I finally found the time to get the review going (after visiting on 6/16). Once again, sorry for the hold up. 
Review of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Located about a half hour away from the "World Famous San Diego Zoo," this facility is a paradise. Naturalistic habitats are abundant, and the feeling of being in various different environments is spectacular. In addition, being in the rural area of Southwest California means spectacular background views and near-perfect weather. The resulting factor is a place where I believe some of the greatest animal habitats to exist are located. Nearly 100% of the exhibits here are wonderful and well done, as you will see below.
Safari Base Camp - This is the entry area to the Park. Immediately to the right is a nice walkthrough aviary called Wings of the World. The species in there include Southern bald ibis, sunbittern, ringed teal, African spoonbill, white-winged wood duck, white-headed lapwing, African openbill stork, Hammerkop, and Bartlett's bleeding-heart dove. Along the pathway are perches for parrots (scarlet and Hyacinth macaws), a decent area for African crowned cranes, an exhibit for paca, and a pretty flamingo pond. In the plaza before the paths divide into different areas, is a carousel, a rhino statue for photo-ops, an animal ambassadors stage, and one of the best meerkat habitats I've ever seen (tied with the San Diego Zoo's habitat).
Nairobi Village - Probably the most beautiful area I've seen not only in the Park, but just about in any zoo I've been to. A pathway surrounds a wonderful pond full of ducks and a lush island for shoebill storks. Also located here are the following exhibits: a decent red river hog exhibit, an exhibit that looks a bit small for antelope (I think they were sitatunga), a goat petting area that was closed on my visit, a large, nice mesh exhibit for gibbons, and another walkthrough aviary called Lorikeet Landing.
Lion Camp - Hands down the best lion habitat I've ever seen! One male and two females live a good-sized area filled with grass, a few shady trees, an abandoned jeep for resting in (strange, but neat immersion piece), and a great view of the enormous nearby African Plains. Visitors can see the lazy cats through two viewing windows, or from across a moat.
African Plains - My jaw dropped to the ground when I first saw this area. From an elevator and higher viewing area, one can get an unbelievable view of what I think is the closest thing a zoo can get to replicating the continent of Africa. However, the fun doesn't really start until one takes the Africa Tram Safari. It takes you around the first large savannah, which can also be seen from the elevator area mentioned above, and another savannah next to it. The first savanna is home to herds of giraffe, white rhino, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, sable antelope, impala, elands, a few ostriches, and many others. The second savanna is home to roan antelope, a bachelor group of scimitar horned oryx, and, in my opinion, the sacred gems of the Safari Park: the two Northern white rhinos. Rhinos are among my favorite animals, so it was a real treat to see these extremely rare wonders. There are also a few separate enclosures along the road too. These include: a nice cheetah habitat, a dusty black rhino exhibit with some shrubs and small trees, a very nice habitat for Somali wild ass (they were very active - running as a herd, and two got into a cool fight, kicking and biting at each other), a dry hilly area for a breeding herd of scimitar horned oryx, a grassy exhibit for bongo, two steep rocky areas for Grevy's zebras, a lush habitat that used to be home to bonobos, and another exhibit for Ankole-Watusi cattle.
Elephant Valley - I kind of was expecting a little more from this area. A herd of a dozen African elephants live in two different habitats: a mid-sized one (part grass, part dust and has nothing else but a pool) and another large one. The large habitat is also part grass, part dust. There is also a rock formation that serves as a place for shade, and a large pool right in front of the main viewing area. Besides that, there are maybe one or two other small viewing areas. Overall, Elephant Valley is one of the better elephant habitats I've seen, maybe getting slightly edged out by only Disney. Despite that, though, the viewing could be better; while the smaller exhibit's viewing is fine, the herd was hanging out at the top of the hill near the animals' building (in the large exhibit) for most of the time I was there. If the Park could make another main viewing area of the large habitat, and maybe throw in a few trees for enrichment, then this section could be a little better.
Tiger Territory - This part of the Park is one of its weaknesses. After a long hike up a hill, you come across the only exhibit in this zone: a large average exhibit for Sumatran tigers. While I have no problem with the exhibit's size, the quality is average at best. Half of it is somewhat grassy with a large tree, but the other half resembles a desert. In addition, like Elephant Valley, Tiger Territory also suffers from not-so-good viewing opportunities. One area is from a deck, and the other is through chain-link fence down a hill. Fortunately, I did get a behind-the-scenes tour, so I did get an up-close view of the big cats; I'll explain later.
Asian Savanna - I saw this part of the Park via the Jungle Journey behind-the-scenes tour. This was a treat because Asian Savanna is temporarily closed to the general public. It's basically a replica of the Northern white rhino savanna, only with Asian animals as the inhabitants. The large main enclosure includes: Indian rhino (including a 6 month old calf), guar, nilgai, banteng, some type of mountain ram (little help), and many more. Some separate enclosures also house: Arabian oryx, markhor, and Przewalski's wild horse/Bactrian camel.
