SAN DIEGO (July 7, 2023) – In the mid-morning hours of July 6, 2023, guests to the San Diego Zoo were treated to a rare and remarkable sight. Red panda Adira entered her outdoor habitat in the Zoo’s Asian Passage with someone new: her small and curious 1-month-old cub. This milestone was immensely significant, as the new cub is the first red panda born at the Zoo since 2006, and this marked the first time staff and guests were able to get a glimpse of the youngster outside its den.

SAN DIEGO (June 1, 2023) – The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is celebrating a conservation milestone with the birth of an endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo—only the second time this species has been born at the Safari Park. The female joey, named Kikori, was born to mother Arona and father Bek, at the end of August 2022 at the Safari Park’s Walkabout Australia.

SAN DIEGO (May 17, 2023) – The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has welcomed a new lion to the pride: Bo, a 7-year-old male African lion. Earlier today, Bo curiously explored his new home at the Lion Camp habitat, showing confidence as he became comfortable in his new surroundings. Bo will eventually lead his own pride when he is introduced to the three female lions who reside at Lion Camp—Malika, Zuri and Amira.

SAN DIEGO (March 28, 2023) – A birth of twins is exceptional, no matter the species. However, when those twins are Amur leopards—and fewer than 300 of those big cats are estimated to exist on Earth—the births are especially significant. This week, wildlife care staff at the San Diego Zoo announced the birth of two Amur leopard cubs, increasing this rare cat’s estimated worldwide population by two and furthering the nonprofit conservation organization’s ongoing work to save this vital Asian species.   

SAN DIEGO (March 14, 2023) – The San Diego Zoo continues to celebrate the arrival of twin Andean bear cubs—now 3 months old and venturing out of their private den into the guest-facing habitat. The cubs were born in December 2022 to second-time mother Alba, and sire Turbo. Since the twins’ birth, wildlife care specialists have been closely observing the bears via a closed-circuit video camera and an audio “baby monitor,” allowing Alba to care for her youngsters without interruption until they were ready to leave the den.

SAN DIEGO (March 3, 2023) – San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance hosted a “Toss the Tusk” event at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park earlier today, to help raise awareness about the devastating effects of elephant poaching. The event, organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (AZA WTA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), encouraged the public to surrender unwanted ivory products to help ensure that their availability will not drive demand for the product

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 3, 2022) – For more than two decades, conservationists from San Diego Wildlife Alliance have been waiting with anticipation as they watched for the slightest signs of breeding from a rare reptile species. This summer, their patience paid off after wildlife care team members at the San Diego Zoo welcomed 41 tiny Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle hatchlings—becoming the first accredited conservation organization in North America to hatch these endangered turtles, and furthering the organization’s ongoing work to save this vital Asian species.

SAN DIEGO and PALM DESERT, CALIF. (Sept. 30, 2022) – As a changing climate impacts wildlife around the globe, one keystone species in the Southwest United States serves as a prime example of the dangers of rising temperatures and habitat loss.

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 29, 2022) – Lucas, a prominent member of the San Diego Zoo’s African penguin colony who was diagnosed with a degenerative foot condition, has a new opportunity to thrive, thanks to intervention by the Zoo’s wildlife heath and wildlife care specialist teams. Team members—with the help of Thera-Paw, a national organization that designs and manufactures rehabilitative and assistive products for animals with special needs—created and fitted Lucas with custom orthopedic shoes made of neoprene and rubber, to prevent pressure sores from developing on his feet and ankle when he stands and walks.