Thursday, 4 April 2013

SAN DIEGO ZOO - CALIFORNIA


The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California housing over 3,700 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. It is also one of the few zoos in the world that houses the giant panda.
It is privately operated by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego on 100 acres  of parkland leased from the City of San Diego, and ownership of all animals, equipment and other assets rests with the City of San Diego.

 There are many interesting exhibit in this zoo, such as :

Panda Trek

 


 The San Diego Zoo is one of four zoos in the U.S. which have giant pandas on display, and is the most successful in terms of panda reproduction. The first two giant panda cubs in U.S. history to have been born in the U.S. and survive into adulthood, Hua Mei (female, born to Bai Yun and Shi Shi) and Mei Sheng (male, born to Bai Yun and Gao Gao). In addition to being able to view this rare animal species, the nearby Giant Panda Discovery Center has interactive exhibits that let the visitor experience first hand what the animals smell and sound like. 



Ituri Forest

 


This exhibit houses different animal species from the forests of Africa. Animals such as Allen's swamp monkeys, lesser spot-nosed guenons, spotted-necked otters, a red river hog, and an African forest buffalo can be found coexisting within the exhibit. Some of Ituri Forest's most prominent inhabitants exist within the hippo exhibit, which includes an underwater viewing area and several species of exotic fish, such as tilapia. One can also see the colorful turacos.


Bonobos

 

 The zoo has bred and maintained bonobos since 1960.


Tiger River

 

 Tiger River, located in a sloping canyon, opened in 1988 and houses Malayan tigers. From the top of the canyon, the path first goes through a pavilion with underwater viewing of crocodiles and other aquatic reptiles. 



Sun Bear Forest

 


This exhibit opened in 1989 and exhibits Malayan sun bears and silvery lutung monkeys. One end of the 1.5-acre  complex houses lion-tailed macaques in a grassy exhibit with a stream and climbing ropes. The oblong sun bear exhibit straddles the path along the rest of the complex, and a couple of small aviaries house fifteen species of birds, including fairy bluebird and fruit doves.


Scripps Aviary

 


 















The Scripps Aviary is home to many colorful birds such as the amethyst starling, tinkerbirds, and the sociable weaver.


Elephant Odyssey

 


The main feature of the exhibit is the 2.5-acre  elephant habitat—more than three times the size of the Zoo's former elephant exhibit, in what used to be Elephant Mesa (now the "Urban Jungle"). Elephant Odyssey also features a glimpse of the past with the Fossil Portal and life-size statues of ancient creatures of Southern California next to the exhibits of their modern-day counterparts.




Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Zoo
                              http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/san-diego-zoo 
 

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