San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego Wildlife Park news 2007-2009

My Photo Caravan guide told me about this and I thought of you right away Ituri. I knew you wouldn't be to happy about.

I personally think it will be pretty cool, and plus you will be able to see the Indian Rhinos.

 

The zipline is going to cost $70 for non-members! That is quite pricey, and each year the excellent San Diego Wild Animal Park edges a little closer to becoming Busch Gardens...

 

Oh, I didn't realize it would cost that much! I still love WAP and the upcoming Tiger Trails will make it even better.

 

Yeah, you'll have a great view of the tourists in shorts and tevas as they fly past

I guess this is what happens when you a company to do your master plan that specializes in theme park attractions...

Wild Animal Park hires company to plan new attractions : North County Times - Californian

Poseidon - Flash Detection

To be fair there are some things in there I find cool. But it's not the Wild Animal Park it used to be that is for certain.

 

You mean "the excellent San Diego Wild Animal Park edges a little closer to becoming like the EXCELLENT Busch Gardens"

 

Except that the WAP is far superior to Busch Gardens.

 

And this is a good thing? I too am saddened to see the once-amazing SDWAP pander to the lowest common denominator in order to increase revenues. It is abandoning the timeless appeal of nature to take a trendy approach that will not age well--and at no small expense.

Actually, the zip-line sounds pretty cool and I think could fit into the Park's setting. Too bad they've already partially ruined things with "attractions" like the cheesy water play area, carousel and "new" tram ride. But they still have a ways to go to achieve the sheer tackiness of Busch Gardens.

 

I just saw an LA Times article on the zipline and the diagram of the path shows it goes right through the Asia field exhibit and half of the East Africa exhibit. You mean when visitors go to look at the animals, the view is ruined by a zipline on poles? Has anyone seen this in person who can give us a report? Is it as bad as it seems?

Also, is it just me, or do the large field exhibits have way less antelope than they used to? (I mean that both in terms of overall animal numbers as well as variety of species).

 

Ugh, I remember the days you could peacefully walk along the African field exhibits and when their bird show was really good. Now they have a camp ground and most of the good views of the field exhibits is blocked up by a fence. What I've heard from Park Officials is that the WAP was hoping to expand because it had much more room to. So far I haven't seen much new exhibits but more attractions for guests. When I saw the Zip-line I was pretty depressed, I was hoping the zoo would rather spend more money on new exhibits than a zip line. On the zoo map, its been saying that they have a future home for dholes since forever too.

 

I more guest attraction coming to the park, Dino Mountain.

Dino Mountain - May 23 - September 9, 2009

here is another link with video: http://videos.nctimes.com/p/video?id=4209260

 

When I first heard about this zipline, I wondered the same things. But I was just there a month ago, and while the zipline wasn't completed yet, I saw the two end stations, so I could get an idea of where it will go. It didn't look too bad to me. It seemed as if the "zippers" will be going over animals that are currently too far away to see right now. So effectively, the zipline will open up an opportunity to see more animals, without ruining the views of the other animals. Also, I didn't think the number of animals seen -- especially from the "Journey Into Africa" tram tour -- was that much less than in years past. I also love that you can do the hot air balloon tour up 400 feet for a fantastic view of the entire park! My only minor critique is that I wish the JIA tram tour was included in the park admission -- the way that the monorail was.

 

Isis has lised three female black wildebeest for the San Diego WAp, whats going on, one of the uasally isis mistakes or does the WAP has really black wildebeest again in the collection ?

 

zebraduiker, I visited the park in early October and there were three wildebeest in the South Africa exhibit, so perhaps they were the ones you mention, but I never found out what species they were. I did not see any Vaal rhebok.

 

Flightline: I saw this new extra-fee attraction recently. It is a 70 dollar experience that actually is two seperate ziplines. The ticket office for it is a hut located on the former Wgasa Bushline Monorail unloading dock. This is rather close to the first of the ziplines, which is a practice line that is 470 feet long and begins there and ends near the bottom of the Great Rift Lift and near the Balloon Safari. The first zipline is in a cleared area of the eucalyptus forest that formerly was an Australian exhibit area (I spotted a few of the aviaries still there but they are no longer accessed by a visitor path). The second zipline is the main experience, and the top of it is reached by a truck that takes the paid visitors up a back road to a tower that has been built above far end of the old Asian Plains exhibit area and is faintly visible from a few points along the Kilimanjaro Walking Trail and Condor Ridge. The second zipline is about 3500 feet long and as much as 160 feet above the ground, and appears to go over a large part of the old Asian Plains exhibit. It also goes over a small corner of the East Africa exhibit, but this portion has been walled off from the animals so that one could argue it does not cross over it at all. The landing platform is at Kilima Point, the viewing point along the trail above East Africa, where visitors who have not paid for the experience can see the entire length of the ride head-on. The landing looks temporary and a more permanent one in the same location was being built when I was there. I asked a few of the happy guests who rode the zipline and they said that they did not notice any of the animals below, it was too exciting and scary to notice! The second zipline really does not impact the standard visitor experience, although I am curious if it is an annoyance for extra-fee Photo Caravans and Savanna Safari and VIP and Rolling Safari Tours that go to the Asian Plains exhibit. The first zipline, however, is an unfortunate and visible eyesore from the Great Lift Rift and Balloon Safari area. The park claims that one third of revenues from this attraction this year will go to the California condor conservation program.

 

That's true, the flightline barely goes over the African exhibit there. The zipline runs along the edge of the Central Asia and Asian Plains exhibits and on the hillside there are also the Kiang, P. Horses, and Arabian Oryx exhibits. Probably one of the things local San Diegans will never do, but tourists will. =/ It didn't seem so great because I was in a feed truck feeding Indian Rhinos apples... =D

 

A male African elephant has arrived from Lowry park zoo, "Msholo" was one of the original animals imported from Swaziland in 2003.

African elephant moved to Wild Animal Park

 

I saw him last month. The Park is trying two make to herds now that they have an open Elephant enclosure.

 

So now do they have the area also which once housed the Asia elephants to use?, would they house one bull in each exhibit and move the females around when needed?

 

I asked about Msholo earlier this week when I was at the WAP since it's been more than 2 months since he arrived and he was still in the back stalls. I was told that they were going to combine the two exhibits and alternate Msholo and Mabhu with the complete herd of females and calves.

 

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