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San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Take a walk on the 'wild' side at this 1800-acre open-range zoo, sibling of the San Diego Zoo , in the suburban San Pasqual Valley. Giraffes graze, lions lounge and rhinos roam more or less freely on the valley floor. For that instant safari feel, board the Africa tram ride, which tours you around the second-largest 'continent' in just 25 minutes. Opening hours vary; call or check online.

The park is about a 35-mile drive from San Diego's Downtown via I-5 north. Parking is $15.

15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd. Escondido

Get In Touch

760-747-8702

https://www.sdzsafaripark.org

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The Zoo: San Diego

Lights, camera, animals .

The Zoo: San Diego has returned for a second season on Animal Planet, offering an all-access look at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Airings begin Saturday, August 14. Follow the wildlife care specialists and veterinarians who have dedicated their lives to caring for the birds, mammals, reptiles, and aquatic wildlife that call the Zoo and Safari Park home. Don’t miss an episode! Check your local listings for air times.

Tune in on discovery+ to watch full episodes.

Episode 1: Baby Miracles

Featuring: River hippo, koala, elephant, Fiji iguana, Przewalski's horse, and cheetah.

Episode 2: Mabel's Joy

Featuring: Striped hyena, lion, zebra, pygmy hippo, and giraffe.

Episode 3: Cubs Come Home

Featuring: Mountain lion, lappet-faced vulture, white rhino, and Sichuan takin.

Episode 4: Hog Wild

Featuring: Red river hog, gazelle, koala, Amur leopard, and tree kangaroo.

Episode 5: Cheetah on the Run

Featuring: cheetah, platypus, falcon, coati, and bushmaster snake.

Episode 6: Baby Wallaby Debut

Featuring: Wallaby, lesser flamingo, and fishing cat.

Episode 7: Koala Boys

Featuring: Rhino, koala, nyala, and tiger. 

Episode 8: Dining with Meerkats

Featuring: Black rhino, beaded lizard, cock-of-the-rock, and meerkat.

Episode 9: Abigail the Incredible

Featuring: Tufted deer, grizzly bear, koala, and Galápagos tortoise.

Episode 1: Welcome to Our World

Featuring klipspringers, California condors, gorillas, and Mang Mountain pit vipers.

Episode 2: New Day for an Old Tortoise

Featuring Galápagos tortoises, koalas, giraffe calves, and ostriches.

Episode 3: Yeti and the Cubs

Featuring Hamadryas baboons, cheetah cubs, and burrowing owls.

Episode 4: A Lion's Tale

Featuring a black rhino, lions, a vulture chick, and a cassowary.

Episode 5: Panda-monium

Featuring giant pandas, elephants, butterflies, and Grevy's zebras.

Episode 6: Mek Comes Home

Featuring a Malayan tiger, tree kangaroos, and moving animals to prepare for Children's Zoo construction.

Episode 7: Penguin Chick Swim School

Featuring African penguin chicks, a Baird's tapir, and African elephants.

Episode 8: Mkhaya Discovers Her Trunk

Featuring African elephant calves, Alba the Andean bear, Mandazzi the gorilla, and searching for coastal patch-nosed snakes.  

Episode 9: Miracle Calf

Featuring a special rhino calf, Connor the tiger, a visit to shoebills, and polar bears.

• San Diego Zoo Tickets
• Safari Park Tickets

Planet Zoo: Best Mods

• Downloading mods in Planet Zoo can enhance the gameplay experience. Some mods provide new tools and features, while others improve existing elements of the game.
• The Sandbox Color Morph mod increases the chance of animals being born with albinism, making them more appealing to customers. This mod saves time and effort in breeding for rare traits.
• The FreeBuild mod allows players to have more creative freedom with terrain and path-building tools. It is a helpful tool for creating the ideal zoo layout and overcoming limitations in the vanilla version of the game.

