"We need the tonic of wildness ... we can never have enough of nature." - Henry David Thoreau
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is an expansive wildlife sanctuary that is home to more than 3,500 animals representing more than 400 species. Its renowned botanical collection represents 3,500 species and 1.5 million specimens. Over half of the Park's 1,800 acres (730 hectares) have been set aside as protected native species habitat. Part of the Zoological Society of San Diego, this park is truly a national treasure!
Welcome To The Wild Just inside the entrance gates of the park is a re-creation of a Nairobi village. Here, you'll find a pond with pelicans, storks, and flamboyant flamingos -- plus monkeys, wild pigs, and the ever-popular meerkats. Here, too, is the Hidden Jungle exhibit, an indoor greenhouse that offers glimpses into some of the smaller, more subtle forms of life that make up a jungle. Butterflies, hummingbirds, scorpions, and other insects, and exotic tropical plants can be viewed close-up and personal in this climate-controlled environment.
Lorikeet Landing Also part of the Nairobi Village area is Lorikeet Landing, a place where you can purchase small cups of nectar to feed the lorikeets, which are small, social birds like parakeets. The friendly, colorful, and noisy tropical birds land right on your outstretched arms, hands, and shoulders in this walk-through aviary.
Heart Of Africa/Lion Camp But let's face it, we don't come to a wild animal park to look at tiny things and birds. We come here for the beasts, and the bigger the better! And that's what you'll find in the Heart of Africa exhibit. Not only are there cheetahs, giraffes, and monkeys, but some of the more amusing species such as warthogs and the stripe-legged, blue-tongued okapi are on display in semi-natural habitats in this part of the park.
And if you want to see the King (and Queen) of the Jungle up close and personal, don't miss Lion Camp, where nothing but a thick glass panel separates you from African lions. Watch these majestic cats in action on the spacious, grassy slopes of this exhibit.
Elephant Overlook If lions aren't big enough for you, don't overlook the elephants. Or, DO overlook them, at the Elephant Overlook exhibit. The spacious elephant habit includes a pond and trees for the elephants' comfort. Both African and Asian elephants live here.
Kilimanjaro Safari Walk The park's best leg-stretcher is the Kilimanjaro Safari Walk. This 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) path includes both Lion Camp and the elephant viewing area, plus some nice scenic areas in between, suitable for a picnic. Also along the route are tigers, rhinoceros, and giraffes.
Gorilla Habitat All roads lead back to Nairobi Village, and I ended my day at the Wild Animal Park with a visit to the lowland gorilla troop in the Gorilla Habitat section of the village. The gentle giants were in rare form this day, cavorting, lounging, looking for all the world like a group of men getting together for a poker game or a little football on TV. A large male gorilla can eat up to 40 pounds of food a day, and they did plenty of snacking as I and the other observers watched.
Kid Stuff There are plenty of things for the wee ones to do at the Wild Animal Park. Besides feeding the lorikeets, they will enjoy the Petting Kraal at Nairobi Village, where they can interact with gentle deer, antelope, and other creatures. The Village also has novel playground equipment, such as hollow faux logs, a giant tortoise shell, lily pads for hopping, and other simulated animal habitats for kids to explore. Just south of the village is an animal-themed playground to burn off a little excess energy. And the Discovery Station is a kid-oriented learning experience offering crafts and other activities throughout the day.
Getting To The Wild San Diego's temperate climate makes the Wild Animal Park and its sister facility the San Diego Zoo great places to visit any time of year.
The Wild Animal Park is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of downtown San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, Calif. For more information, point your web browser to http://www.sandiegozoo.org.
Sally O'Neal hikes, bikes, and enjoys wild and domestic animals from her home base in Washington State. She writes weekly for sportsmansguide.com.