairy-bluebirds,Baikal teals,blue-crowned laughingthrushes,Edwards's pheasants,common emerald doves,tricolored parrotfinch, red-billed leiothrix, and there are also exhibits forfishing cats and rarecoconut crabs.
Farther down the canyon is an exhibit forMalayan tapirs,North Sulawesi babirusas,Indian pythons and the1⁄4-acre (0.10 ha) tiger habitat, which has a hillside stream, waterfall, and glass viewing window.[84] The Tiger Trail area of the zoo, when dedicated in 1988 as 'Tiger River', replaced an exhibit area that was known as Cascade Canyon, which had opened in 1973.[41]
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A new Australian Outback area, nicknamed "Koalafornia", opened in May 2013. The San Diego Zoo has over 40 koalas, the largest number in any zoo outside of Australia and the largest collection of Australian wildlife in America. It has twice as much exhibit space for koalas, including more outdoor enclosures based on a realization that koalas needsun exposure for their health.
The new area includes other Australian marsupials, such asparma wallabies,brush tailed bettongs,Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos,common ringtail possums, &short-beaked echidnas, though they aremonotremes as well as Australasian birds, such askagus,laughing kookaburras,blue-faced honeyeaters, common emerald doves,fawn-breasted bowerbirds,metallic starlings,masked lapwings,Gouldian finches andpalm cockatoos. Since October 2013, the exhibit also housesTasmanian devils, the first American zoo to do so; the animals are now kept in half a dozen zoos in the Americas as part of the Australian government's Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.[85][86]
Conrad Prebys's Africa Rocks highlights the biodiversity of Africa. The exhibit opened on July 1, 2017, but was not completed until December 6, 2017. The exhibit cost US$60 million to construct. The money was donated to the zoo by 3,800 donors.[87][88] Africa Rocks replacedDog andCat Canyon, which featured grottos that were built in the 1930s.
The exhibit features the following six habitats:
The Cape Fynbos exhibit featuresAfrican penguins, an endangered species native to South Africa. The exhibit was designed to mimic the giantgranite boulders that are found onBoulders Beach in South Africa, a place where these birds live. The 70 ft (21 m) long and 10 ft (3.0 m) wide habitat also includes a 200,000 US gal (757,080 L; 166,535 imp gal) pool for the penguins that stretches 170 ft (52 m), with depths up to 13 ft (4.0 m). Along with the large pool, the exhibit features a cobblestone beach and a nesting area. A group of 20 penguins moved in on June 22, 2017, to get ready for when the exhibit opened on July 1, 2017.
The penguins also share their exhibit withleopard sharks among other fish. Twelve leopard sharks arrived on June 23, 2017, fromSeaWorld San Diego. The sharks were introduced to their exhibit and their penguin neighbors on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. The sharks range in age from 5 to 20. African penguins do not live alongside leopard sharks in the wild; however, they do live with similar shark species. Leopard sharks feed oncrustaceans on the bottom floor and do not pose a threat to the penguins.[89]
TheAcacia Woodland exhibit features aleopard exhibit, a troop ofvervet monkeys, and an aviary. The leopard exhibit does not feature theAfrican subspecies of leopard, but rather exhibits Amur leopards, from as far as Russia to Northern China. This is because the Amur leopard iscritically endangered, as there are only around 60 individuals left in the wild. The San Diego Zoo participates in the Amur leopardSpecies Survival Plan, a breeding program that focuses on preserving the genetics of this endangered cat. The Acacia Woodland exhibit will allow the Zoo to have more breeding spaces for the cats. The Zoo has a spotted and ablack leopard.
The aviary in this exhibit features two species ofbee-eaters, thewhite-fronted andwhite-throated, as well as white-headed buffalo weavers and several other bird species. The exhibit also featuresAfrican silverbills,African pygmy geese,violet-backed starlings,splendid sunbirds,blue-naped mousebirds,common waxbills,emerald-spotted wood doves,golden-breasted starlings,exclamatory paradise whydahs,magpie mannikins,Namaqua doves,pin-tailed whydahs,purple grenadiers,red-billed firefinches,red-cheeked cordon-bleus,snowy-crowned robin-chats,village indigobirds,white-bellied go-away-birds,white-headed buffalo weavers,yellow-crowned bishops,yellow-mantled widowbirds, andzebra waxbills. There are alsoMozambique girdled lizards in the aviary.[90]
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The Madagascar Forest exhibit featureslemur species that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) has identified as needing sustainability assistance for the North American population, includingblue-eyed black,red ruffed,red-collared,ring-tailed lemurs andCoquerel's sifakas.