Planet Zoo is a zoo management game that was released in 2019. As players would expect, the game has all the tools necessary to build the perfect enclosure for a variety of animals. Building a successful zoo in this game involves keeping all the animals happy, and the park guests entertained with attractions such as a safaris and boat rides.

While the base game for Planet Zoo is interesting enough to give players hours worth of fun, anyone who has played the game for a long time may want to look at downloading some mods. Some of these provide the player with new tools to use, and some will overwrite entire portions of the games' code. As usual, some of the mods for Planet Zoo are better than others.

Sandbox Color Morphs

Increasing interest in zoo animals.

• Created by ChallengeOfTheDark

A small detail in Planet Zoo is the albinism feature. This gives every animal born in the zoo a tiny chance of being born an albino, and this can be recognized by their pale skin. Any animal with this trait will become more appealing to customers, like rare animals, but they are very rare in the vanilla version of Planet Zoo.

Any player that wants to attract more potential guest to their park should consider downloading the Sandbox Color Morph mod from Nexus Mods. This mod increases the chance that the animals in sandbox mode will be born with albinism, so that players do not have to spend time continuously breeding animals to achieve this result.

Ice Cathedral

An impressive home for penguins.

• Created by Kaltrosebd

Penguins may not be the most popular animal to include in Planet Zoo , but any new zoo feels empty without these Arctic creatures. Sadly, a normal penguin enclosure takes up a lot of space on the map, and is hardly worth looking at. Fortunately, the Detailed Penguin Ice Cathedral mod from Kaltrosebd fixes this problem.

Why Zoo Tycoon Still Has an Advantage Over Planet Zoo

This large enclosure looks impressive as a winter wonderland feature, and is big enough to house up to four hundred penguins. The ice cathedral is also big enough to store other zoo facilities, such as a vet, ATMs, customer bathrooms, and employee facilities.

A Less Restrictive Creative Tool

• Created by Kaiodenic

The vanilla version of Planet Zoo does come with all the path and terrain tools to allow the player to build the zoo of their dreams . However, there can be times when trying to connect a path or level some terrain does not go as smoothly as intended. Unfortunately, these issues can make a zoo look a bit lackluster or prevent players from building their ideal animal enclosure.

Luckily, the FreeBuild mod from Kaiodenic is there to overhaul the default terrain and path-building tools in the game. Therefore, players should download this mod if they want more freedom from the creation tools in Planet Zoo .

Tropical Reptile House

No zoo is complete without reptiles.

• Created by Zoofluencer

A reptile house is a signature part of any zoo. However, these indoor installations in the vanilla version of Planet Zoo leave a bit to be desired. For starters, these houses are a little small, and could do with a bit more exotic varieties of animals. Fortunately, the Tropical Reptile House mod by Zoofluencer fixes both these issues.

Planet Zoo: 18 Best Animals For Multispecies Enclosures

This mod includes a much larger version of a reptile house that customers can fully explore. It even has a pond filled with crocodiles that guests can walk over using the bridge. This new reptile house even includes more viewing platforms and enclosures, so players can include far more of this type of animal than before.

Safari Animal Pack

Safaris are some of the best attractions.

• Created by NicholasLionRider

Going on safari in Africa can sometimes be a better experience than going to the zoo. Seeing a wide range of animals in their natural habitat is something that cannot be rivaled. That is, until players get their hands on the Safari Animal Pack mod for Planet Zoo .

Planet Zoo: The 12 Best DLC Packs, Ranked

This mod exists as a way to give players access to a host of new animals without having to pay extra or wait for a new DLC pack. All the extra forty plus animals in this mod are found in the African Savannah, and include striped hyenas, Nile crocodiles, and the honey badger.

Animal Overhaul

Bringing the animals in planet zoo to life.

• Created by PureWinter

The animals and environments in the vanilla version of Planet Zoo already look incredible. However, there are times when the behavior of the animals in a zoo can make building the perfect attraction tricky. Some animals will behave poorly if there is too much vegetation in their enclosure, while others will become sad if their flock is too big or too small.

