San Diego Zoo Safari Park Asian Savannah Field Exhibits Coming 2020

pachyderm pro

pachyderm pro

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Yesterday at the Safari Park, I went behind-the-scenes and toured the Asian savannah field exhibits. They are filled with antelope, goats, bovids and Indian rhinos. This area of the park has not been in full public view ever since the monorail was dismantled some years back. However, there is a sign at the end of Tiger Trail stating a new Asian experience is in the making. My guide told everyone at the end of the cart tour that full public view of the Asian exhibits are expected to be completed around 2020.

What do you want to see done with the new Asian area? I would like another tram tour similar to the African one. This would also be a great opportunity to remodel the old tiger exhibit for the off exhibit dholes.
 
I would think the Safari Park would want to put in some sort of interactivity/no fence experience in conjunction with field exhibit viewing. Any thoughts on what that could be?
 
I'm a little worried that the general public will view these exhibits as animals that are all similar to the African exhibits and not worth a visit.
 
leone said:
beautiful habitat australia
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So you want to replace the brilliant Asian savannah with an Australian section? You do know that the Safari Park is already building an Australian section, right? Alternatively, you could have accidently posted this, as this thread is about an Asian exhibit not an Australian exhibit. Wow I really overcomplicated this!
 
I'm genuinely excited to hear about this happening! I agree with @The_UltimateBea in that people will view the Asian exhibits as similar to the African exhibits, but in a different way. The fields themselves just look way too similar, regardless of species. I mean the "golf-course" parts of the fields. Maybe they could plant bamboo on the side of the road where animals are not in view? Or better yet, introduce more Asian foliage. Maybe some side exhibits like @Arizona Docent mentioned, maybe some Gibbons, Asian Small-Clawed Otters, Langurs, Sloth Bears, (maybe a rare species or two of reptile).
 
Wyman said:
I'm genuinely excited to hear about this happening! I agree with @The_UltimateBea in that people will view the Asian exhibits as similar to the African exhibits, but in a different way. The fields themselves just look way too similar, regardless of species. I mean the "golf-course" parts of the fields. Maybe they could plant bamboo on the side of the road where animals are not in view? Or better yet, introduce more Asian foliage. Maybe some side exhibits like @Arizona Docent mentioned, maybe some Gibbons, Asian Small-Clawed Otters, Langurs, Sloth Bears, (maybe a rare species or two of reptile).
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Actually it was @Buldeo that mentioned it, not me (though I certainly agree).
 
The_UltimateBea said:
I would think the Safari Park would want to put in some sort of interactivity/no fence experience in conjunction with field exhibit viewing. Any thoughts on what that could be?
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They are already doing this with their new Australia exhibit which will be opening this Summer.
 
pachyderm pro said:
Yesterday at the Safari Park, I went behind-the-scenes and toured the Asian savannah field exhibits. They are filled with antelope, goats, bovids and Indian rhinos. This area of the park has not been in full public view ever since the monorail was dismantled some years back. However, there is a sign at the end of Tiger Trail stating a new Asian experience is in the making. My guide told everyone at the end of the cart tour that full public view of the Asian exhibits are expected to be completed around 2020.

What do you want to see done with the new Asian area? I would like another tram tour similar to the African one. This would also be a great opportunity to remodel the old tiger exhibit for the off exhibit dholes.
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This is exciting!
 
pachyderm pro said:
My guide told everyone at the end of the cart tour that full public view of the Asian exhibits are expected to be completed around 2020.
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As of late 2019 there is no sign of this happening yet. The tiger exhibit was announced and then took several years to happen, so a delay would not be unexpected.

There have been multiple plans and ideas rumored about the Asia zone over the years from a second tram loop around the Asia enclosures to a new Asian elephant complex as part of the project. Hopefully at minimum they will extend that walkway down to the main Asia field exhibit from the tigers and restore some viewing not present since the monorail ended.
 
I read in the Zoonooz page highlighting Action Indonesia Day to raise awareness for Indonesia's rare, weird, and lesser known endangered wildlife, three are already present at the Safari Park, The Sumatran Tiger (Tull Family Tiger Trail), Babirusa (Nairobi Village), and Javan Banteng (Asian Field Exhibit), and the fourth one is the Lowland Anoa which they are planning to add to the safari park for the Asia Area and the Babirusas would be moved there to.

Stripes, Tusks, and Hooves
 
Thomas said:
I read in the Zoonooz page highlighting Action Indonesia Day to raise awareness for Indonesia's rare, weird, and lesser known endangered wildlife, three are already present at the Safari Park, The Sumatran Tiger (Tull Family Tiger Trail), Babirusa (Nairobi Village), and Javan Banteng (Asian Field Exhibit), and the fourth one is the Lowland Anoa which they are planning to add to the safari park for the Asia Area and the Babirusas would be moved there to.

Stripes, Tusks, and Hooves
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From the News Thread about the Asian Field Exhibit

Anteaterman said:
An instagram story shows two White-Cheeked Gibbons in the old off-exhibit Bonobo exhibit at the park. Not sure if this was an already well -known fact.
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I commented to the contraction progress and John Marchwick said:
Thomas said:
Also any news for the Asia Area and Tram since 2020 is coming up and it might open up that year?
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John Marchwick said:
l did notice some construction by that area when I was their this year but I’m not sure outside of that. My guess is that it’s opening sometime in late 2020
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My reasons why it’s in delay and what potential animal would be added as side exhibits.
Thomas said:
Perhaps the gibbons will be part of the Asia area next to Tiger Trail, Babirusas from Nairobi Village will be moved there, and according to this Zoonooz Article, they plan on adding Lowland Anoa to the collection and that they might be part of it.

Stripes, Tusks, and Hooves

I believe that the reason they wanted to build the Asian savannah area for last is because there's nothing good in the northern area of the Safari Park other than Conder Ridge, Botanic Gardens, and tiger exhibit and not many visitors go there. So they decided to do in phases first adding southwestern animals to Condor Ridge like the Ocelot, Harris Hawk, and Elegant Tinamous, the Tull Family Tiger Trail area, and finally the Walkabout Australia with it's collection of Australian animals including Kangaroos, wallabies, birds, cassowaries, and the platypuses which would now lead to Asia Savannah Area being constructed.

So what's the construction progress on the Asian Savannah area so Far?
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Any progress lately?
 
I actually contacted the zoo about the status of this project a while ago. My response was basically that the zoo and the safari park are currently on a timetable of alternating projects. This means that the zoo does a project, than the park will do something new. For example, the zoo had Africa Rocks in 2017, the park had Walkabout Australia in 2018, and now the new Children's zoo is being built at the zoo and is opening next year. It will likely be after that when the new Asian area will see some momentum, hopefully sooner than later.
 
Interesting, though last year the Safari Park opened the African bird delta exhibit by the greater Flamingos in the African Tram Safari area.
And this year isn’t the first part of the children’s Zoo, the renovated hummingbird house and Komodo dragon exhibit will be opened?!
 
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