San Diego Zoo Safari Park List of Species on Exhibit 6-2-15

geomorph

geomorph

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
This is an attempt to list every species on exhibit to general admission visitors at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park during my visits on 6-1-15 to 6-3-15. I am arranging the list by the current visitor map and its named zones, some of which have unclear borders. I am including species for which there is a sign on each exhibit; in the case of the field exhibits seen only from the African Tram, I am listing the species in each exhibit that were announced by the driver or observed by me on 4 trips on the ride. I am not including the Asian Savanna exhibits or others only seen on upcharge safaris such as the Caravan Safari or Cart Safari. Since the park is well-known to have many species off-exhibit, this is not intended to be a full account of the collection. Also, species on exhibit are often moved, so some that were there one day may have disappeared from public view the next. This list may be of more interest to those already familiar with the park since I am not arranging the species by animal type. I will list each zone in a separate entry in the thread for clarity.

SAFARI BASE CAMP: (12 Exhibits)
This zone is the entrance area of the park and occupies about 1/3 of the area formerly known as Nairobi Village (the current Nairobi Village zone is about 1/3 the size it once was, although the features are much the same; Safari Base Camp and Gorilla Forest zones are map name changes carved from the former zone).

First small yard next to Wings of Wonder:
West African Crowned Crane

Bird perch across from first small yard:
Salmon-crested Cockatoo

Second yard next to Wings of Wonder:
Indian Muntjac

Bird perch across path from second yard:
The sign for this one is actually located at the bird perch across from first small yard, so the birds are probably rotated.
Hyacinth Macaw

Wings of Wonder walk-through aviary:
African Openbill Stork
African Spoonbill
Bartlett's Bleeding-heart Dove
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Emerald Starling
Fairy-bluebird
Falcated Duck
Fawn-breasted Bowerbird
Golden-breasted Starling
Green Imperial-pigeon
Hadada Ibis
Himalayan Monal
Nicobar Pigeon
Northern Purple Roller
Ocellated Turkey
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-crested Turaco
Roseate Spoonbill
Scarlet Ibis
Southern Bald Ibis
Storm's Stork
Sunbittern
Superb Starling
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Wattled Starling
White-headed Buffalo Weaver
White-headed Lapwing
White-winged Wood Duck

Bird perch in Plant Trader shop:
Salmon-crested Cockatoo

Animal Ambassador Stage:
This is NOT a permanent exhibit, but I did note the education animals that I saw brought out by keepers for informal presentations. Four hours of presentations were given each day at this location so I am sure there are many other species that are brought out that I did not see!
American Kestrel
Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec
Southern Three-banded Armadillo
Tawny Frogmouth

Large lagoon at top of Congo River Fishing Village waterfall:
Chilean Flamingo
Crested Screamer
Moluccan Radjah Shelduck
White-faced Whistling Duck

Small lagoon at top of Congo River Fishing Village waterfall:
Bar-headed Goose
Hawaiian Goose
Magpie Goose
Red-breasted Goose
South African Shelduck
Storm's Stork
Swan Goose
White-faced Whistling Duck
(Also saw Black-bellied Whistling Duck)

Small yard near top of Congo River Fishing Village:
Southwest African Meerkat

Small yard behind meerkat:
Black Duiker

Island yard at Thorntree Terrace dining area:
Mountain Coatimundi (Nasuella olivacea, so a more appropriate label may be Western Mountain Coati)

Small aviary at Discovery Station:
This enclosure was once part of the queue area for boarding the park's former ride, the Wgasa Bushline Monorail.
Taveta Golden Weaver
 
Last edited:
NAIROBI VILLAGE: (25 Exhibits)

Nairobi Station:
These 12 small exhibits are terrarium-sized to small room-sized and are viewed through glass on the outside of the building also known as the Animal Care Center. Each exhibit contains one species:
Unsigned (contained Southwest African Meerkat)
Fennec Fox
Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec
Pancake Tortoise
African Bullfrog
Blotched Blue-tongued Skink
Chinchilla
Black Milksnake
White's Tree Frog
Ball Python
Sugar Glider
African Grey Parrot
In addition, 4 metal roll-up windows can be opened to expose animals temporarily located at the care center, although none were on view or signed while I was there so I am not counting these as exhibits.