The Animal Overhaul mod from PureWinter was designed to shut down this type of response from the AI. As a result, players can build their ideal zoo to their exact specifications, without having to constantly worry about the welfare of the animals in the zoo. This mod also comes with the added bonus of making the animals more tolerant of being fed by the guests. Therefore, guest happiness will rise as a direct result of this mod.

Platform(s) PC

Released 2019-11-05

Developer(s) Frontier Developments

Genre(s) Simulation

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Party for the planet at henry doorly zoo sends guests on scavenger hunt while learning about importance of earth day.

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The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo has announced its Party for the Planet Earth Day celebration.

The educational event will be hosted by the Zoo Academy, the zoo's high school program.

There will be a scavenger hunt, educational booths, and more on April 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Party for the Planet will also have mini golf as well as a National Geographic mini gallery.

It is free for members and included in daytime admission.

To learn more, click the link here .

Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7

• Entertainment

Look Hoo's number two! Telford zoo named second best in UK

A Telford zoo has been named the second best-rated zoo in the whole country by Tripadvisor.

Watch more of our videos on Shots! and live on Freeview channel 276

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World has once again been named the second best-rated zoo in the whole of the UK.

Tripadvisor has compiled a list of the country’s best zoos and aquariums that have been consistently receiving good reviews from its visitors.

2024 is the second year in a row that the Telford-based zoo has hit second place on the UK travel charts based on millions of online reviews.

Drawing more than 4,000 'excellent' ratings, Hoo Zoo has also been revealed as the ninth-best zoo or aquarium to visit in Europe.

Hoo Zoo partner Will Dorrell said: "'We're all delighted that we have been acknowledged by TripAdvisor as the second best zoo in the UK for the second year running.

"When we originally opened the zoo (then a farm park) in 1991 we could have never dreamt of this - we simply wanted to offer a fun, friendly, family day out for the local area.

"Over the past 30 years we have achieved more than we could have imagined and the tireless work of all our keepers and team members throughout that time have made this possible.

"The rankings are worked out by how many people list us as a 'favourite' location on TripAdvisor so it really is voted for the public and that makes this even more special."

Taking no one by surprise, the top spot has once again been snagged by Chester Zoo.

Jamie Christon, Chester Zoo’s CEO, said: “We’re over the moon to be named the best zoo in the UK. It’s an incredible achievement and especially pleasing given it’s based on thousands upon thousands of genuine reviews and opinions.

"It’s a real seal of approval from our visitors and a testament to every single one of our dedicated, hardworking, and talented staff that make our conservation zoo the wonderful place it is.

“We’re always looking to offer new, exciting and authentic experiences that connect our visitors with the natural world, while also putting a much-needed spotlight on the environmental challenges our planet is facing and highlighting what people can do to tackle them.

“Every time someone walks through our gates, not only do they enjoy all kinds of wildlife experiences like these and have a great day out, they’re also contributing to the vital conservation work we carry out here and around the world.

"That’s why, as a not-for-profit conservation zoo, this top Tripadvisor ranking means such an awful lot to us. It’s confirmation that we’re getting things right for our visitors – especially important as, together, we’re preventing extinction and making a real difference for wildlife.”

10 best rated zoos in the UK according to Tripadvisor in 2024:

Chester Zoo

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World

Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Colchester Zoo

Blackpool Zoo

West Midlands Safari Park

Cotswolds Wildlife Park and Gardens

Edinburgh Zoo

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Dining at the Safari Park

Dining category.

The Watering Hole at Kijamii Overlook

• Location: Kijamii Overlook
• Make Reservations

Enjoy an incredible view of the African Plains, and watch rhinos and giraffes as you dine on tasty sandwiches and fresh salads—or relax with a refreshing beverage from the full-service bar.

An 18% gratuity charge to be added to checks for parties of 7 or more.

