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

I visited the Park today (3/30/25) and took the attached photo from the balloon:

  • The new pool, rockwork, and planters are complete in the West yard (former Asian elephant habitat).
  • The larger East yard is currently partitioned in half by shipping containers.
  • The lodge/restaurant building appears to be externally complete.
  • The guest pathway, which will cross over the West/East habitat gate (old monorail track) is in progress.
  • I also noticed that the entry point for elephant Valley near the Park entrance is largely complete. It will be located just past the new Safari Excursions hub, before you take the boardwalk up to Tiger Trail & Walkabout Australia. This entrance to the habitat incorporates an already built pedestrian bridge over the service road.
Elephant Valley Construction 3/30/25

Elephant Valley Construction 3/30/25

  • Media owner Spixii
  • Date added
  • Comments 1
 
Other Late 2024 News / Early 2025 News Not Mentioned:
On October 24th, the zoo announced they helped rehabilitate and release 8 bats (species(s) not specified) onto facility grounds.

21K views · 1K reactions | Batty for conservation | Wildlife care specialists at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park worked in partnership with the San Diego Humane Society's Project Wildlife program to rescue,... | By San Diego Zoo Safari Park | Facebook
Elena said:
The Safari Park is caring for 3 orphaned mountain lion cubs:

Three Orphaned Mountain Lion Cubs Rescued in San Diego

San Diego Zoo on Instagram: "Three orphaned mountain lion cubs were rescued as part of an incredible team effort by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, @ucdavisvetmed, and the @californiadfw. Estimated to be just 6 weeks old at the time of their rescue, the cubs were found using data picked up from the mother’s GPS collar. The mother had sadly passed and no evidence of additional siblings was found. The trio was treated for dehydration after a week-long search, then brought to the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at San Diego Zoo Safari Park to receive top-notch care. Unfortunately, because these cubs lost their mother so young, they can’t safely be returned to their native habitat. We’re honored to care for the cubs at the Safari Park and provide them with lifelong care, native landscapes, and a second chance to thrive. In Southern California, their proximity to people puts local mountain lion populations at risk and even extinction due to low annual survival rates, making these ongoing conservation efforts even more critical to the long-term survival of this iconic species. #MountainLion #Cub #Conservation #SanDiegoZoo"
Click to expand...

On September 10th, the zoo announced they named the cougars Hemuk (Three in Kumeyaay), Pehkaay (Zero in Kumeyaay), and Te oyee (Seven in Kumeyaay).

125K views · 10K reactions | Living legacies. The orphaned mountain lion cubs rescued in December 2023 have been named Hemuk, Te oyee and Pehkaay—translations of three, zero and seven in the native language of the Kumeyaay people to honor their late mother, F307. Today, the trio are thriving as they grow stronger on the landscape they once roamed with their mother at the Safari Park. Because the cubs are dependent on their mother for the first 12-18 months of life, Hemuk, Te oyee and Pehkaay will live out their lives under managed care since they would not make it on their own in the wild. #cubdate #mountainlions #tripletrouble #sdzsafaripark | San Diego Zoo Safari Park

On November 20th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) Grevy's zebra to the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona.

Phoenix Zoo

On December 18th, it was announced that the zoo acquired a (0.1) California condor from the Los Angeles Zoo in California.

https://lazoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zoo-Commission-MINUTES-9.10.24-FINAL.pdf

On January 2nd, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) nyala to Zoo Boise in Idaho in summer 2024.

Zoo Boise

On February 8th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (0.3) Hartmann's mountain zebras to The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in California*.

The Living Desert

On February 18th, it was announced that the zoo transferred 3 Mexican spider monkeys (that were illegally smuggled into the border and intercepted by US authorities) to the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago

On March 25th, the zoo announced they moved a (0.1) red-flanked duiker named Ruby on display in (1.0) okapi Bokasi's exhibit in the Africa Woods area.

122K views · 6.8K reactions | Friendship goals ❤️ As you stroll through the African Woods at the Safari Park, you may have noticed that one of the okapis does not look like the others. Her name is Ruby, and she's actually a red-flanked duiker that wildlife care specialists recently introduced to Bokasi, a two-year-old okapi. These unlikely besties have slowly been acclimating to one another over the past 8 months, with opportunities to sniff each other out and solo habitat exploring time for Ruby before their first official meetup. The dynamic duo compliment each other well, with Bokasi's snacking habits encouraging Ruby to forage for his leftover vegetation that falls to the ground like she would in her native habitat. #okapi #duiker #besties #rubokasi #sdzsafaripark | San Diego Zoo Safari Park

* Can't quote the text originally as it is locked, but information partially given by @Kudu21 in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park News 2024 thread (Page 9 Post #176).
 
A couple of updates from the Park!

- The last Storm's stork has passed away :(

-The male lowland nyala has been removed from the lowland nyala exhibit at the Africa Tram loading station, and the two females that were moved to the old sitatunga exhibit have returned. The old sitatunga exhibit is now empty again.

-There is now a blue crane in with the greater flamingos in the flamingo exhibit along the Africa Tram.

-"Rupert" the male greater-one-horned rhino is now regularly rotating into the main rhino exhibit at the Rhino Rescue Center.

-The bird exhibit across from the Rhino Rescue Center now has birds in it post renovations! It is now home to East African grey crowned cranes, a black crowned crane, yellow-billed storks, and a mixed flock of Cape and Rüppell's griffon vultures.

-They are now working to extend the fencing around the former Bird Marsh and pronghorn exhibits along the Africa Tram.

-The 0.2 southern white rhinos, "Alice" and "Hazina" are now locked in the boma in between the South Africa and Central Africa exhibits, so it appears that they are rhino pair that will be shipping out.