Nairobi Nursery:
These 2 yards adjoin the Petting Kraal. The first is visible across a small moat along Nairobi Walk, the second is visible through several small windows in a fence in the Petting Kraal:
Empty (recently contained a young Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and a young Ankole Cattle)
Unsigned (I saw Red River Hog)

Petting Kraal:
Gone are the days when this yard contained exotic hoofstock for petting. Now it contains:
Domesticated Goats (including Pygmy Goat, Nubian Goat, and Boer Goat)

Bats:
One of only a handful of indoor exhibits at the park, this house is entered by visitors to view a room behind harp wire containing:
Rodrigues Fruit Bat

Smaller yard between Nairobi Walk and Lagoon Loop:
Cavendish's Dik-dik

Larger yard between Nairobi Walk and Lagoon Loop:
Red River Hog

Yard viewed from boardwalk on Mombasa Lagoon:
Eastern Yellow-backed Duiker

Small aviary on edge of Mombasa Lagoon:
Malay Great Argus Pheasant
Red-knobbed Hornbill

Mombasa Lagoon:
This large lake at the heart of Nairobi Village is a waterfowl paradise; the inhabitants can utilize its watery expanse as well as two small islands, several boulder and twig perches, and its shoreline as well as the surrounding walkways of Lagoon Loop. In fact, much of the perimeter is not contained so most of the waterfowl could be considered free-ranging in the village, although pinioned. Numerous species of native wild waterfowl also enjoy the scenic setting, but the official captive species are:
African Darter
Bar-headed Goose
Common Shelduck
Coscoroba Swan
Mandarin Duck
Orinoco Goose
Pink-backed Pelican
Red-crested Pochard
South African Shelduck
Swan Goose
White-breasted Cormorant
White-faced Whistling Duck

Island in Mombasa Lagoon near Mombasa Cooker dining area:
Since one species of impressive waterfowl seems to be confined to one of the islands in Mombasa Lagoon, I will consider it a separate exhibit although any of the other species can visit:
Shoebill Stork

Lorikeet Landing:
This is a large walk-through aviary for feeding nectar to:
Rainbow Lorikeet

2 small adjoining aviaries near Hidden Jungle:
The first contains:
Congo Peafowl
Great Blue Turaco

The second contains:
Bearded Barbet
Madagascar Crested Ibis
Marbled Teal
Red-billed Pintail
 
GORILLA FOREST: (21 Exhibits)

Hidden Jungle:
This complex consists of an entry cave with exhibits for reptiles and amphibians and invertebrates followed by two large walk-through aviaries contained in a tall temperature-controlled glassed-in greenhouse with barrel-vaulted roofs. The aviaries are the location for the park's annual temporary Butterfly Jungle exhibit. The cave features 17 tiny-sized to small-sized wall terrariums, each containing one species:
White-eyed Assassin Bug
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Emperor Scorpion
Tropical Girdled Lizard
Angolan Python
Empty
African Giant Millipede
Golden Mantella
Madagascar Tree Boa
Mali Uromastyx
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Banded Velvet Gecko
Horned Baboon Tarantula
Fort Hall Baboon Tarantula
Mombassa Golden Starburst Tarantula
Empty
Emperor Scorpion

The first walk-though aviary contains:
African Fire-finch
African Pygmy Goose
Beautiful Sunbird
Black-cheeked Lovebird
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
Lavender Waxbill
Long-tailed Paradise-whydah
Magpie Mannikin
Melba Finch
Northern Red Bishop
Pin-tailed Whydah
Pink Pigeon
Purple Grenadier
Red-crested Turaco
Speckled Mousebird