The Sheared Sheep

• Location: Walkabout Australia

Come hang out with a nearby tree kangaroo and a cassowary, and enjoy a salad, a wrap, or one of our Australian-inspired snacks—along with specialty cocktails or a refreshing draft/craft beer.

Barking Deer Pizza and Beer

• Location: Safari Base Camp

Stop in for delicious Neapolitan-style gourmet pizza, cooked to perfection in our brick oven, or enjoy a fresh salad, and wash down your meal with a refreshing draft/craft beer or soft drink.  

Thorntree Terrace

Enjoy a delicious meal beside our beautiful thorn tree. You’ll find breakfast items like bagels and cinnamon rolls, along with sandwiches, burgers with fries, salads, fish and chips, Kid’s Meals, and refreshing beverages—including a variety of soft drinks and draft/craft beer. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

Mombasa Cooker

• Location: Nairobi Village

Dine outdoors on the water in an African-themed village, surrounded by waterfowl and other wildlife. Enjoy hand-battered chicken tenders plates, burgers with fries, salads, Kid’s Meals, and a variety of beverage options, including draft/craft beer and soft drinks. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

Oasis on the Rocks

Located in the heart of Nairobi Village, Oasis on the Rocks features specialty cocktails, and draft/craft beer, and soft drinks.

Okavango Outpost

• Location: African Outpost

After exploring the savanna on Africa Tram, visit Okavango Outpost for a delicious meal. We offer comforting pasta, satisfying sandwiches, and vibrant salads. Complete the experience with our delectable churro sundae for dessert.

Mawazo Kitchen

• Location: African Woods

Dine with a view as you enjoy delicious South of the Border-themed entrees, burgers, chicken tenders, fries, salads, Kid’s Meals, and refreshing beverages, including soft drinks and draft/craft beer. This outdoor dining facility is conveniently located between Benbough Amphitheater and Mawazo Playground. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

Kibo Cones & Snacks

Looking for something sweet in the heart of Nairobi Village? Enjoy our soft-serve ice cream, ICEEs, and floats! We offer a variety of snacks, including pretzels, churros, and hot dogs.

Safari Coffee Outpost

Start your day off with a selection of specialty coffee drinks, warm mini doughnuts, snacks, and cold drinks, as you browse among the unique items at our adjacent Plant Trader gift shop.  

Macan Market

• Location: Tiger Trail

Relax at our beautiful Sambutan Longhouse, and select from a light luncheon menu that includes snacks, draft/craft beer, and soft drinks, while you watch tigers watching you!

Lion Camp Slush & Snacks

• Location: Lion Camp

Watch the Safari Park’s hot-air balloon rise above the savanna, as you cool off with a build-your-own slush, paired perfectly with your favorite snacks—from churros to hot dogs—or enjoy a refreshing soft drink or draft/craft beer.

Rift Sand Bar

• Location: The Grove

Relax and enjoy the beautiful view of the African Plains from the top of the elevator deck, along with a refreshing snack, some popcorn, a pretzel, a soft drink, or draft/craft beer.

Tucker Truck

Located in Walkabout Australia between the platypus habitat and the Bonsai Pavilion, Tucker Truck serves up tasty french fry cones, snacks, and cold drinks.

Raptor's Nest

Hang out and enjoy the beautiful view of our Flightline Safari landing area and our Roar & Snore camp area. At Raptor’s Nest, you’ll find snacks, soft drinks, draft/craft beer, wine, and specialty cocktails.

Kalahari Cupboard

Before you stop by the Petting Kraal, visit Kalahari Cupboard for an Arctic Blast with blended soft-serve ice cream, or an ICEE and snacks, and enjoy a view of the waterfall near the wooden bridge.

Congo Kitchen

Conveniently located near a triangle of gift shops, just steps from Nairobi Village, Congo Kitchen offers nachos, popcorn, snacks, cold drinks, and draft/craft beer.

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Gorilla Shadow

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