-There is now a second eastern bongo calf in the African Forest field exhibit!

-The Park has experienced its first Père David's deer birth since 2003!
 
Kudu21 said:
A couple of updates from the Park!

- The last Storm's stork has passed away :(

-The male lowland nyala has been removed from the lowland nyala exhibit at the Africa Tram loading station, and the two females that were moved to the old sitatunga exhibit have returned. The old sitatunga exhibit is now empty again.

-There is now a blue crane in with the greater flamingos in the flamingo exhibit along the Africa Tram.

-"Rupert" the male greater-one-horned rhino is now regularly rotating into the main rhino exhibit at the Rhino Rescue Center.

-The bird exhibit across from the Rhino Rescue Center now has birds in it post renovations! It is now home to East African grey crowned cranes, a black crowned crane, yellow-billed storks, and a mixed flock of Cape and Rüppell's griffon vultures.

-They are now working to extend the fencing around the former Bird Marsh and pronghorn exhibits along the Africa Tram.

-The 0.2 southern white rhinos, "Alice" and "Hazina" are now locked in the boma in between the South Africa and Central Africa exhibits, so it appears that they are rhino pair that will be shipping out.

-There is now a second eastern bongo calf in the African Forest field exhibit!

-The Park has experienced its first Père David's deer birth since 2003!
Click to expand...
What are they doing to the former Bird Marsh and pronghorn exhibits along the Africa Tram?
 
Great Argus said:
Sad news, glad I got to see them several years ago. Do you know approximately how old this last one was?
Click to expand...
I believe he was in his early 20s. I do not know exactly how old.

King of Komodo Dragons said:
Does this make Fort Worth Zoo the only zoo in the US left that still has Storm's Storks?
Click to expand...
The Bronx should still have one, but I do not know if it is on display.

Thomas said:
What are they doing to the former Bird Marsh and pronghorn exhibits along the Africa Tram?
Click to expand...
It just looks like they are adding the same predator exclusion fencing they have been putting up across the Park, like in front of the Bird Delta, greater flamingo, new crane/stork/vulture exhibits.
 
Some more updates from the Park!

The generic giraffe herd is back on exhibit in the East Africa field exhibit.

Several of the European white stork pairs in the Bird Delta exhibit are sitting on nests.

More birds have been added to the newly renovated bird exhibit across from the Rhino Rescue Center, including three lappet-faced vultures and an Abyssinian ground hornbill.

The breeding male Grevy's zebra has been reintroduced to the herd (with his three daughters removed) in the Grevy's zebra exhibit above the South Africa field exhibit.

The 0.2 southern white rhinos did, indeed, ship out. The 2.0 SWR "Arthur" and "Mwezi" have been moved over into the Central Africa field exhibit now that the females are gone.
 
Kudu21 said:
Some more updates from the Park!

The generic giraffe herd is back on exhibit in the East Africa field exhibit.

Several of the European white stork pairs in the Bird Delta exhibit are sitting on nests.

More birds have been added to the newly renovated bird exhibit across from the Rhino Rescue Center, including three lappet-faced vultures and an Abyssinian ground hornbill.

The breeding male Grevy's zebra has been reintroduced to the herd (with his three daughters removed) in the Grevy's zebra exhibit above the South Africa field exhibit.

The 0.2 southern white rhinos did, indeed, ship out. The 2.0 SWR "Arthur" and "Mwezi" have been moved over into the Central Africa field exhibit now that the females are gone.
Click to expand...
Do you have images of the Bird Delta Habitat?
 
Thomas said:
Do you have images of the Bird Delta Habitat?
Click to expand...
There do not appear to be any clear images of the Bird Delta exhibit in the gallery since the greater flamingo exhibit was carved out of it, but in the linked image below, the Bird Delta exhibit is the space behind the greater flamingo exhibit shown, where you can see some native shore and wading birds in the background.

Flamingos 10/9/21 - ZooChat
 
Last edited:
Kudu21 said:
There do not appear to be any clear images of the Bird Delta exhibit in the gallery since the greater flamingo exhibit was carved out of it, but in the linked image below, the Bird Delta exhibit is the space behind the greater flamingo exhibit shown, where you can see some native shore and wading birds in the background.

Flamingos 10/9/21 - ZooChat
Click to expand...
I remember now, I saw it a few times, and what's to become of the Bird Marsh?
 
More updates from the Park!

Both the former sitatunga and former secretarybird exhibits in the African Outpost are now under construction, with at least new fencing being installed.

A pair of black crowned cranes and a pair of southern screamers have been introduced to the greater flamingo exhibit along the Africa Tram.

And most excitingly! A Masai giraffe calf was born to sire “Gowon” and dam “Mara” on Wednesday in the South Africa field exhibit!
 
Kudu21 said:
More updates from the Park!

Both the former sitatunga and former secretarybird exhibits in the African Outpost are now under construction, with at least new fencing being installed.

A pair of black crowned cranes and a pair of southern screamers have been introduced to the greater flamingo exhibit along the Africa Tram.

And most excitingly! A Masai giraffe calf was born to sire “Gowon” and dam “Mara” on Wednesday in the South Africa field exhibit!
Click to expand...
What's the plan for the former sitatunga and former secretarybird exhibits?
 
Thomas said:
What's the plan for the former sitatunga and former secretarybird exhibits?
Click to expand...
I do not know. They have both been empty for quite awhile now. The former sitatunga exhibit briefly held a pair of lowland nyala females that were pulled out of the herd when the breeding male was introduced, but they were moved back once he was pulled out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top