The second walk-through aviary contains:
Abdim's Stork
Black Heron
Eastern Hammerkop
Green Woodhoopoe
Hottentot Teal
Long-toed Lapwing
Old World Comb Duck
Red-capped Cardinal
Reichenow's Helmeted Guineafowl
Ross's Turaco
Speckled Mousebird
Superb Starling
White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Yellow-crowned Gonolek
Yellow-crowned Robin-chat

Small aviary near Gorilla exhibit:
White-fronted Bee-eater

Gorilla Exhibit:
Western Lowland Gorilla

Benbough Amphitheater:
This is NOT a permanent exhibit, but I did note the species I saw during the Frequent Flyers bird show, which features free-flight performers as well as a few token mammals (who do not fly):
African Grey Parrot
Andean Condor
Cockatoo (not sure which species...Galah?)
East African Crowned Crane
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Ferruginous Hawk
Green-winged Macaw
Lanner Falcon
Rat (not sure which species...Norway?)
Reichenow's Helmeted Guineafowl
Red River Hog
Sacred Ibis
Scarlet Ibis
Scarlet Macaw
Secretary Bird
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Vulturine Guineafowl
Yellow-billed Hornbill

Animal Encounter near Benbough Theater:
This is NOT a permanent exhibit, but I did see an informal keeper presentation here featuring:
Domestic Dog
South African Cheetah
 
AFRICAN WOODS: (7 Exhibits)

Lemur Walk:
This large walk-through enclosure is closer to Nairobi Village and its higher elevation, but the map implies it is considered part of African Woods. It is composed of a wood-and-wire structure similar to a large aviary and contains:
Ring-tailed Lemur

African Woods yards:
These 6 adjoining yards range from medium-sized to large-sized and were originally built as the upper section of the Heart of Africa exhibit complex. The current map has dropped the original name of the complex and split it into two zones: African Woods and African Outpost. It is interesting that Columbus Zoo's new African exhibit complex is called Heart of Africa now that this one is not! The yards of African Woods, in order as the trail descends in elevation, are:

First yard:
Bontebok

Second (very large) yard:
Eastern Giant Eland
Sudan Red-fronted Gazelle

Third yard:
Hooded Vulture
South African Shelduck
Western Egyptian Vulture

Fourth yard:
Demoiselle Crane
Kori Bustard
Southern Gerenuk
Western Red-flanked Duiker

Fifth yard:
East African Crowned Crane

Sixth yard:
Okapi
 
AFRICAN OUTPOST: (9 Exhibits)
This zone continues the lower half of the former Heart of Africa exhibit complex, in a counter-clockwise direction around the lake at its center. The Jameson Research Island's small yard and interpretive center's aquarium appear to be abandoned as exhibits, no signs were visible.

Medium-sized yard:
European White Stork
Kori Bustard
Secretary Bird

Medium-sized yard:
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Medium-sized yard:
South African Bat-eared Fox
Southern Warthog

2-Island exhibit connected by ropes:
Kikuyu Colobus

Small shallow islands on left side of lake boardwalk:
Lesser Flamingo

Small shallow islands on right side of lake boardwalk:
Abdim's Stork
African Sacred Ibis
(Also saw East African Crowned Crane)

Long narrow yard :
South African Cheetah

Waterfall yard:
Abdim's Stork
East African Sitatunga
Kori Bustard
Southern Steenbok
West African Crowned Crane
Yellow-billed Stork

Yard surrounded by Africa Tram roadway, adjacent to station:
Lowland Nyala (no sign found but animals clearly visible)
 
Wow,first the zoo now the Safari Park. I applaud your efforts,this has got to be quite time consuming. Will you be including the Asian Plains exhibits as well?
 
A very interesting list so far; the layout seems as though it would be helpful for any visiting enthusiasts.

geomorph said:
Island yard at Thorntree Terrace dining area:
Mountain Coatimundi (Nasuella olivacea, so a more appropriate label may be Western Mountain Coati)
Click to expand...
Is this the right scientific name? ;)
 
Shellheart,

It is time-consuming for sure! Don't forget that zoochat member sandiegomaster posted this same thread theme for the park at the beginning of 2014 so you can have fun comparing the differences of the last year-and-a-half!

