Pretty Pollinators—As guests stroll through Butterfly Jungle, in Hidden Jungle at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, they find themselves surrounded by hundreds of brilliantly colored butterflies like this red lacewing.
For most of the year, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Hidden Jungle is known for its serene, verdant grottos where tropical plants grow in abundance and colorful birds explore lush rainforest surroundings. But once a year, it undergoes a transformation when a stunning kaleidoscope of bright, fluttering color comes to life.
For just a few weeks during Butterfly Jungle, March 29–April 20, 2025, you can walk among hundreds of dazzling, brightly hued butterflies to discover the beauty, diversity, and importance of Earth’s most colorful and fascinating pollinators.
Under the Jungle—When you enter Hidden Jungle through a seemingly subterranean passage, you'll pass windows that look in on an area where butterflies emerge from pupae.
Immerse Yourself
Butterfly Jungle takes you to the heart of a rainforest teeming with life. Your adventure begins as you descend through what appears to be an earthen tunnel lined with tree roots at the rainforest floor.
Metamorphosis—When pupae (chrysalises) arrive at Hidden Jungle, they enter a hot, humid "pupae room." Wildlife care specialists pin up each pupa to allow ample room for emerging fliers—like these paper kite butterflies—to spread their wings as they get ready to enter the habitat.
In this subterranean-looking portal, you’ll pass an area where butterfly pupae sit waiting, ready to emerge when the time is right.
Stroll through the Rainforest—Hidden Jungle is a fascinating habitat to explore year-round, but when Butterfly Jungle returns each spring, this tropical rainforest is a must-visit destination.
A few steps farther, and you’ll enter into the heart of Hidden Jungle, a buzzing environment where almost every shade of green tropical foliage meets nearly every hue of butterfly.
Tropical Delights—Hidden Jungle's tropical vegetation and colorful blooms provide the perfect backdrop for hundreds of brightly hued springtime residents during Butterfly Jungle, including blue morpho and giant owl butterflies.
A flurry of fluttering butterflies, representing a wide variety of species, make this habitat a busy and constantly active place. They are all around you, everywhere you look. Some may land gently on your shoulder, while others perch on bright blossoms to feed on sweet, energy-giving nectar. You’ll also have the opportunity to share nectar cups with these graceful fliers, bringing them even closer.
Fluttering Fliers—Butterflies at Hidden Jungle—like this malachite butterfly—rarely stay in one spot for long. They flit back and forth among many different types of flowers providing nectar.
Keep your eyes peeled for eye-catching species like blue morpho, malachite, paper kite, and orange Julia butterflies. Along the path, wildlife care specialists and expert guides will answer your questions and share fascinating details about these vital pollinators. Make sure to grab your camera, as you’ll have the chance to snap incredible photos of butterflies flitting and alighting on beautiful blooms in this lush, dynamic space.
So Much to See—Encountering colorful butterflies up close at Butterfly Jungle allows guests to discover the vital role these colorful pollinators play in their ecosystems.
Support Your Local Butterfly
This sensory-filled 20-minute experience is not just about admiring these winged wonders as they flutter throughout Hidden Jungle. It’s about connecting with them, discovering how they help plants reproduce in the ecosystems we share, learning about their incredible seasonal migrations, and understanding what we can do to protect these essential species in their native habitats.
Immersive Experience—Every visit to Butterfly Jungle is memorable, and the photos you'll take here can capture those moments.
We work with our partners to protect and restore populations of endangered Quino checkerspot and Laguna Mountains skipper butterflies in our Southwest Conservation Hub. Each spring at the San Diego Zoo’s Butterfly Conservation Lab, we rear endangered Quino checkerspot and/or Laguna Mountains skipper butterflies from eggs. More than 16,000 Quino checkerspot larvae and 600 Laguna Mountains skipper pupae and larvae have been reared and released in their native habitats to help boost local populations and reintroduce these vital species to their historic range.
You can support these efforts by creating pollinator-friendly spaces to attract, feed, and provide habitat for butterflies when you plant nectar-rich flowers and native milkweed where you live. Even small actions can make a big difference in supporting these delicate yet crucial inhabitants of our local ecosystems. Find out more about what you can do to help protect California’s butterflies, and help further conservation efforts by becoming an ally for wildlife.
Close Encounter—Don't be surprised if a butterfly alights on your head or your shoulder, especially if you are wearing colorful clothing.
Plan Your Visit
Spring is fleeting, but the memories you create at Butterfly Jungle will last a lifetime. Whether it’s following a butterfly’s delicate flight, experiencing one lighting on your shoulder for a moment, or watching hundreds of them hover around multitudes of flowers in vivid hues to delicately feed on plant nectar, these interactive experiences will immerse you in their remarkable world in an unforgettable way.
Butterfly Jungle ticket reservations are available for a limited time only. You don’t want to miss the one-of-a-kind sights, sounds, and stories in Hidden Jungle this spring!
