San Diego’s World-Famous Zoo Teaches Through Interaction

Think San Diego, and sooner or later you will likely think of the city’s world famous zoo—it’s an institution, a travel destination, and an international model for progressive land use, animal care, and wildlife conservation efforts.

APA members coming to this year’s Annual Meeting in San Diego—especially those coming with children—may want to carve out some time to visit this 100-acre masterpiece of land use that is home to more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies. Located just north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park, it is easily accessible from most convention hotels.

The zoo can be enjoyed several ways—the most popular way is the do-it-yourself walking tour along pathways, into aviaries, and through bioclimatic zones. There is a 35-minute guided bus tour that gives a good overview of the zoo, along with an express bus that stops at several locations to assist guests in accessing different areas. The guided bus tour can be a good way for visitors to acquaint themselves with the various areas where they might like to spend additional time. Zoo officials recommend a minimum visit time of at least three to four hours.

Founded in October 1916, the San Diego Zoo celebrated its centennial anniversary last year, and many of the features of last year’s celebration—including special tours, children’s events, and entertainment—can still be enjoyed.

New at the zoo are the “Animals in Action” and “Inside Look Tours”—both of which provide visitors with a chance to view and interact with animals up close and learn about some of the work of the zoo professionals.

At “Animals in Action,” visitors can come face to face with a rhino, see exotic cats climb and jump, feed flamingos, and more. Participants will also have the chance to feed, touch, and train some of the zoo’s “animal ambassadors,” and learn how San Diego Zoo is helping to save species around the world. Some animals in the zoo’s care are unique to this experience and can only be viewed by attending “Animals in Action.”

The “Inside Look Tour” is a similar “behind- the-scenes” educational adventure in which participants tour the zoo in a shuttle cart and visit off-exhibit areas. There are four “Inside Look” tours—Inside Look: Surprise; Inside Look: Koalas and Friends; Inside Look: Elephants and Friends; and Inside Look: Polar Bears and Friends. With the exception of Inside Look: Polar Bears and Friends—which is reserved for ages 10 and older—the tours are safe for all ages.

For the slightly more adventurous and/or conservation minded, there is also the San Diego Safari Park and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research (both operated by the zoo). The Safari Park is a separate, expansive wildlife sanctuary that is home to more than 3,000 animals representing more than 300 species. Its renowned botanical collection represents 3,500 species and 1.75 million specimens. Over half of the park’s 1,800 acres have been set aside as protected native species habitat. The distance between the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is 35 miles and visitors are advised to allow 45 minutes to 1 hour travel time.

The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research is one of the largest zoo-based research centers in the world. Founded in 1975, it is dedicated to preserving and protecting rare and endangered wildlife and habitats. The institute’s staff carries out research vital to the conservation of animals, plants, and habitats in over 35 countries worldwide. ■

The San Diego Zoo is located at 2920 Zoo Drive in Balboa Park, just north of downtown San Diego. San Diego Zoo Safari Park is located at 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road in Escondido, Calif. For more information, call 619-231-1515, or visit http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/, http://sdzsafaripark.org/, and http://institute.sandiegozoo.org/.