Just returned from the Safari Park and took some photos of the Construction happening immediately north of the current walkway heading up to Condor Ridge. There is not too much too see as of yet, but I thought I would keep this thread updated with the progress. All of the species on exhibit in Condor Ridge, with the exception of the Big Horn Sheep and the Condors, are off exhibit as the Construction in progress comes up to the back of their current exhibits. These signs hang on the fences lining the path to Condor Ridge. Walkabout Austarlia Sign 1 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:56 AM Walkabout Austarlia Sign 2 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:55 AM Walkabout Austarlia Sign 3 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:55 AM As far as I could tell there is no access to World Gardens currently. Walkabout Austarlia - World of Gardens Sign by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:55 AM These photos are the view near the end of the zigzag walkway to Condor Ridge from Tiger Trail Entrance: Walkabout Austarlia Tiger Trail Access Path Angle 1 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:55 AM Walkabout Austarlia Tiger Trail Access Path Angle 2 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:55 AM View over the fence before the Artificial Walk Through Tree Stump: Walkabout Austarlia Near Artificial Tree Exhibit Angle 6 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:48 AM Walkabout Austarlia Near Artificial Tree Exhibit Angle 5 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:48 AM Walkabout Austarlia Near Artificial Tree Exhibit Angle 4 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:48 AM View over the fence after the Artificial Walk Through Tree Stump: Walkabout Austarlia Near Artificial Tree Exhibit Angle 3 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:48 AM Walkabout Austarlia Near Artificial Tree Exhibit Angle 2 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:45 AM Walkabout Austarlia Near Artificial Tree Exhibit Angle 1 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:45 AM
View over fence just before the Condor Ridge Snack Bar: Walkabout Austarlia Near Snack Bar Angle 3 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:45 AM Walkabout Austarlia Near Snack Bar Angle 2 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:45 AM Walkabout Austarlia Near Snack Bar by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:41 AM Opposite the Snack Bar, behind Tiger Trail is this new Epiphyte Exhibit: Walkabout Austarlia New Path Across From Snack Bar - Epiphyte Exibit 1 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:41 AM Walkabout Austarlia New Path Across From Snack Bar - Epiphyte Exibit 2 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:41 AM View Between the Parrot and Eagle Exhibit: Walkabout Austarlia Adjacent to Parrot by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:41 AM Walkabout Austarlia Adjacent to Bald Eagles by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:41 AM A path is being created to walk from the Walkabout to the Big Horn Sheep Exhibit: Walkabout Austarlia New Path From Condor Ridge Continued 5 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:34 AM Walkabout Austarlia New Path From Condor Ridge Continued 4 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:34 AM Walkabout Austarlia New Path From Condor Ridge Continued 3 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:34 AM Walkabout Austarlia Site of New Path From Condor Ridge 2 by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:34 AM Walkabout Austarlia Entrance to New Path From Condor Ridge by timmychompchomp posted 19 Sep 2017 at 1:34 AM Overall not much to see yet, but interesting to me, and hopefully others. I saw no mention of Wombats on the Ground Plan Signage. Thanks.
I really wish they would do a major upgrade of the coastal sage scrub and chaparral exhibit. Aside from the incorrect drip irrigation they installed, many of the plants were or are mislabeled. That section is one of my favourites and it should have been done more correctly to give the average person who visits a much deeper appreciaton of a plant commuity often demonized by the Press and Government land management experts. I wrote a post a couple years back about it and I hope corrects can be made. Timeless Environments: Coastal Sage Scrub & Chaparral Exhibit @ San Diego Safari Park
Not to mention the WGASA monorail (which has a hilarious story behind it's name for those who know...)
It still baffles me that the zoological institution with the world's largest breeding colony of koalas outside Australia is not making them part of this project.
They've had koalas at the park before. As I understand it, they struggled with the heat which ended up with them being displayed at the Animal Care Center in Nairobi Village. Ultimately they decided that conditions at the zoo were more favorable and moved the park koalas back there.
The Australia sections at the zoo and the safari park have almost no shared animals. I hope San Diego Zoo Global does not continue this trend with future expansions. The two parks were always about different experience s and not different species. People shouldn't have to go to two world class zoos just to see kangaroos and koalas especially since both areas have been updated recently. Even if the koalas were to be housed indoors it would still be better than not to have them at all.
Why should they strive to have the same animals? People will not visit the park to see koalas, wombats, and other new Australian animals if they can go to the zoo and see these same animals, as well as many primates, leopards, and bears which the park does not have. Instead, the park needs to set a distinction in between itself and the zoo for both to be successful and not compete with each other. I beg to differ. This is what San Diego ̶r̶e̶c̶o̶m̶m̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ requires indoor koala exhibits to be like: Do you really think it would be worth lowering the welfare standards for the koalas, from the spacious and free exhibits of the zoo to something like this small, barren exhibit at the park? All for the purpose of just seeing the animal at the park, because, for whatever reason, you didn't want to visit the zoo?
I agree with Jay, I see no reason why the park can't have separate species and experiences. Wombats and kangaroos are the only species that overlap. The zoo provides a glimpse at smaller lesser none species in a variety of habitats. The safari park has more common critters in up close. There's enough koalas at the zoo, the Safari Park shouldn't need to have them. Now platypus on the other hand...
I've always viewed the distinction between the two parks as being on experience alone. After reading your comments though I would have to agree with you. As long as the famous animals are in both locations, I suppose some distinction between species doesn't matter. On that note I do believe ABC animals are important. While people don't expect koalas at every zoo everyone expects to see lions, tigers etc. The vast majority of people are very dissapointed if they are not there.