Along with lemurs, the Madagascar Forest exhibit houses the lemurs' main predator thefossa as well ashoney badgers.[91]
The Ethiopian Highlands exhibit houses two primate species: thegelada and thehamadryas baboon. The San Diego Zoo is only the second zoo in North America to house geladas, the other facility being theBronx Zoo. An all-male troop of geladas arrived on September 7, 2016, from theWilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. This move was based on the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (EAZA) European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for geladas—the European equivalent of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. The bachelor group will be introduced to females later on. The exhibit is also home toNubian ibexes.[92]
The wordkopje in Dutch means "small head" which describes the rock formations that seem to pop out in the savanna. Kopjes are homes for well-adapted animals. The San Diego Zoo's Kopje section in Africa Rocks is home to animals includingklipspringers,rock hyraxes, anddwarf mongoosees. Each animal has well-adapted feet that allow them to cling to the rocks. The exhibit also includesTrumpeter hornbills andbateleur eagles, as well asmeerkats,servals, and thered-leaved rock fig, a tree species that manages to grow wherever its seeds disperse including the rocky kopje.[93]
The West African Forest exhibits theWest African dwarf crocodile,Kenyi cichlids, theMadagascan big-headed turtle, and theWest African mud turtle. Behind the crocodile exhibit features Rady Falls, a 65 ft (20 m) tall waterfall, the largest man-made waterfall in San Diego.[94]
The zoo is active in conservation and species-preservation efforts. Its Institute for Conservation Research (formerly the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species) raises California condors, tigers,black rhinos,polar bears,orangutans,peninsular pronghorn,desert tortoises,African penguins,mountain yellow-legged frogs,Pacific pocket mice,dholes,Francois' langurs, giraffes,quino checkerspot butterflies,Hawaiian crows, light-footedclapper rails,Gray's monitors,tree lobsters,clouded leopards,Galapagos tortoises,Tahiti lorikeets,lion-tailed macaques,mhorr gazelles, gorillas,Przewalski's horses, koalas,burrowing owls, elephants,African wild dogs,ocelots, Tasmanian devils,okapi,Southwestern pond turtles,Pallas's cats, and 145 otherendangered species.
The zoo has helped increase populations of endangered animals worldwide, both in captivity and in the wild. A prime example of this can be seen through the success of the repopulation of the California Condor. In 1982, due to poaching, lead poisoning, and destruction of habitat, there were only a remainder of 22 California Condors. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance was granted permission to begin the management of the first propagation program for the California Condor. In recognition of this program, within 20 years the population of the vulnerable bird went from 22 to 200.[95] The success of the California condor program shows the importance of breeding efforts in saving endangered animals. By carefully managing the condors’ population, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance helped bring back the species from the brink of extinction. However, this isn’t the only species the Zoo has helped with repopulation
As a result, they have reintroduced more than 30 endangered species back into the wild, and have conserved habitat at 50 field sites. They also have over 200 conservation scientists working in 35 countries around the world. It employs numerous professional geneticists, cytologists, and veterinarians and maintains acryopreservation facility for rare sperm and eggs called thefrozen zoo.
The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research is the largest zoo-based multidisciplinary research effort in the world. Based at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Conservation Research adjacent to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, more than 200 dedicated scientists carry out research vital to the conservation of animals, plants, and habitats, locally and internationally.[96]
Zoo Corps is a volunteer program at the San Diego Zoo that enlists high school students to teach guests at the zoo about the animals they are seeing and their place in the ecosystem. It enrolls students between 13 and 17 years of age. The goals are to promotepublic education about animals andconservation, and to help the students develop their ability to speak in public. The program runs year-round in two sessions, one from May through November and one from January through May. Members of the Zoo Corps are expected to volunteer at least once a month.[97]
The program uses a series of "Kits", which are set on tables throughout the zoo. The kits contain objects that can be used to explain why an animal is endangered or to shed light on the animal's lifestyle. The four kits are "Backyard Habitats", "Saving Species", "Animal Care", and "Sustainability".
