San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego Zoo Safari Park News 2025

Kudu21

Kudu21

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Some updates from a day at the Safari Park!

It is not the time to visit the Safari Park if you have never visited before or cannot make the trip very often... All of the birds in open-topped exhibits that do not have indoor holding or are not on islands have been moved off-display, as have many of the Park's smaller hoofstock, including the southern pudu, peninsular pronghorn, slender-horned gazelles, Cavendish's dik-diks, and red-flanked duikers. With that, most of the African Woods and African Outpost exhibits are currently empty.

A bachelor group of 3.0 young male western lowland gorillas has arrived from the Bronx Zoo and are rotating with 2.0 "Frank" and "Monroe" in the bachelor/former bonobo exhibit.
 
Nile Hippo Expert said:
The new gorilla boys are:
1.0 Johari born September 8, 2005
1.0 Baraka born February 19, 2006 (Johari's half-brother)
1.0 M'Domo born July 9, 2006
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That is incorrect. These boys are all 10 years of age or younger. Looking at the North American Western Lowland Gorilla Population thread, that would make them:
"Mizani" - 17 April 2014 - (Ernie x Tuti)
“Mokonzi” - 19 January 2015 - (Ernie x Kumi)
“Njemba” - 16 July 2015 - (Ernie x Suki)
 
 
Does anyone know what the plan is with gorillas at both San Diego facilities going forward?

I had heard Paul Donn and Jessica were to be brought over to SDZSP - presumably integrating with the current troop/PD as the new silverback there. Does anyone know how concrete this is?

If that comes to fruition - is SDZ to then serve as a bachelor holding? I know that's the direction they took with the elephants (breeding at the park, bachelors at the zoo) - so I'm wondering if they're adopting something similar with gorillas?
 
HawkAlot said:
Does anyone know what the plan is with gorillas at both San Diego facilities going forward?

I had heard Paul Donn and Jessica were to be brought over to SDZSP - presumably integrating with the current troop/PD as the new silverback there. Does anyone know how concrete this is?

If that comes to fruition - is SDZ to then serve as a bachelor holding? I know that's the direction they took with the elephants (breeding at the park, bachelors at the zoo) - so I'm wondering if they're adopting something similar with gorillas?
Click to expand...
That seemed to be the plan from the 2023? Studbook. Obviously since then, things may have changed so we can't say for certain whether this will still be the case but it's reasonable to assume this is the general direction San Diego may be treading in with both their gorilla troops.

Not to mention, it would also be preferable to just manage a single group on display at San Diego.
 
HawkAlot said:
Does anyone know what the plan is with gorillas at both San Diego facilities going forward?

I had heard Paul Donn and Jessica were to be brought over to SDZSP - presumably integrating with the current troop/PD as the new silverback there. Does anyone know how concrete this is?

If that comes to fruition - is SDZ to then serve as a bachelor holding? I know that's the direction they took with the elephants (breeding at the park, bachelors at the zoo) - so I'm wondering if they're adopting something similar with gorillas?
Click to expand...
From everything that I’ve heard recently, this is going to end up happening. The Zoo will serve as a bachelor facility for Denny, Ekuba and Maka. Paul Donn and Jessica will be integrated with the Safari Park troop with a breeding recommendation for Leslie and Joann with PD. The bachelors at the park will remain as the 3 from Bronx are currently rotating in the “bachelor pad” habitat. Things can obviously change, but this seems to be a done deal.
 
A couple updates from the Park:
- The Pancake Tortoises have been moved a couple habitats down from their previous home which is being renovated.
- The Lagoon is currently empty as they remove the holiday lanterns and do routine maintenance.
- Barong, the male Sumatran Tiger cub, is still off habitat nursing an injury to his paw sustained a little over a month ago.
- Updated signage has been installed in Tiger Trail replacing the old and faded signs including the sign depicting a vet operation in favor of an image of Jillian and Barong.
- Bek and Arona (Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo) are being paired again with the hopes of a Joey in the future.
 
RJB Wildlife said:
From everything that I’ve heard recently, this is going to end up happening. The Zoo will serve as a bachelor facility for Denny, Ekuba and Maka. Paul Donn and Jessica will be integrated with the Safari Park troop with a breeding recommendation for Leslie and Joann with PD. The bachelors at the park will remain as the 3 from Bronx are currently rotating in the “bachelor pad” habitat. Things can obviously change, but this seems to be a done deal.
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Makes absolute sense! While for breeding SD Zoo can focus on other great ape taxa!

How possible and realistic is it to eventually expect SD Safari Zoo will host a bachelor gorilla troupe itself?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Makes absolute sense! While for breeding SD Zoo can focus on other great ape taxa!

How possible and realistic is it to eventually expect SD Safari Zoo will host a bachelor gorilla troupe itself?
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They already have a bachelor troop; consisting of five males, currently in two groups. They rotate an exhibit completely separate to the breeding complex.
 
A couple of updates from a morning at the Park!

A new, tall, steel-post-and-hotwire anti-predation fencing has been put up all the way around the Bird Delta and greater flamingo exhibits along the Africa Tram. It is quite ugly, but hopefully it will help protect the birds in the exhibits.

0.2 Masai giraffe "Mara" and "Setchan" are both looking very round, with some udder development observable from even the Africa Tram. Hopefully, there will be two giraffe calves on the ground in the South Africa field exhibit in the next couple of months!

The new sable antelope bull was showing a lot of interest in some of the females, so hopefully the Park will see some new sable calves later this year, as well! This year might be even more productive than last year when it comes to hoofstock births!
 
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A couple updates from the Park:
- The first habitat in African Woods that housed Slender-Horned Gazelles is now home to the Nubian Soemmerring’s Gazelles that were housed with the Greater Kudu next door.
- Gorilla Forest has reopened after the passing of Kokamo.
- There is hope that one on one introductions for Bo with the three lionesses will start soon, hopefully allowing all four Lions to share the habitat.
- Elephant Valley is tracking to be completed on time, however there are rumblings about it potentially being completed early.
 
RJB Wildlife said:
A couple updates from the Park:
- The first habitat in African Woods that housed Slender-Horned Gazelles is now home to the Nubian Soemmerring’s Gazelles that were housed with the Greater Kudu next door.
- Gorilla Forest has reopened after the passing of Kokamo.
- There is hope that one on one introductions for Bo with the three lionesses will start soon, hopefully allowing all four Lions to share the habitat.
- Elephant Valley is tracking to be completed on time, however there are rumblings about it potentially being completed early.
Click to expand...
What’s left to be completed?
 
Jambo said:
That seemed to be the plan from the 2023? Studbook. Obviously since then, things may have changed so we can't say for certain whether this will still be the case but it's reasonable to assume this is the general direction San Diego may be treading in with both their gorilla troops.

Not to mention, it would also be preferable to just manage a single group on display at San Diego.
Click to expand...
Jambo said:
That seemed to be the plan from the 2023? Studbook. Obviously since then, things may have changed so we can't say for certain whether this will still be the case but it's reasonable to assume this is the general direction San Diego may be treading in with both their gorilla troops.

Not to mention, it would also be preferable to just manage a single group on display at San Diego.
Click to expand...
Where’s the link to this Studbook?
 
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