I will not be posting a list of Asian Savanna field exhibit species since I did not buy one of the additional-charge safaris that are required to visit that area =(.
 
devilfish and jbnbsn99,

I have a picture of the identification sign on my camera but I cannot upload it onto this computer currently. It says:

"Mountain Coatimundi
Nasuella olivacea
Location
High in the Andes Mountains north of Peru, South America
Half Pints
Mountain coatis are half the size of their cousins, weighing just 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) when full grown.
High Life
These coatis live in the cloud forests and treeless paramos of the Andes Mountains. The climate is tropical, but the high altitude is challenging."

There was another informational sign nearby in the shape of the continent and now I'm kicking myself for not taking a closeup picture of it too!
 
This is giving me an idea for an education session at the AZA Conference titled, "You Don't Have Mountain Coatis."
 
Ituri said:
This is giving me an idea for an education session at the AZA Conference titled, "You Don't Have Mountain Coatis."
Click to expand...
then you will be faced with a rebuttal entitled "Yes we do - the private pet keeper we bought them off told us so!"
 
Remarkable that the two arguably leading zoos organizations in North America now both have fallen in the "mountain coati" trap. First Central Park (part of WCS), now San Diego. Presumably both tricked by the so-called "mountain coatis" kept, bred and sold by some private keepers. The coatis in Chlidonias link aren't South American coatis of race montana either, but the standard South American coatis seen at many zoos. Compare these (misleadingly called "mountain coati" too, but here just the South American coati race).

Not too long ago Rick J uploaded an excellent photo of the real mountain coati at Bioparque la Reserva in Colombia and as far as I know still the only place that has kept this species in recent years.

Regardless, big thumbs up to geomorph for this work. Very nice to get all these details for the Safari Park, similar to what you did some time ago for the zoo.
 
geomorph said:
Shellheart,

It is time-consuming for sure! Don't forget that zoochat member sandiegomaster posted this same thread theme for the park at the beginning of 2014 so you can have fun comparing the differences of the last year-and-a-half!

I will not be posting a list of Asian Savanna field exhibit species since I did not buy one of the additional-charge safaris that are required to visit that area =(.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah,I'll definitely need to check that out! And I figured as much. I personally have never seen the Asian Savanna myself,I'm wondering if it's worth the extra charge.
 
AFRICAN PLAINS: (13 Exhibits)
This zone is the one viewed almost entirely on the Africa Tram (approx. 25-30 minute ride) for general admission visitors. Since there are no identification signs for the field exhibits (except a partial list for one, see the zone called 'The Grove' later), this list is definitely not complete. The Africa Tram driver/announcer identifies species as they are seen and typically does not mention those that are not seen or those that are difficult to see/overshadowed by a larger group of a species that may be of greater interest. The following list is grouped by each field exhibit as they are encountered on the tram ride, and the species are those that the driver pointed out/mentioned or I saw during 4 rides on my visit.

Yard surrounded by Africa Tram roadway, adjacent to station: this is the one with Lowland Nyala that the map considers part of African Outpost, so I am not including it as an exhibit here.

Long narrow yard: this one contains South African Cheetah and is also part of African Outpost according to the map, so I am not including it as an exhibit here.