Local architectLouis John Gill designed the original buildings, cages, and animal grottos and later in 1926, theSpanish Revival-style research hospital, for which Gill received an Honor Award from the San Diego Chapter of theAmerican Institute of Architects. Gill also designed a bird cage at the zoo in 1937, then the largest bird cage in the world.[98]
The San Diego Zoo has received numerous awards for its exhibits, programs, and reproduction and conservation efforts. This list includes only awards given to the Zoo specifically, not to its parent organization; for those, see:San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Awards.
| Year | Awarding body | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | San Diego Zoo Convention & Tourist Bureau | First tourism award[99] | |
| 1961 | American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) | Edward H. Bean Award | For reproduction of koalas (first koala birth inWestern Hemisphere)[99][100] |
| 1963 | AAZPA | Edward H. Bean Award | ForGalápagos tortoise hatching[99][100] |
| ForGila monster hatching (first Gila monster conceived and hatched in captivity)[99][100] | |||
| 1964 | AAZPA | Edward H. Bean Award | For hatching and rearing ofrhinoceros iguana[99][100] |
| 1966 | AAZPA | Edward H. Bean Award for Most Notable Animal Births in an American Zoo | For reproduction ofproboscis monkey (first birth outside ofBorneo)[99][100] |
| For reproduction ofthick-billed parrot (first hatching recorded in captivity)[99][100] | |||
| For reproduction ofAfrican softshell turtle (first hatching recorded in captivity)[99][100] | |||
| 1974 | AAZPA | Edward H. Bean Award | For birth ofruffed lemur[99][100] |
| 1987 | AAZPA | Exhibit Award | For East African RockKopje[99][101] |
| 1988 | AAZPA | Education Award | For East African Rock Kopje Interpretive Program[99][102] |
| 1989 | AAZPA | Exhibit Award | For Tiger River[99][101] |
| Edward H. Bean Award | ForCalifornia condor breeding (shared withSan Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park andLos Angeles Zoo)[99][100] | ||
| 1991 | AAZPA | Edward H. Bean Award | ForFrançois' langur propagation program[99][100] |
| Significant Achievement Award | For long-term propagation ofFijian iguanas[99] | ||
| 1992 | AAZPA | Significant Achievement in Exhibits | For Gorilla Tropics[99] |
| 1995 | Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) | Significant Achievement Award | ForAndean condor reintroduction program[99] |
| 1996 | AZA | Significant Achievement in Exhibis | For Hippo Beach[99] |
| 2000 | AZA | Top Honors in International Conservation | For Jamaican Iguana Conservation & Recovery Program (shared withFort Worth Zoo,Indianapolis Zoo,Audubon Nature Institute,Sedgwick County Zoo,Tulsa Zoo,Toledo Zoo,Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens,Columbus Zoo and Aquarium,Woodland Park Zoo,Gladys Porter Zoo, andMilwaukee County Zoo)[99][103] |
| Conservation Endowment Fund Award | For restoration of two critically endangeredWest Indian rock iguana species through headstarting and release (shared with Fort Worth Zoo)[99] | ||
| 2002 | AZA | Edward H. Bean Award | ForSumatran rhinoceros breeding program (shared with Los Angeles Zoo,Wildlife Conservation Society, andCincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden)[99] |
| 2007 | Avian Scientific Advisory Group (ASAG) | Plume Award for Noteworthy Achievement in Avian Husbandry | For the Light-footedClapper Rail coalition (shared withChula Vista Nature Center,SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park, andUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service Reserve)[104] |
| 2010 | AZA | Significant Achievement in Exhibits | For Elephant Odyssey[101][105] |
| Top Honors for Excellence in Marketing | |||
| 2014 | AZA | Top Honors in International Conservation | ForTree Kangaroo Conservation Program in Papua New Guinea (shared with Woodland Park Zoo,Brevard Zoo,Cleveland Metroparks Zoo,Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Gladys Porter Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens,Minnesota Zoological Garden,Oregon Zoo,Riverbanks Zoo and Garden,Roger Williams Park Zoo,Saint Louis Zoo,Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo,Smithsonian National Zoological Park, and Zoo New England)[103] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[dead link]{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Rady Falls and the Madagascar habitat are part of the $60 million Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks exhibit complex that will open in 2017. Thus far, the Zoo has raised $45 million, which includes the $30 million from the Rady Challenge.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
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