Lions, tigers, rhinos, kangaroos, giraffes roam, pose, preen for public

Meet Bo, who posed for us this week, a handsome nearly 9-year old male lion, the head of his pride
which includes three females.  The African lion is listed as a "vulnerable species" because of
declining numbers due to poaching, habitat loss and trafficking. He had just eaten and was relaxing.

AWARD WINNING SAFARI PARK IS PERFECT EARLY SPRING OUTING

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers
enjoy a day of touring, watching, learning
 at the world famous Safari Park.

                                                                

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

THE SAN DIEGO Zoo Safari Park is an international treasure, visited by thousands each year and home to a carefully supervised grouping of 3,000 animals sharing 1,800 beautifully landscaped yet "wild looking" acres.

The highly acclaimed park has some of the world's most successful breeding programs, particularly the rhino, who has been brought

A female kangaroo wakes from an afternoon nap.

back from near extinction thanks to parks such as San Diego's. The city's rare white rhinos (the same color as grey) are the only two left on the planet. That makes seeing these wondrous creatures even more special. 

WE SPENT a full, happy day at this enchanting place,  hopping aboard the Africa Tram to get a bird's eye view of the park's  beautifully arranged habitat.  

A view of the grounds from a lookout near the elevator.

We had a terrific guide who stopped so we could get close-up views of giraffes, rhinos, antelope and gazelles. We also saw mule deer, "freeloaders," who visit the park as unofficial guests, enjoying the grounds and a nibble.

THE CRITTERS we saw are free to roam happily on the savannah grounds within artfully designed areas to separate but not "fence".  The grounds were landscaped to resemble the foliage, shelter and open spaces the animals enjoy in their native habitats. The dozens we saw appeared happy with the arrangement.

Besides beautifully tended grounds for the critters, the zoo boasts a fascinating botanical garden with over a million plants, carefully marked.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park has
two platypuses. The semiaquatic,
egg-laying mammal is endemic
to eastern Australia. We were
lucky to catch a glimpse.
 

OUR TERRIFIC 20-minute tram ride gave us an idea of what we'd like to see more of and return to.  We knew that would include the Australia walkabout since we have many times visited that continent and observed its unique critters. Speaking of walking, prepare to get your exercise.  It's a large expanse and we logged over 4 miles on our recent visit. Motorized carts are available for rental and a variety of tours can be organized for those who don't want total independence.  More than 1.6 million visitors joined in the exploration and learning experience at the park last year.

Among the pleasures is watching a tiger nap -- feet and legs in the air, almost comically relaxed.  

Christene "Cookie" Meyers
watches a sleeping tiger close-up.

Besides observing napping critters, you'll see lots of lively ones including a variety of monkeys. We watched lesser spot-nosed monkeys, a lively troop of capuchin monkeys, colobus monkeys and northern black-crested mangabeys sharing a habitat. Spot-nosed monkeys are about too, and and wolf's monkeys hang around with their pygmy hippo pals. If you time it right, you'll see them swing through the trees. Our favorite interlude was watching a lion chow down on a beef shank, as nearby vultures await the scraps. Then watch them peck on the bones.

Special tours are available as additions to the
regular ticket.  You can join a small group
like this one to get up close and personal.

As part of the ticket which begins at $76, you can access the cheetah run to witness the lightning speed of these big, beautiful cats. You can feed the lovely lorikeets by hand as they swoop down, and various upgrades are available for more money. You can book a wildlife safari, for instance, to travel in the back of a covered open-air safari truck -- like  

Top scientists and dedicated researchers are using their
skills to breed endangered and nearly extinct rhinos and
other species. This rare white rhino is nearly gone from Earth.  

the ones I've ridden in during African safari. The truck travels through the park's expansive savanna habitats with an expert guide providing information on each animal. 

The entrance hall at San Diego Zoo Safari Park
welcomed over 1.6 million visitors last year.

ANOTHER terrific aspect of a visit is learning. It's wonderful to see groups of school kids taking photos, soaking it all up.  And the knowledgeable volunteers who are always within easy reach enrich the experience, answering questions, giving pointers on best viewing spots.  We found the docents helpful in tracking down the platypus exhibit. We had to adjust our eyes as we entered the dark world of this shy creature to catch a glimpse of the female swimming around, resting on a log and generally enjoying the attention (or so it seemed to us delighted tourists.)  

THE WEATHER is perfect in San Diego this time of year -- in fact, it averages 72 degrees 12 months a
year. So enjoy this special place and support wildlife. 

With the various upgrades available, you can spend a bit more than the ticket.

There are money-saving ticket packages including one that combines the Safari Park entrance with the Zoo and SeaWorld.  Various coupons and discounts can also be found with a little shopping around on the internet. You'll also pay a parking fee of $20.

 

sdzwa.org; zoo.sandiegozoo.org

A Flagship trip promises fun, learning, comfort and colorful commentary.

                                                UPCOMING FUN: We didn't know -- did you -- that San Diego invented the whale watch? A family run enterprise, Flagship Cruises, began the first whale watching adventure after the commercial hunting of whales was banned in the 1970s. We're off with Flagship on a fabulous whale watching adventure (that's Cookie in the purple hat, front row, looking at photos just taken of the frolicking dolphins.) We're exploring the art of Salvador Dali, the fun of a Fort Lauderdale visit, and a look at highlights of New York City. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on  travel, nature, performance, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com