They are all gone now.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego Zoo Safari Park News 2025
- Thread starter Kudu21
- Start date
Are imports out of the question?
King of Komodo Dragons
Well-Known Member
I don't know if this is the right thread to ask, but what happened to them?
Almost certainly. It has been covered pretty extensively here and there on the forum over the years, but Bovid imports into the United States are nearly impossible due to the regulations in place to protect the cattle industry. An attempt to import semen from wild gerenuk was undertaken several years ago, but they were not allowed to bring the semen into the country in the end.
Most of them died. The remaining two animals were sent out to other facilities.
Hemker had one in Jan and Larry had one spring of last year per USDA, so not much there at this point. Only other USDA-inspected non-AZA place with them in the last decade is a place in Texas that also only had one.
Poked around a couple of the AZA places and the population is a lot smaller than I realized. These two births at the Safari Park are definitely needed!
You have to wonder what sort of lobbying system zoos have in place to try and counter this sort of legislation which almost certainly impacts them accidentally.
It's a question of money. Especially compared to the livestock industry, the zoo industry is like a Dickensian orphan as far as money goes
Some updates from the Park today!
1. Three Orinoco geese have moved into the Egyptian vulture exhibit in African Woods.
2. A flock of red-breasted geese has moved into the Bird Marsh along the Africa Tram.
3. It appears that the male ellipsen waterbuck from the Grevy's zebra exhibit (the one with only one horn) has been moved into the South Africa field exhibit.
4. Masai giraffe bull "Gowon" was no where to be seen. He has been lame for a very long time, so I would not be surprised if he has passed.
5. It looks like some of the Somali wild ass have been pulled out of the Somali wild ass exhibit again, including the foals from last year and their mothers. Hopefully this means they are looking to breed them again soon.
1. Three Orinoco geese have moved into the Egyptian vulture exhibit in African Woods.
2. A flock of red-breasted geese has moved into the Bird Marsh along the Africa Tram.
3. It appears that the male ellipsen waterbuck from the Grevy's zebra exhibit (the one with only one horn) has been moved into the South Africa field exhibit.
4. Masai giraffe bull "Gowon" was no where to be seen. He has been lame for a very long time, so I would not be surprised if he has passed.
5. It looks like some of the Somali wild ass have been pulled out of the Somali wild ass exhibit again, including the foals from last year and their mothers. Hopefully this means they are looking to breed them again soon.
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Some more Park updates from today!
1. 1.0 Masai giraffe “Gowon” did, indeed, pass away.
2. The male Somali wild ass was introduced to 0.4 females in their exhibit along the Africa Tram.
3. 1.1 western lowland gorillas “Paul Donn” and “Jessica” have arrived from the San Diego Zoo and are being introduced to the troop.
4. Elephant Valley construction appears to continue to be progressing nicely! There appears to be what looks like another small exhibit taking shape between the pool in the west elephant exhibit and the walkway between the two elephant exhibits. I don’t know what exactly it might be intended for?
I would say hyraxes probably since they’re related to elephants
That doesn't have anything to do with... anything. It would be a neat concept for sure, but unless we know what that exhibit looks like then there's no telling so far what'll go in.
BenFoxster
Well-Known Member
Let’s be real, we’re all going to be hoping for that small exhibit in Elephant Valley to be a new rare species to be introduced/reintroduced to the Safari Park like a new honey badger or shoebill stork or exotic small cat species, but watch it be a “new world class state of the art” meerkat or African Pygmy goat habitat.
avidzoogoer
Active Member
What happened to Gowan?!
He had been lame for a really long time. They said he had progressive and untreatable bone disease in his front feet.
I assume you meant to post this in the Zoo thread versus the Safari Park thread, but I believe they have no intention of bringing a male in any time soon. I have heard previously that they’re waiting until after their oldest female passes.
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The female Masai giraffe calf born back in May that has been being hand-raised behind-the-scenes has been moved into the boma in the middle of the South Africa field exhibit! Hopefully this means she will be reunited with the herd out on exhibit again soon!
My trip to California starts in two weeks. Does anyone know if these species are still at the San Diego Safari Park (Escondido), and if so, is there a sign to identify them? I'd also be interested to know if they've added any new species in recent months. Thanks.
-Antilocapra americana peninsularis
-Damaliscus pygargus pygargus
-Kobus cob
-Eudorcas/Gazella rufifrons
-Nanger granti
-Nanger soemmerringii
-Ornithorhynchs ahatinus
-Perognathus longimembris
-Nilgiritragus hylocrius
-Lephorina superba
-Gyps coprotheres/kolbi
-Gymnogyps californianus
-Hypotaenidia owstoni
-Antilocapra americana peninsularis
-Damaliscus pygargus pygargus
-Kobus cob
-Eudorcas/Gazella rufifrons
-Nanger granti
-Nanger soemmerringii
-Ornithorhynchs ahatinus
-Perognathus longimembris
-Nilgiritragus hylocrius
-Lephorina superba
-Gyps coprotheres/kolbi
-Gymnogyps californianus
-Hypotaenidia owstoni
Africa Tram:
Sommerings Gazelle - first African hillside exhibit.
cape vulture - mixed vulture exhibit
Kob - Central Africa
Red Fronted Gazelle - African Forest
The Nilgri Tahr are in the main Asia field which is only accessible by paid tour.
The Condors are in the aviary at the end of the Condor Ridge area.
The platypus are in the Zest house in the Australian area.
From what I know there are no more Grants Gazelle or Bontebok on display at the Safari Park. The rest I don’t know. Every animal not in the field exhibits should have signage, in the fields it’s a toss up if the tour guide will point them out.