San Diego Zoo Safari Park The Future of the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park

Ituri

Ituri

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
From the April 2008 Zoonooz

The scope of our future plans is wide-ranging yet strategic. At the Wild Animal Park, projects include eight new bird and mammal habitats that will grace the perimeter of the Journey into Africa tour, an Asian Tiger Trail, an African wild dog environment, and a Wildlife Disease Prevention and Training Center.
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I find the ommission of an Asian tram tour most interesting in this.
 
I'll need to look, but I'm pretty sure there has been some kind of mention since last April about an Asian tour.
 
During my last visit to the WAP in 2005, they told me about their plans to make the east african exhibit smaller for a new asian exhibit. I don't like that plans, because the east african exhibit is one of the best hoofed stock exhibits in the world, its phantastic. So it would be very sad, making it smaller for another asian exhibit.
 
I hate to tell you, but they have already reduced the size of the East Africa field exhibit.

Okapikpr, the only references I have seen have been in relation to the Savannah Safari upcharge golf-cart tours which were also being offered around the Asian exhibit.
 
Unfortunately there is no funding yet for the Asia portion of the tour. As a not-for-profit the San Diego Zoo can only focus on one project at a time. Right now its Elephant Odyssey at the Zoo, but the Wild Animal Park is working on the additional eight additional exhibits as part of Journey Into Africa. And the Park is preparing a fund raising campaign for a new tiger exhibit! There are many good changes coming down the pipeline for the animals.
 
Is the new tiger exhibit a renovation of the old lion/tiger exhibits or will it be in a new location?
 
Also have you heard anything further about them putting dholes on display? I've seen that the former lion exhibit in Cat Canyon next to the Sumatran tigers is now listed on the map as "Future Chinese Dhole Exhibit"
 
Ituri said:
From the April 2008 Zoonooz



I find the ommission of an Asian tram tour most interesting in this.
Click to expand...

As far as I know there is no longer going to be a riding asian tram tour. Tiger Trails is replacing that project, so it'll be a walking tour of the Asian areas. The concept plans I've seen so far look great! I'm not sure if the tigers will be in the same area or not, but either way it looks like the renovations that are going to be done will make it a new exhibit.
 
Tiger Trails! This is big. I assume there will be other species involved with Tiger Trails? According to the plans, does it look like another Heart of Africa or a Lion Camp?
 
If it's a walking trail then that is the best possible news! I'm not a huge fan of monorail or tram tours where visitors can see animals for literally 60 seconds...and then they are gone from sight. A walking path will allow many of the Asian animals to be seen up close and personal.
 
That sounds great. I can't wait to find out more. So you're sure that it's instead of the tram tour and not in addition to the tram tour?
 
Yes, I'm sure it will be instead of the tram and not in addition. I'm sure there will be some complaints about that, but I definitely think a walking tour will be much better too.
There will be more species involved other than just tigers. Part of it is supposed to involve combining the two big elephant exhibits into one. There is supposed to be a point in the trail where, if the elephants want to move from one half of the exhibit to the other, the walking path will get blocked so that they can walk across right in front of the guests. I think that sounds pretty cool, but plans can change. The original idea was for the trail to include a bridge so that elephants could walk underneath guests when they wanted to move between yards, but that wasn't feasable.
There are other species that will be included, but they're not coming to mind right now. I want to say the dholes might be included, but I'm not sure about that. There's also supposed to be a walkthrough aviary in the plan.
 
Awesome thanks for the info! The other nice part about a walking tour is that it won't be another upcharge$$$
 
djaeon said:
Yes, I'm sure it will be instead of the tram and not in addition. I'm sure there will be some complaints about that, but I definitely think a walking tour will be much better too.
There will be more species involved other than just tigers. Part of it is supposed to involve combining the two big elephant exhibits into one. There is supposed to be a point in the trail where, if the elephants want to move from one half of the exhibit to the other, the walking path will get blocked so that they can walk across right in front of the guests. I think that sounds pretty cool, but plans can change. The original idea was for the trail to include a bridge so that elephants could walk underneath guests when they wanted to move between yards, but that wasn't feasable.
There are other species that will be included, but they're not coming to mind right now. I want to say the dholes might be included, but I'm not sure about that. There's also supposed to be a walkthrough aviary in the plan.
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The Cleveland Zoo's new elephant exhibit also includes gates that keepers will use during public hours to move elephants from one exhibit yard to another. (currently under construction)

The Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita) plan for its new elephant exhibit involves a bridge for the animals. (still in early planning stage)
 
Doesn't the San Diego Zoo's plans for Elephant Odyssey include a tunnel under the elephant exhibit as well?
 
The Denver Zoo's "Asian Tropics" design includes a walkway that arches over the visitor pathway, and the Asian elephants, malayan tapirs and indian rhinos would have access to the bridge-like structure.
 
I was at the Park on Tuesday and A keeper told me that the park plans to build a newer tiger exhibit on the exact same place pretty much.It will probably be reduced in size a little and the viewing will be much much better.
 
Also the plans for Elephant Oddessey are to move the zoo and the parks Asian elephants to the Elephant Oddessey,move Tembo in with the the parks African herd and to fuse the the parks asian and african elephant yards together to create one huge exhibit
 
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