Help! San Diego zoo or safari park?

frubeinatube

frubeinatube

Member
I will be visiting California in June/July with my family, who arn't really into animals, and so I will only be able to visit either San Diego zoo or the San Diego safari park...!

I've looked up the websites/pictures on here etc and I really can't decide which is best!
I'm mainly into birds and have noticed that San Diego zoo seems to have awesome big aviaries, but the safari park has a shoebill!?

HELP! Which would you recommend and why?

Also, is Los Angeles zoo worth going to?

Thanks :D
 
It is really a matter of opinion. I've been to neither but hear that they're both incredible. SDWAP has large herds of ungulates, and two of the seven northern white rhinos left wordwide. Of course SD has many great species, and will be even better with the new australian exhibit.

epickoala123 :)
 
If you're primarily interested in birds then definitely go to the zoo. They supposedly have the largest bird collection in the western hemisphere. The zoo also has the reptile collection, great apes (gorillas are also at the Safari Park) and monkeys, bears (polar, sun, and giant pandas are highlights), cats, canids, koalas, and comprehensive children's zoo with an insect house and pangolins.

The Safari Park is also spectacular and has a good bird collection, especially African birds. They also have a good California condor exhibit, but you can see the at the zoo also. If anyone in your group likes large African mammals then the park is a must see as they have huge field exhibits with rhinos, giraffes, multiple antelope species, and a family herd of African elephants.

The LA Zoo has a good bird collection. I am partisan, but yes, I think it is definitely worth visiting if you have time. There are many new exhibits including Asian elephant exhibit, reptile house, gorillas, and harbor seals.
 
San Diego Zoo will get you more bang for your buck. If you're interested in birds. San Diego has Kagu and tons of rare birds from South East Asia. There are Bateleur eagles, harpy eagles, red-crowned crane, milky storks, congo peafowl, bali mynah, several tragopans, and pheasants. Some of these will be tough to track down, b/c they are in a few hidden locations at the zoo, and aren't really obvious to the average zoo visitor.
 
I grew up in Los Angeles and developed my love for zoos at the L.A. Zoo, but I would say skip it. Even with all the new upgrades, it is still well below par for a city of that calibre.

I would try to do both San Diego parks if at all possible. The zoo is right downtown so if your traveling companions are not into it, then maybe you can go there for a day while they do other stuff. The zoo is in Balboa Park which has a dozen museums, so if they like that they could visit two or three adjacent museums. If your trip is late enough (after the last week of June), San Diego Zoo has their awesome night hours staying open until 9pm (9:30pm in the front plaza and gift shop). Well worth it.

The safari park has a broader appeal and a lot of non-zoo people seem to like it. So perhaps your family will let you do the zoo on your own and then go with you to the safari park (which is not near anything else and requires a car to get to).
 
Arizona Docent said:
I grew up in Los Angeles and developed my love for zoos at the L.A. Zoo, but I would say skip it. Even with all the new upgrades, it is still well below par for a city of that calibre.
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I said in the post above that I'm biased about the LA Zoo, as it is now more or less my hometown zoo.

BUT if you haven't visited the LA Zoo in a few years then the place truly has changed. There is now a massive Asian elephant exhibit that has transformed the central part of the zoo. The new reptile house is beautiful, as is the new carousel. The new Rainforest of the Americas may or may not be opened when our fellow Zoochatter visits from Bristol, but this will transform one of the really outdated areas of the zoo with new South American animal exhibits for jaguar, giant otters, red uakari, etc.
 
Arizona Docent said:
Are they really doing something for jaguar? I thought that got cut out of the plan.
Click to expand...

It's back on apparently. They found themselves with extra funds in the budget according to recent construction reports and are going to either add a jaguar exhibit into the rainforest complex or build a new exhibit in the current South America area.
 
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I would personally opt for the zoo for what is now called The Lost Forest region (at least until the Tiger Trails thing opens @ the SDWAP). Plus, it has pandas. Both Giant & Red. Monkey Trails is pretty spectacular as well.

Which isn't necessarily a knock against the SDWAP. Their cheetah exhibit slays the zoo's feeble attempt at one, and seeing the full herd of elephants is quite the sight.
 
DavidBrown said:
It's back on apparently. They found themselves with extra funds in the budget according to recent construction reports and are going to either add a jaguar exhibit into the rainforest complex or build a new exhibit in the current South America area.
Click to expand...

This is some of the best news I have ever seen on ZooChat. (Of course not on the same level as, say, learning Zoo Jerez put iberian lynx on display, but still pretty good ;)).
 
Thank you for the responses!

Luckily my family do really like animals/zoo's, but 2/3 days in a row (were going to Seaworld too) may be a tad too much, for them!

But I think were going to be siding with the zoo, and we should be there for when they open until 9pm too, which sounds awesome!

I will give LA zoo a think, see what the plans are at the time, and see if they'll let me squeeze it in! :)
 
I much prefer the Wild Animal/Safari Park for quality of exhibits.
But it is a long trip from San Diego.
The zoo is fine, especially for looking at animals, it just isn't inspiring

And the big aviaries are not to be missed!
 
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