On our 6th day in California, we went to the San Diego Zoo. We were one of the first cars in the parking lot when they opened and one of the last to leave! There isn’t a bit of the San Diego Zoo that our family did not explore and we LOVED it!
The first thing we did was hop on the double decker Kangaroo Bus to get a quick overview of the zoo. The tour was around 45 minutes and was definitely interesting.
The animals were all so interactive! The weather was perfect, so they were out and about. They seemed to notice us and want to play!
The San Diego Zoo boasts “natural” habitats for its animals and it absolutely made it more fun as a visitor. None of the almost 3,500 animals were in cages–they roamed about in lots of space and what looked like, to my untrained eye, natural habitats.
Halfway through the zoo, we hopped on the Skyfari Aerial Tram and cut across to the other side of the park. The Skyfari was an experience in itself; it took us high above the zoo and gave us a really cool birds-eye-view!
The San Diego Zoo is a major contributor to animal research and conservation. They have over 300 conservation scientists working in countries around the world. For example, there are currently only two Northern White Rhinos remaining in the world. The San Diego Zoo is partnering with FrozenZoo to use science, in-vitro fertilization, and surrogates to breed more of this almost-extinct animal. How cool!
Tips for visiting the San Diego Zoo:
- Arrive early and plan to stay all day. The zoo has over 100 acres and 3,500 animals. It will take a while to explore it all!
- Grab a map as soon as you arrive and check out the Keeper Talks. We loved hearing about the animals from the experts!
- Take the guided bus tour first to get your bearings.
- Hop on the Skyfari Tram.