African Woods - I only saw this area by the previously mentioned Jungle Journey (getting there). This area has nice habitats for okapis, ground hornbill, gerenuk, eland (didn't see), and an antelope that I believe was a duiker.
Gorilla Forest - This section of the Park was a little better than I expected. A long, narrow habitat is home to a troop of gorillas, one of which was a male baby who was turning a year old the very next day. The habitat is grassy, a little rocky, and has a few shrubs and large trees. While Gorilla Forest is an above average gorilla habitat, in my opinion, I say that the habitat at the San Diego Zoo takes the prize as the better of the two. A few things to note: I saw the largest and most majestic silverback gorilla I ever saw in this exhibit, and one of the females seems to be pregnant. (Can anybody on here confirm this?)
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY - From 2:30 to 4:30, I went on the Jungle Journey behind-the-scenes tour. The first stop was a hidden area of the park where the Animal Ambassadors are kept. Some of these include a cheetah, a New Guinea singing dog, an eagle, a wallaby, a Hyacinth macaw, and my 1st ever tamandua. Our tour guide brought out the tamandua, and she explained some neat information about their species and how they train it. We also got to watch it slurp up its meal and even pet it (you hate me, don't you blospz?
) The next stop was the tiger den. There we got an up-close look at the tigers, their night house, and an off-display exhibit for them. This is where we saw the Asian Savanna as well. The last stop was the best: our guide took us to the okapi's night quarters, and I got to feed a female okapi! Being up close to such a beautiful species (and my all-time favorite animal) with only a set of bars separating the two of us is something I will never forget.
Note - Due to troubles with scheduling Jungle Journey when I got to the park, getting lost while making my way to the entry area, and the time frame of Jungle Journey, I couldn't make it to the new bat area (located in Nairobi Village), Condor Ridge, or African Outpost (home to warthogs and bat-eared fox).
Overall: San Diego is, without a doubt, heaven for people crazy about animals. The Zoo has unbelievable animals, and the Safari Park has unbelievable habitats. For me, it was quite a struggle deciding which of the two I liked the best. But, because it has a nice collection in almost 100% excellent animal habitats (along with a future Sumatran tiger habitat that is sure to be great) and is located in a beautiful setting, I would give the prize to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It is now my #1 favorite zoo, followed by the San Diego Zoo at #2, and Columbus Zoo has dropped down to #3.
In case anyone is curious, here are my first two reviews while on a trip to Niagara Falls: http://www.zoochat.com/22/niagara-falls-adventure-226706/
Review of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Located about a half hour away from the "World Famous San Diego Zoo," this facility is a paradise. Naturalistic habitats are abundant, and the feeling of being in various different environments is spectacular. In addition, being in the rural area of Southwest California means spectacular background views and near-perfect weather. The resulting factor is a place where I believe some of the greatest animal habitats to exist are located. Nearly 100% of the exhibits here are wonderful and well done, as you will see below.
Safari Base Camp - This is the entry area to the Park. Immediately to the right is a nice walkthrough aviary called Wings of the World. The species in there include Southern bald ibis, sunbittern, ringed teal, African spoonbill, white-winged wood duck, white-headed lapwing, African openbill stork, Hammerkop, and Bartlett's bleeding-heart dove. Along the pathway are perches for parrots (scarlet and Hyacinth macaws), a decent area for African crowned cranes, an exhibit for paca, and a pretty flamingo pond. In the plaza before the paths divide into different areas, is a carousel, a rhino statue for photo-ops, an animal ambassadors stage, and one of the best meerkat habitats I've ever seen (tied with the San Diego Zoo's habitat).
Nairobi Village - Probably the most beautiful area I've seen not only in the Park, but just about in any zoo I've been to. A pathway surrounds a wonderful pond full of ducks and a lush island for shoebill storks. Also located here are the following exhibits: a decent red river hog exhibit, an exhibit that looks a bit small for antelope (I think they were sitatunga), a goat petting area that was closed on my visit, a large, nice mesh exhibit for gibbons, and another walkthrough aviary called Lorikeet Landing.
Lion Camp - Hands down the best lion habitat I've ever seen! One male and two females live a good-sized area filled with grass, a few shady trees, an abandoned jeep for resting in (strange, but neat immersion piece), and a great view of the enormous nearby African Plains. Visitors can see the lazy cats through two viewing windows, or from across a moat.
