cazalea
[Seiko Moderator]
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An Insider Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Part 4
Welcome to Part 4 of our visit to the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park. We seen elephants, plains animals, gorillas and lions.
Believe it or not, the "keeper-grade" tour of the lions is not the highlight of the trip. The finale is coming, as we head to a new animal exhibit area.
Our friends were not the biggest donors on the project, but they did get it jump-started. Notice there are a few very well-known names - Tull (Dark Knight, Hangover, Jurassic World), Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Roddenberry (Star Trek), etc.
We enter through a bamboo corridor, with water and chimes.
At the end is a carved Sumatran Tiger
It's roughly life-sized.
In contrast to the hot dry terrain outside, this area is filled with cool ponds and waterfalls.
We walk around a corner and see the tiger emerge from the foliage.
These cats are much smaller than the lions, at roughly 200 lbs to a lion's 400-500 lbs.
But every step they take implies great power and grace.
It's clear that the markings help them blend into jungle surroundings. This is a male.
In another part of the exhibit, another tiger grooms herself.
She had no problem looking me straight in the eyes. We were about 20 feet apart.
She stared me down, so I walked back over the male's side. On the way I stopped to cool off under the waterfall.
Our friends were not the biggest donors on the project, but they did get it jump-started. Notice there are a few very well-known names - Tull (Dark Knight, Hangover, Jurassic World), Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Roddenberry (Star Trek), etc.
We enter through a bamboo corridor, with water and chimes.
At the end is a carved Sumatran Tiger
It's roughly life-sized.
In contrast to the hot dry terrain outside, this area is filled with cool ponds and waterfalls.
We walk around a corner and see the tiger emerge from the foliage.
These cats are much smaller than the lions, at roughly 200 lbs to a lion's 400-500 lbs.
But every step they take implies great power and grace.
It's clear that the markings help them blend into jungle surroundings. This is a male.
In another part of the exhibit, another tiger grooms herself.
She had no problem looking me straight in the eyes. We were about 20 feet apart.
She stared me down, so I walked back over the male's side. On the way I stopped to cool off under the waterfall.
As with the lions, we were able to go in and talk with the keepers. Here's the whiteboard summary of the tigers.
I asked the keeper how tall the tigers were - she didn't know but said "let's see"
then we noticed he was cheating, because he was climbing up the bars with his back feet! BIG!
Our tour was almost complete, and our guide Pam took us over to a dining room.
The table was already set, and Ray our server brought in the previously-ordered Cobb salads.
What we didn't realize until now was the tigers would be joining us while we dined!!
Mrs Cazalea was thrilled.
I think they only serve cold food in here because most of the time we were fooling around by the window.
After we got a few bites in, the keepers let another tiger into the exhibit area.
Our guy gave us a couple looks then headed off to play with his brother.
I have too many photos so please come back for Part 5.
Cheers,
Cazalea
This message has been edited by cazalea on 2015-07-10 11:12:24
An Insider Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Part 1
Thanks to the generosity of a good friend, this week Mrs Cazalea and I were able to visit the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park in Escondido, California. The park has been around since 1972, when zoo curator Charles Schroeder realized future zoos would need to ...
An Insider Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Part 2
Welcome back for Part 2 of our unique, insider's trip to the San Diego Zoo's Safari park. After visiting the elephants, we moved onto the African plains. We had a look at giraffes and rhinos. and there were some springboks and gazelles and so on - I didn'...
an Insider Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Part 3
Welcome back to part 3 of our insider tour of the San Diego Zoo Safari park. In previous parts, we've seen the entrance, the transportation choices, the elephants and the African exhibits. Today our goal is a mystery. Our friend Betty Jo has invited us fo...
An Insider Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Part 4
Welcome to Part 4 of our visit to the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park. We seen elephants, plains animals, gorillas and lions. Believe it or not, the "keeper-grade" tour of the lions is not the highlight of the trip. The finale is coming, as we head to a new a...
An Insider Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Part 5
Here we go with some candid shots of two male tigers playing together in their jungle enclosure: We were exhausted by the excitement, so our hosts packed up a few chocolate cookies to go, in case we got famished before we got home. Then they delivered us ...
re: insider visit
Awesome tour, thanks for sharing this with us. I haven't been to the SD zoo in a long time, I'm down around there in November so I''l definitely try to do the tour. HAGWE cazalea! -MW
Wow! Great write up!
Wow! What an experience! Lions and tigers and cheetahs! Is this tour as depicted by your photographs something that is available to normal civilians or do you have to be a special zoo patron in order to get the access you got? Can't wait to visit San Dieg...
Much of the park is accessible to civilians
The discussion with keepers inside the lion and tiger houses is limited by their availability. Naturally the predators (lions and tigers) need attention, so they can\'t have their keepers spending all their time with visitors... And I suspect the private ...
Amazing experience nonetheless...
I might just have to spend a week down in San Diego someday and experience all of what San Diego has to offer up close and personal... Thank you for this phenomenal photo journey. Something that feels like a real possibility since it's only 500 miles away...
Yes, less than 8 hours Road Trip for a Purist :-)
unless you have to stop for a gourmet meal along the way, if the traffic gets heavy, or the weather is uncooperative. and of course dependent upon your navigational skills. At least the mountains and Death Valley are on your left... and the ocean on your ...
I've made the drive many times. Missing San Diego already!
Although haven't made it in one straight shot to San Diego direct, as I've always stopped for a few hours in Los Angeles or Orange County. Nice pictures.
What a post !!!!
Thanks Mike, that was truly an amazing experience in what you could call a REAL Zoo ! Filip
Yes, no doubt
there are other excitements at the downtown zoo too: Eagle Owl I think this is a cheetah kitten ...
wow..what a tour...
that's the only way to see the Safari Park.. been there a couple of times..and I totally agree...earlier the better... what an experience..would love to book this for the family...thank you
tour of the SD park
Cool post Cazalea. I think I have a business conference in a few months in SD, your post really looks fun and I will have to take an extra day to check out the SD Zoo Safari park. Will let you know my travel plans, hope we can meet up :) Regards, ED-209
That's up close and personal for sure
As I viewed your encounter, the memory of an old black and white movie, by the name of Chang, came to my mind. It's directed by Merian C Cooper who also directed King Kong. This is primitive, raw footage of a young farmer who moves his family away from th...