I was born just a stone's throw away from this amazing zoo. As children, we visited often. I believe admission was free for under 16 year olds and a year long membership was $10. What a great place to take energetic youngsters. I tried to recreate the photo (below) of me holding hands with a monkey (circa 1966 or so) but to no avail. Darn it.

The now world-renowned San Diego Zoo started as a crazy idea. One man’s crazy idea, to be specific, with a few animals and very little public support. On September 16, 1916, local physician Dr. Harry Wegeforth and his brother Paul drove past Balboa Park and heard a lion’s roar. The lion was left behind from a small zoo exhibit at the 1915-1916 Panama–California Exposition in Balboa Park. After hearing the lion, Dr. Harry turned to his brother and half-jokingly said, “Wouldn’t it be splendid if San Diego had a zoo! You know…I think I’ll start one.”
Karen and David were our exceptional guides since they visit the Zoo at least once a year. We were happy to have them navigate the vastness.
The first thing we did was hopped on the Safari Bus for a 45 minute tour around the Park. Steve and I hadn't been here for almost 20 years.
MBari roared. The vocalizations were a super special treat. Wow.
The Zoo is a protected haven where breeding and caring for endangered species can help protect against extinction. It provides opportunities for animal behavior and health studies that would be difficult, if not impossible, to conduct in the wild. The results of these studies are shared with other zoos and wildlife parks, and help guide animal conservation efforts in field projects. And they educate. Every water element had this sign, "Free wishes- no coins allowed. A wish with a coin can harm these animals... Free free to make a wish, but please keep your coins in your pocket."
Oh man, I love to watch the flamingos frolic. Check out this brief video clip Steve captured. They are so mesmerizing, I could still be standing there ogling them. Fun stuff.


We have never seen such an extensive collection of primates. Wow.
"Encounter some of the most rare and endangered monkeys on Earth in the Zoo’s Lost Forest. An elevated walkway called Monkey Trails takes you directly through the tree canopy, where you can observe them from two perspectives: tree-branch or ground level. Look for lesser spot-nosed monkeys, a lively troop of capuchin monkeys, colobus monkeys and northern black-crested mangabeys sharing an exhibit, and Wolf’s monkeys hanging out with their friends, the pygmy hippos. Red-tailed and Allen’s swamp monkeys live with spotted-necked otters along Hippo Trail, while just across the path, you’ll find these three species alongside red river hogs and a forest buffalo. There’s never a dull moment in these mixed-species groups!"



The Big Cats were as impressive as we had hoped.
Amur and Clouded Leopards, Cheetahs, Jaguars and more... oh my!

The San Diego Zoo received international attention in 1925 when Australia donated animals, including two koalas named Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. They were the first koalas to arrive in the U.S. Today, the San Diego Zoo contains the largest koala colony outside of Australia. The zoo still calls Balboa Park home, stretching 100 acres across the park. It contains more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals representing over 600 different species.

Okay, I'm officially in love with Polar Bears!


Panda Bears are pretty loveable, too. Even when napping.
The Red Panda is a favorite of Karen's. Isn't he adorable?
There's something pretty special about seeing the Zoo from above as well.
We were given the eye by the hippo. Funny stuff.



And how about this adorable little guy? Most people know meerkats from the character Timon in The Lion King movie. However, instead of spending their time with a warthog, real meerkats live in underground burrows in a group—up to 30 individuals—called a gang or a mob and spend much of their time grooming and playing together to keep the family as a tight unit.


There are over 700,000 plants at the Zoo and none of them indigenous. Most were breathtakingly unique and definitely part of the magic of being there. What a fabulous day of exploration, friendship, and seeing new things.
Oh, and eating new things as well. After our exhausting day, dinner was at Chick-fil-a. A delicious first for Steve and me.