African Plains - My jaw dropped to the ground when I first saw this area. From an elevator and higher viewing area, one can get an unbelievable view of what I think is the closest thing a zoo can get to replicating the continent of Africa. However, the fun doesn't really start until one takes the Africa Tram Safari. It takes you around the first large savannah, which can also be seen from the elevator area mentioned above, and another savannah next to it. The first savanna is home to herds of giraffe, white rhino, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, sable antelope, impala, elands, a few ostriches, and many others. The second savanna is home to roan antelope, a bachelor group of scimitar horned oryx, and, in my opinion, the sacred gems of the Safari Park: the two Northern white rhinos. Rhinos are among my favorite animals, so it was a real treat to see these extremely rare wonders. There are also a few separate enclosures along the road too. These include: a nice cheetah habitat, a dusty black rhino exhibit with some shrubs and small trees, a very nice habitat for Somali wild ass (they were very active - running as a herd, and two got into a cool fight, kicking and biting at each other), a dry hilly area for a breeding herd of scimitar horned oryx, a grassy exhibit for bongo, two steep rocky areas for Grevy's zebras, a lush habitat that used to be home to bonobos, and another exhibit for Ankole-Watusi cattle.
Elephant Valley - I kind of was expecting a little more from this area. A herd of a dozen African elephants live in two different habitats: a mid-sized one (part grass, part dust and has nothing else but a pool) and another large one. The large habitat is also part grass, part dust. There is also a rock formation that serves as a place for shade, and a large pool right in front of the main viewing area. Besides that, there are maybe one or two other small viewing areas. Overall, Elephant Valley is one of the better elephant habitats I've seen, maybe getting slightly edged out by only Disney. Despite that, though, the viewing could be better; while the smaller exhibit's viewing is fine, the herd was hanging out at the top of the hill near the animals' building (in the large exhibit) for most of the time I was there. If the Park could make another main viewing area of the large habitat, and maybe throw in a few trees for enrichment, then this section could be a little better.
Tiger Territory - This part of the Park is one of its weaknesses. After a long hike up a hill, you come across the only exhibit in this zone: a large average exhibit for Sumatran tigers. While I have no problem with the exhibit's size, the quality is average at best. Half of it is somewhat grassy with a large tree, but the other half resembles a desert. In addition, like Elephant Valley, Tiger Territory also suffers from not-so-good viewing opportunities. One area is from a deck, and the other is through chain-link fence down a hill. Fortunately, I did get a behind-the-scenes tour, so I did get an up-close view of the big cats; I'll explain later.
Asian Savanna - I saw this part of the Park via the Jungle Journey behind-the-scenes tour. This was a treat because Asian Savanna is temporarily closed to the general public. It's basically a replica of the Northern white rhino savanna, only with Asian animals as the inhabitants. The large main enclosure includes: Indian rhino (including a 6 month old calf), guar, nilgai, banteng, some type of mountain ram (little help
), and many more. Some separate enclosures also house: Arabian oryx, markhor, and Przewalski's wild horse/Bactrian camel.African Woods - I only saw this area by the previously mentioned Jungle Journey (getting there). This area has nice habitats for okapis, ground hornbill, gerenuk, eland (didn't see), and an antelope that I believe was a duiker.
Gorilla Forest - This section of the Park was a little better than I expected. A long, narrow habitat is home to a troop of gorillas, one of which was a male baby who was turning a year old the very next day. The habitat is grassy, a little rocky, and has a few shrubs and large trees. While Gorilla Forest is an above average gorilla habitat, in my opinion, I say that the habitat at the San Diego Zoo takes the prize as the better of the two. A few things to note: I saw the largest and most majestic silverback gorilla I ever saw in this exhibit, and one of the females seems to be pregnant. (Can anybody on here confirm this?)
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY - From 2:30 to 4:30, I went on the Jungle Journey behind-the-scenes tour. The first stop was a hidden area of the park where the Animal Ambassadors are kept. Some of these include a cheetah, a New Guinea singing dog, an eagle, a wallaby, a Hyacinth macaw, and my 1st ever tamandua. Our tour guide brought out the tamandua, and she explained some neat information about their species and how they train it. We also got to watch it slurp up its meal and even pet it (you hate me, don't you blospz?
) The next stop was the tiger den. There we got an up-close look at the tigers, their night house, and an off-display exhibit for them. This is where we saw the Asian Savanna as well. The last stop was the best: our guide took us to the okapi's night quarters, and I got to feed a female okapi! Being up close to such a beautiful species (and my all-time favorite animal) with only a set of bars separating the two of us is something I will never forget.Note - Due to troubles with scheduling Jungle Journey when I got to the park, getting lost while making my way to the entry area, and the time frame of Jungle Journey, I couldn't make it to the new bat area (located in Nairobi Village), Condor Ridge, or African Outpost (home to warthogs and bat-eared fox).
Overall: San Diego is, without a doubt, heaven for people crazy about animals. The Zoo has unbelievable animals, and the Safari Park has unbelievable habitats. For me, it was quite a struggle deciding which of the two I liked the best. But, because it has a nice collection in almost 100% excellent animal habitats (along with a future Sumatran tiger habitat that is sure to be great) and is located in a beautiful setting, I would give the prize to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It is now my #1 favorite zoo, followed by the San Diego Zoo at #2, and Columbus Zoo has dropped down to #3.
In case anyone is curious, here are my first two reviews while on a trip to Niagara Falls: http://www.zoochat.com/22/niagara-falls-adventure-226706/
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