San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego Safari Park news 2011

Some brilliant news
An exceptional sighting was caught on video at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as a California condor chick hatched last week with the assistance of its parents. In years past, the practice of the California Condor Recovery Program was to hand raise the first egg laid by a condor pair, but the conservation program’s goals are changing. Today, more condor eggs laid are being left with the parents so they can raise and mentor the chicks.

 

According to the new member magazine, this summer they will offer the cheetah run experience to everyone for free. Previously, you had to pay a hundred dollars to watch a cheetah do two thirty second sprints. Can anyone say "ripoff?" I assume there weren't that many people stupid enough to do it, so they decided to make it free (like it always should have been).

 

Anyone have any news regarding elephant pregnancies? (MSHOLO AS THE SIRE HOPEFULLY)

 

The thread is quite long so I'm starting a new one,

Last night the park had there 118th birth of an endangered Rothschild giraffe.

 

Two of the Safari Park's newest giraffe calves, Sunny and Tuli, were released onto exhibit today for the first time!
Just wondering how the Elephants are kept as they have two mature bulls and another young bull all unrealted are any kept with the females and young?

 

It was actually $69 if I recall correctly when I apparently stupidly took my mom there for Mother's Day. We also got to hang out within feet of the cheetah as they talked about it and saw demonstrations with a caracal and a peregrine falcon. I actually don't think it was a ripoff.

 

It's been awhile since I've been, but all the elephants were kept together when I used to go. I believe you can watch them on elephant cam as well if you like.

 

The adult males Mabhulane and Msholo are kept in two separate three acre yards. The females can move into either of the habitats through a hydraulic gate system in-between the two. As for Vus Musi (7) he is still kept with the general herd. He will probably be moved to another zoo soon unless they build some new elephant areas.

 

I can name at least a dozen zoos off the top of my head where you can be within a few feet of a cheetah at no extra charge

 

St.Louis for one. Beautiful habitat, free Cheetah runs when I was there this past September. Also Phoenix and The Living Desert have excellent close-up Cheetah viewing and habitats.

 

Thanks for clearing that up i cant see San Diego keeping 3 fully mature African Elephant bulls.

 

Well it cost a lot more to get to different zoos where they have the cheetah running for free and stuff compribable to what I just mentioned. I'm also talking seeing them within feet outside of an enclosure(sometimes you can see that at the park for free though). Watching the cheetah run a couple times was a great experience. It was well worth the money. And if you think it's a ripoff, just don't do it. Not sure what there is to complain about.

Sometimes people on here forget that we are in the vast minority of people that will actually travel to visit a zoo. So I don't think the fact that St. Louis does it for free has much bearing on the SDSP. If you want to use that logic, just about every zoo is a ripoff since it's not free like St. Louis and DC.

 

Here is the official press release about their summer activities, including the cheetah run (I wonder where it will be - sounds like somewhere in or next to Nairobi Village). Note that these events don't start until Saturday, July 2nd. (For non-Americans, that is a big three day holiday weekend, Monday the 4th being our Independence Day). My brother's family is going to San Diego earlier that week and want me to join them, so I may head over and stay for the inaugaral cheetah run on that Saturday.

San Diego Zoo Public Relations Blog Archive A Spectacular Summer Safari Adventure in Southern California

 

One of my all time favourite experiences at the SDSP was getting close to the cheetahs! I was at SDSP at Christmas and did one of their behind the scenes tours and we got within a foot of the cheetah. She was purring so loudly you just wanted to reach out and cuddle her! When I go back at Christmas I'll probably do it again and if it costs me money I assure you I feel it's worth every penny!

 

The new Cheetah run is going to be by the Lions in the dry river bed between the lions and the balloon safari. Also, they are doing some renovation to the lion camp exhibit because in March the AZA stated that all big cat moats had to be 25 feet across or so (this is from the JiA, excuse me, African Tram Tour guide) It looks like the exhibit cliffs are going to be more sloped and they have added a wire fence around the outside where the tram goes. There is also a new eating area next to the lions and an ICEE place with like 10 flavors (I am excited). Flying Fox exhibit has been pushed back to Fall and the construction by the flamingos is now an animal ambassador area which they now have someone there for a large majority of the day. Construction on the new Mountain Zebra exhibit looks like it is starting to begin too.

 

3 Red river Hogs have been born.

 

A Gorilla baby was just born at the park!
San Diego News | Kokamo Gives San Diego Zoo Safari Park First Baby Gorilla in a Decade

 

Some pictures of the baby!

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The Cheetah Run exhibit is free daily at 5:00 p.m. this summer, and the zoo has an amazing 23 cheetahs at the park. There must be a lot of off-exhibit enclosures!

Cheetahs run the show at new zoo exhibit - SignOnSanDiego.com