World-Famous, With More To Offer Than Lions, Tigers & Bears
Written: Sep 10 '00 (Updated Sep 11 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Has a collection of some of the world's rarest animals
Cons: Pricey admission
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| nghiemr's Full Review: San Diego Zoo |
As relaxing and enjoyable as it is, there’s also something very sad and tragic about the San Diego Zoo. Nestled in the coastal city of San Diego in Southern California, this world-famous zoo is an exhibit of the world’s most beautiful, exotic animals...and a haven from extinction for some of them. The tragedy lies in the fact that, while this zoological society is preserving some of nature’s finest animals, most of this preservation is needed because of poaching, industrialization, and other human encroachment upon the animal kingdom and its natural habitats. Man, in its attempt to evolve, destroyed the order of nature, and now rushes furiously to conserve it.
This being said, if you decide to visit the San Diego Zoo, do enter it with an appreciation and respect for the animals. Leave knowing a little more than you did when you entered. Teach your children to do the same, for fear that they might be the last generation to witness some of these animals alive...and not as a taxidermied species, or only in videos. An exaggeration on my part? Maybe. But after visiting the San Diego Zoo over Labor Day weekend, I left with a new appreciation of these creatures and of the freedom I have that many of them do not know.
Some of you will complain about the overpriced admission, others about the excessive walking along steep terrain, but remember that there are few renowned places such as this where you can see animals from countries you may never even visit in this lifetime. Me...I complain about these animals being trapped in cages, but I sadly find myself still standing in awe in front of the glass or on the other side of the bars, admiring their beauty and wondering what it must feel like to be them. I feel fortunate to be only an hour and a half away, because I could easily visit again someday soon. I recommend you visit your local zoo, if you can’t visit this one, but there are some things very unique to the San Diego Zoo that those who can visit should consider seeing.
Why Is The San Diego Zoo World-Famous?
It has the largest collection of mammals, birds, and reptiles in North America. It is also well-known for its successful breeding of endangered animals and animals that have difficulty breeding in captivity.
San Diego Zoo’s Featured Exhibits
Though there is a lot to see at the San Diego Zoo, what draws crowds from across the country are the special exhibits that feature several animals in their simulated natural environments. This includes Ituri Forest, Scripps Aviary, Gorilla Tropics, Polar Bear Plunge, RainForest Aviary, Pygmy Chimps, Giant Panda Exhibit, Tiger River, and Sun Bear Forest.
The Ituri Forest, which resembles an African rain forest, is the perfect place to start your visit during the sunniest hours of the day. Many of the lush African plants provide ample shade as you view exhibits of forest buffalos, otters, birds, and the main attraction – the hippos. A large window allows you to see these huge hippos, including a baby hippo, swimming around underwater. Unfortunately, the water in this pool has become so horribly cloudy over the lifetime of this exhibit that it may be difficult to see much of anything!
Of all these exhibits, Gorilla Tropics and the Giant Panda Exhibit are my favorites. Gorilla Tropics is a definite must-do! I thoroughly enjoyed watching the wild antics of this family of gorillas, which appeared to include two adult females (one of which is pregnant), an adult male, and two young ones living in a simulated African rain forest full of waterfalls, trees, and small, grassy hills. I must have spent at least half an hour at that exhibit. There was so much to see and laugh at as the young gorillas playfully attacked the larger ones with small, broken tree limbs, or wrestled with them on the ground. Much of their behavior reminded me of us humans, but only more primitive.
Giant Panda Exhibit is where many of you animal lovers will lose your heart. It’s not hard to, after seeing this family of adorable, chubby pandas -- Shi Shi, Bai Yun, and her baby, Hua Mei. Hua Mei, whose name means “China USA,” recently turned one years old and is the first panda to be born in North America in over a decade. The line for this exhibit was about an hour long, and once you do reach the pandas, the workers make sure that you keep walking through after merely catching short glimpses of the pandas. It was worth it though, to see Shi Shi and Bai Yun up close, munching on their leaves, and Hua Mei sleeping up in the trees.
The San Diego Zoo is paying China about $1 Million per year to borrow and research these pandas over a 12-year period. On your visit, notice that Shi Shi and Bai Yun are actually kept in separate, but adjacent exhibits, with no direct physical contact. In the wild, pandas are actually solitary animals that rarely have contact with one another, except through scent markings and during mating season. The Zoo hopes to learn how to successfully reproduce these near-extinct bears by studying these patterns in their behavior. In the meantime, China will use the money to buy much-needed land to provide the remaining population of pandas with proper living space and an adequate supply of bamboo in their native land.
Other Points of Interest
With its large collection of animals, the San Diego Zoo has something to offer everyone. It wouldn’t be hard for you to discover a few species that strike your fancy. Bird lovers will enjoy the Scripps Aviary, or fairly new Rainforest Aviary, where you might be lucky to see an exotic bird up close as it eats from the feeders alongside the trails. Also close to the aviary are the orangatan and pygmy chimp exhibits. Be sure to check out the wallabies and koalas, especially the rare albino koala. Make a visit to some of the staples of any zoo...the tigers, elephants, rhinos, and giraffes.
The Zoo will provide you a glossy map upon entrance, so you can pick your route according to where the animals you want to see are located. There is also a Skyfari Aerial Tram which takes you to the far side of the zoo, but will cost you extra. I highly suggest you wear walking shoes and comfortable clothes, even if you decide to take one of the bus-guided tours. A few of the areas have people-movers that take you to higher terrain, but for the most part, a visit to this zoo involves a lot of walking through windy and/or hilly roads.
Admission Prices and Other Important Things To Know
I save this section for last, because I hope I've convinced you that the San Diego Zoo is a worthwhile experience before I drop a bomb...that regular admission is $18 for adults and $8 for children. And if you want a bus-guided tour and a ride on the aerial tramway, it will cost you about $8 extra. I understand that some zoos are free, and others cost half what this one does, but to me, Gorilla Tropics and the exclusive Giant Panda exhibit made the visit worthwhile. It was also a very relaxing experience -- something a whole family can enjoy -- versus paying double the admission price to a theme park with roller coasters that are stressful in comparison, and not educational.
The Zoo is open 365 days a year, and you should go early in the day while most of the animals are still awake. It can be disappointing to go to in the late afternoon or evening, only to find all the animals lethargic – too tired to play, and too difficult to observe. Also, if you are taking children who want some on-hands experience, be sure to visit the Children’s Zoo, where they can touch goats and lambs, and feed chicks. If you have time before or after visiting the zoo, consider heading over to the adjacent Balboa Park, with its many museums and IMAX theater.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nghiemr
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 66
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