East Africa field exhibit:
Cape Buffalo
East African Crowned Crane
East African Sitatunga
Fringe-eared Oryx
Grant's Gazelle
Kenya Impala
Lake Victoria Defassa Waterbuck
Marabou Stork
Nile Lechwe
Rothschild's Giraffe
Southern White Rhinoceros
Thomson's Gazelle
Yellow-billed Stork

Lakeshore exhibit:
This exhibit does have an identification sign for pedestrians at a distant viewing area along the boardwalk in African Outpost:
Greater Flamingo

Former Black Rhinoceros field exhibit:
This one will be renovated to hold Southern White Rhinoceros. It is currently:
Empty

South Africa field exhibit:
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Black Rhinoceros (confined to a boma, probably due to its former exhibit being empty, so this species is probably not intended to be in the main field exhibit here)
Cape Buffalo
Dalmatian Pelican
Ellipsen Waterbuck
Gemsbok
Masai Giraffe
Northern White Rhinoceros (only 1)
Ostrich
Patterson's Eland
Pink-backed Pelican
Sable Antelope
Springbok
Southern White Rhinoceros (only 1)
White-bearded Gnu

Large field exhibit on right side of tram, briefly seen:
For most of the early years this exhibit contained Przewalski's Horse, but now contains:
Ankole Cattle (bachelor)
Grevy's Zebra
Nile Lechwe (bachelors)
White-bearded Gnu (bachelor)

Small marsh exhibit on right side of tram:
Goliath Heron
Western Ruppell's Vulture
Yellow-billed Stork

Field exhibit adjoining the small marsh exhibit on right side of tram:
Nubian Soemmerring's Gazelle

Field exhibit on right side of tram, below the Mountain exhibit:
Somali Wild Ass

Mountain exhibit:
The tram does not travel near this steep rocky outcrop but it can be seen in the distance; the exhibit was not announced on my rides but one driver I talked to later said that the inhabitants remaining are:
Barbary Sheep (bachelors)

Field exhibit on lower (left) side of lake bridge:
This exhibit had been described in the past as 'Central Africa' but I heard no mention of it this time.
Greater Kudu
Roan Antelope
Uganda Kob

Field exhibit on upper (right) side of lake bridge:
All four trips on the ride yielded no identifications for this exhibit. I spoke with a driver later and confirmed that the waterfowl can cross under the bridge between the two field exhibits here, and that a few species I knew had been here in the past were still here:
Dalmatian Pelican
Red Lechwe
Sudan Red-fronted Gazelle

Field exhibit on left side of tram:
For many years this exhibit held Greater Kudu to separate them from the rest of the South Africa field exhibit inhabitants, then for many years it held Grevy's Zebra. It now contains:
Barbary Sheep

North Africa field exhibit:
Ankole Cattle
Addax
Barbary Red Deer
Bontebok (bachelor)
Scimitar-horned Oryx
Sudan Red-fronted Gazelle (bachelor)

Lion Camp: this exhibit for African Lion is shown on the map as being in its own zone, so I am not including it as an exhibit here.
 
THE GROVE: (0 Exhibits)
There are no exhibits in this zone, but it features Kilima Point, a viewpoint next to the huge East Africa field exhibit of the African Plains seen on the Africa Tram ride. It also allows views to the distant huge North Africa field exhibit of the African Plains seen on the same ride. In addition, the Asian Savanna field exhibits can be seen in the distance which are only viewed closely by some of the upcharge Caravan Safaris, Cart Safaris, and Flightline Safari. I spotted Javan Banteng, Indian Gaur, Przewalski's Horse (in their own large field exhibit), and a few species of deer and sheep. Kilima Point does have identification signs for some of the animals in the adjacent East Africa field exhibit:
East African Crowned Crane
East African Sitatunga
Fringe-eared Oryx
Giraffe (no subspecies identified, but from Africa Tram ride they are Rothschild's)
Grant's Gazelle
Kenya Impala
Lake Victoria Defassa Waterbuck
Marabou Stork
Nile Lechwe
Southern White Rhinoceros
Thomson's Gazelle
Yellow-billed Stork
 
ELEPHANT VALLEY: (1 Exhibit)
This large exhibit is actually two yards that can be joined through a gated passage, plus a small yard within Tembo Stadium (for elephant demonstrations although none were presented during my visit).
African Elephant
 
TIGER TRAIL: (3 Exhibits)
This is the newest exhibit complex at the park, opened in 2014. All 3 exhibits contain:
Sumatran Tiger
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top