The San Diego Zoo Safari Park opened on May 10, 1972, in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, California, as an extension of the San Diego Zoo focused on breeding and displaying animals in expansive, naturalistic habitats rather than traditional enclosures. Operated by the nonprofit San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the park sprawls across roughly 1,800 acres, making it one of the largest wildlife parks in the United States.
Best known for its free-ranging African and Asian plains exhibits, the Safari Park lets visitors view herds of giraffes, rhinos, and antelope roaming together across open savanna-style habitats, viewable via tram, zip line, or overnight camping experiences. The park has also become a global leader in conservation, notably helping pull the California condor back from the brink of extinction through its breeding programs.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Escondido, California (San Pasqual Valley)
- Opened: May 10, 1972
- Size: About 1,800 acres
- Species: Over 290 species, 3,000+ animals
- Annual visitors: Over 1.6 million
- Famous for: Free-range African plains habitats and California condor conservation
The Safari Experience
Unlike a conventional zoo, the Safari Park’s core attraction is its open-range habitats, where animals such as giraffes, white rhinos, and various antelope species roam together across acreage modeled on the African savanna and Asian plains. Visitors can explore these areas via the Africa Tram, guided caravan safaris, or the Flightline zip line, which soars above the herds for an aerial view.
The park also offers overnight camping experiences that let guests fall asleep to the sounds of the savanna, along with the Walkabout Australia trail and Tiger Trail, home to endangered Sumatran tigers in a dense forest habitat.
Conservation Leadership
The Safari Park anchors much of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s conservation work, including breeding programs credited with helping save the California condor, once down to roughly two dozen birds in the wild, with the population now numbering in the hundreds. The park is also home to the Beckman Center for Conservation Research and the Frozen Zoo, which preserves genetic material from endangered species.
Its botanical collection is equally significant, featuring well over a million plants across thousands of species, many arranged in geographically themed World Gardens that double as habitat and educational display.
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San Diego Zoo Safari Park FAQs
When did the San Diego Zoo Safari Park open?
It opened on May 10, 1972, originally as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, before being renamed in 2010.
How big is the San Diego Zoo Safari Park?
The park covers about 1,800 acres in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, California, making it far larger than the original San Diego Zoo.
How many animals live at the Safari Park?
The park is home to more than 3,000 animals representing over 290 species, many housed in expansive free-range habitats.
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Photo: Jim1138 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.