San Diego Zoo Safari Park...

In October, Steve's mom gave him birthday money and we used it to purchase annual passes to the San Diego Zoo and its Safari Park.

For those who don't know, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (originally named the San Diego Wild Animal Park when it opened in 1972) is an 1,800 acre zoo in the San Pasqual Valley, 30 miles south of us in Temecula. It houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including species from the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. The park is in a semi-arid environment, and one of its most notable features is the Africa Tram, which explores the expansive African exhibits. These free-range enclosures house such animals as antelopes, giraffes, buffalo, cranes, and rhinoceros. The park is also noted for its California condor breeding program, the most successful such program in the United States.

What I enjoy about this park are the opportunity for casual meandering, the lush foliage, the openness, and every now and then you get to encounter an animal. I was intrigued by the birds.

The lemurs were hunkered in their beds but they were still sweet to observe. I was surprised to learn that they are part of the primate family, related to us and gorillas. Hmmm.

Oh man, and the gorillas. I can watch this amazing animal for hours. They fascinate me.

Zoo babies are some of the cutest babies. This is the newest of the Western lowland gorillas. She's two but still a hoot.

What fun it was to watch them be fed. Can you imagine waking up surrounded by food? Almost everything a gorilla eats is plant material, so life in the forest is like living in a huge restaurant! Gorilla food includes leaves, stems, fruits, seeds, and roots. And gorillas love to eat! An adult male snacks on up to 40 pounds of food each day. The Safari Park’s gorillas eat a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, plus banana and ficus leaves.

Winston, on the right, is the oldest of the group. At 47, he has earned the right to just hang out. Fun stuff.

A must is the Africa Tram. This expedition in safari tour vehicles gave us the opportunity to really see diverse animals and the vastness of the park. It is also a captive lesson on conservation and history. Each tour guide is different so each ride is unique. It's also a nice way to just relax and look at the animals on a closer level.

Our guide, Ian, shared with us that this beautiful animal is the closest of all of them to extinction. There are only 400 left in the wild. The Somali wild ass is the only ass with striped legs. Its small, narrow hooves help it move through its stony habitat. This surefooted design led to the domestication of Somali wild asses by the Egyptians more than 6,000 years ago! Gorgeous.