We Belong in the San Diego Zoo

When I was a kid, we lived in San Diego and a trip to the Zoo was a frequent happening. Who didn't sing its catchy jingle You Belong in the Zoo (the San Diego Zoo)? It is linked here if you would like a soundtrack while reading this post.

The pricing has increased a bit since we began going there almost 60 years ago. Today, an adult ticket (12+) is $62 and a child (3-11) is $52. That is why we invest in an annual pass. In addition to going as often as we would like, we're supporting the Zoo and its mission.

"San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is committed to saving species worldwide by uniting our expertise in animal care and conservation science with our dedication to inspiring passion for nature."

Our main focus was to take the Guided Bus Tour for a narrated, round-trip 35-minute adventure through Zoo grounds. This is the best way to get more animal viewing in.

Not one. Not two. But ALL three polar bears were out and about. Such a treat.

The Condor proudly displayed his 9' wingspan. WOW.

Our tour guide was very excited to see the hippos out of the water. He said that in all the years he has driven the bus, he has only seen them out four times. We were very fortunate as most of the animals were visible and engaging to see. What fun.

After exiting the bus, we meandered to see some of the animals up close. It was an opportunity to read the informational plaques and learn more. For instance, the Tasmanian Devil. It is a most unusual mammal, found only on the island state of Tasmania, a part of Australia. Why the “fiery” name and reputation? When a group of Tasmanian devils feeds together at a carcass, harsh screeching and spine-chilling screams can be heard. They are also black in color and are said to have fierce tempers! The San Diego Zoo is currently one of only a few zoos in the US with Tasmanian devils. Wild devils face extinction due to devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), a rare, contagious cancer found only in devils. Thankfully, the ones here are free of this disease.

Did you know? Devil babies, called joeys, grow up in their mother’s pouch. I didn't.

We had to visit Wombats to see their square poop (we are intrigued by weird things). These short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials, native to Australia, are about 40" in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between 44 and 77 lb.

Wombats are renowned for producing distinctive, cube-shaped poop. This ability to form relatively uniform, clean-cut feces is unique in the animal kingdom. Why? They place these special cubes at prominent points in their home range, such as around a rock or a log, to communicate with each other. If you want to know more, you'll have to do your own research. Enough poop talk.

Moving on. Our focus was to see the koalas. It was so exciting to find them awake since they sleep up to 20 hours a day.

The first pair of these darling animals, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, arrived at the Zoo in 1925. Since then, the San Diego Zoo has become famous for having the largest koala colony, as well as the most successful koala breeding program, outside of Australia.

"Our koalas can be seen from walkways around a Queenslander-style house that serves as our koala care center, where you can see wildlife care specialists preparing eucalyptus browse for the koalas. Because male koalas can be territorial, they have their own perches in one area, while the more social females and their babies, called joeys, share another area. The elevated walkways bring you to eye level with the koalas as they perch in their forest of eucalyptus."

This is Mawe -- pronounced "maw-way" -- the newest giraffe, born to first-time mom Saba in November. At birth, she weighed a little under 150 pounds and stood around 5 feet, 10 inches tall. I 💗 giraffes.