San Diego Zoo Safari Park Asian Savannah Field Exhibits Coming 2020

Yesterday at the Safari Park, I went behind-the-scenes and toured the Asian savannah field exhibits. They are filled with antelope, goats, bovids and Indian rhinos. This area of the park has not been in full public view ever since the monorail was dismantled some years back. However, there is a sign at the end of Tiger Trail stating a new Asian experience is in the making. My guide told everyone at the end of the cart tour that full public view of the Asian exhibits are expected to be completed around 2020.

What do you want to see done with the new Asian area? I would like another tram tour similar to the African one. This would also be a great opportunity to remodel the old tiger exhibit for the off exhibit dholes.

 

I would think the Safari Park would want to put in some sort of interactivity/no fence experience in conjunction with field exhibit viewing. Any thoughts on what that could be?

 

Put the dhole pack on public display.

Continue with the Tiger Trail theme. Get some more gibbons, maybe a douc. Something unique.

 

This is great news. I will look forward to seeing what they announce.

 

I'm a little worried that the general public will view these exhibits as animals that are all similar to the African exhibits and not worth a visit.

 

For me that's a good thing - it means I will have the area to myself! However given it's proximity to popular tiger exhibit, I am sure people will visit.

 

beautiful habitat australia

 

So you want to replace the brilliant Asian savannah with an Australian section? You do know that the Safari Park is already building an Australian section, right? Alternatively, you could have accidently posted this, as this thread is about an Asian exhibit not an Australian exhibit. Wow I really overcomplicated this!

 

I'm genuinely excited to hear about this happening! I agree with @The_UltimateBea in that people will view the Asian exhibits as similar to the African exhibits, but in a different way. The fields themselves just look way too similar, regardless of species. I mean the "golf-course" parts of the fields. Maybe they could plant bamboo on the side of the road where animals are not in view? Or better yet, introduce more Asian foliage. Maybe some side exhibits like @Arizona Docent mentioned, maybe some Gibbons, Asian Small-Clawed Otters, Langurs, Sloth Bears, (maybe a rare species or two of reptile).

 

Actually it was @Buldeo that mentioned it, not me (though I certainly agree).

 

Must have misread it. My apologies, then @Arizona Docent

 

They are already doing this with their new Australia exhibit which will be opening this Summer.

 

I would think they would want to do some interactivity specifically with the Asian Savana.

 

This is exciting!

 

As of late 2019 there is no sign of this happening yet. The tiger exhibit was announced and then took several years to happen, so a delay would not be unexpected.

There have been multiple plans and ideas rumored about the Asia zone over the years from a second tram loop around the Asia enclosures to a new Asian elephant complex as part of the project. Hopefully at minimum they will extend that walkway down to the main Asia field exhibit from the tigers and restore some viewing not present since the monorail ended.

 

They were proclaiming this as news in 2015 when I was last there. The possibility of an Asian elephant herd is exciting, though. This organization manages to get wild-born individuals, which the Asian population desperately needs.

 

I read in the Zoonooz page highlighting Action Indonesia Day to raise awareness for Indonesia's rare, weird, and lesser known endangered wildlife, three are already present at the Safari Park, The Sumatran Tiger (Tull Family Tiger Trail), Babirusa (Nairobi Village), and Javan Banteng (Asian Field Exhibit), and the fourth one is the Lowland Anoa which they are planning to add to the safari park for the Asia Area and the Babirusas would be moved there to.

Stripes, Tusks, and Hooves

 

From the News Thread about the Asian Field Exhibit

I commented to the contraction progress and John Marchwick said:

My reasons why it’s in delay and what potential animal would be added as side exhibits.

Any progress lately?

 

I actually contacted the zoo about the status of this project a while ago. My response was basically that the zoo and the safari park are currently on a timetable of alternating projects. This means that the zoo does a project, than the park will do something new. For example, the zoo had Africa Rocks in 2017, the park had Walkabout Australia in 2018, and now the new Children's zoo is being built at the zoo and is opening next year. It will likely be after that when the new Asian area will see some momentum, hopefully sooner than later.

 

Interesting, though last year the Safari Park opened the African bird delta exhibit by the greater Flamingos in the African Tram Safari area.
And this year isn’t the first part of the children’s Zoo, the renovated hummingbird house and Komodo dragon exhibit will be opened?!