San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California is one of the largest, most progressive zoos in the world. It is a private zoo, owned and maintained by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego.

Related Topics:
San Diego - California - Zoo - Nonprofit - Zoological Society of San Diego

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It is sited on 100 acres (40 hectare) in Balboa Park, on the edge of a mesa. The flat upland areas are the parking lot. Most exhibits are sited in cool, shaded valleys, with large aviaries and animal exhibits on the ridges. The Zoo offers a guided tour bus that traverses most of the park. There is an overhead gondola lift that offers an aerial view of the park, and is a quick way to move from opposite ends of the park.

Related Topics:
Balboa Park - Mesa - Gondola lift

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Exhibits are often designed around a particular habitat. The same exhibit will feature many different animals that can be found side-by-side in the wild, along with their native horticulture. Exhibits range from an African rain forest (featuring gorillas) to the Arctic taiga and tundra in the summertime (featuring polar bears). Some of the largest free-flight aviaries in existence are here to encourage breeding. Many exhibits are "natural" with invisible wires and darkened blinds (to view birds), and pools and open-air moats (for large mammals).

Related Topics:
Habitat - Horticulture - Rain forest - Gorilla - Taiga - Tundra - Polar bear - Aviaries

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The cool, sunny maritime climate is well suited to many plants and animals. Besides an extensive collection of birds, reptiles and mammals, it also maintains its grounds as an arboretum, with a rare plant collection. As part of its gardening effort, it raises some rare animal foods. For example, the Zoo raises bamboo for the pandas on long-term loan from China, and it maintains eucalyptus trees to feed its koalas.

Related Topics:
Plant - Bird - Reptile - Mammal - Arboretum - Gardening - Bamboo - China - Eucalyptus - Koala

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The Zoo provides society memberships for only a slight premium over the general admission fee. Society memberships provide year-round re-entrance rights, guest passes and a subscription to the Zoo's magazine ZooNews. It uses the profits from its attractions to maintain the animals and support zoological education, science and conservation. For example, it maintains the Center for the Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES), literally the last chance for many species.

Related Topics:
Animal - Science - Conservation - Center for the Reproduction of Endangered Species

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The Zoo rotates larger animals to its sister institution, the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It is extremely active in conservation and species-preservation efforts. Its Center for the Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES) raises and releases California Condors, Pandas, Tigers, African Black Rhinos and a large number of other endangered species. It employs numerous professional geneticists, cytologists and vertinarians, and maintains a cryopreservation facility for rare sperm and eggs.

Related Topics:
San Diego Wild Animal Park - California Condor - Endangered species

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In addition to its normal publicity efforts, and web page, the Zoo also produced a short TV program for a number of years, with Joan Embry. Joan Embry is the keeper who brought various animals to the Johnny Carson show. The Zoo loaned the animals.

Related Topics:
Web page - Joan Embry - Johnny Carson

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The Zoo interns only selected graduates of the Veterinary College of the University of California at Davis. Its keepers are unionized.

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The Zoo literally counts its animals as priceless. It carries the value of its animals and plants as zero dollars, which means they cannot be seized because of a bankruptcy, and could therefore be distributed to other zoos. All loans and encumbrances are on its land and vehicles.

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