Safari 2024

Had to take a trip to eat the best pies in the world and then enjoy the day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The Safari park houses a large array of wild and endangered (some critically) animals from every continent, except Antarctica; this includes the largest, most comprehensive collection of hoofed mammals (ungulates) in the world. The area is in a semi-arid environment, about 30 miles (48 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean, giving it a year-round ‘feeling’ of being in Africa, with one of its most notable attractions being the Africa Tram, a half-hour guided tram ride which showcases the expansive ‘grassland’ exhibits. These free-range enclosures house the majority of the park's larger species, such as numerous antelopes, giraffes, buffalo, cranes, and rhinoceros, among others. This park is also noted for its California condor breeding program. When booked in-advance (and with additional fees), the park also offers several longer, more in-depth safari options, some of which involve riding in an open-top truck to feed the animals in the field enclosures. The San Diego Zoo Safari also has the world's largest veterinary hospital. Next to the hospital is the Institute for Conservation Research, which houses the San Diego Zoo's and Safari Park's Frozen Zoo, a database and storage facility containing priceless blood, tissue and sperm samples, as well as embryos and DNA, of numerous endangered, vulnerable and threatened species.