Archive
SAN DIEGO (Aug. 10, 2023) – San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has announced construction is officially underway on the largest and most transformative project in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 50-year history. The all-new Denny Sanford Elephant Valley will reimagine the heart of the Safari Park, turning the current elephant environment into a dynamic savanna and a place of exploration. Elephant Valley will give guests of all ages the opportunity to connect with elephants like never before, encouraging greater empathy, understanding, and appreciation of this majestic species—and igniting a passion for wildlife.
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 (May 18, 2023) – Two books published by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press were honored with awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) at their 35th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ ceremony on May 5. Author Georgeanne Irvine’s Hope and Inspiration collection children’s book “Raising Don: The True Story of a Spunky Baby Tapir” received a Gold Award in the Young Reader: Nonfiction (8–12 years) category, and author Rolf Benirschke with James Lund received a Silver Award in the biography and autobiography category for “Saving Wildlife: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Dr. Kurt Benirschke.”
SAN DIEGO (April 19, 2023) – Scientists are elated with the recent birth of the world’s second successfully cloned Przewalski’s horse, supporting the concept that cloning can be used as a viable tool for genetic rescue and contribute to new options for fostering resilience and genetic sustainability of endangered species. The foal, born Feb. 17, 2023 to a domestic surrogate mare, is a clone of a male Przewalski’s horse stallion whose living cell line was cryopreserved over 40 years ago in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Biodiversity Bank’s Frozen Zoo®.
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 (Feb. 2, 2023) – San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Board of Trustees has welcomed two new members to its ranks. Bryan Min and Jane Finley have joined the international organization’s board, sharing their expertise and professional knowledge while offering leadership insights, guidance, and support to the nonprofit’s vital wildlife conservation mission.
SAN DIEGO (Jan. 2, 2023) – Today, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance participated in the 134th Rose Parade presented by Honda, with a float celebrating the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 50th anniversary. The float’s theme, “Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation,” depicted rhinos, giraffes and the Safari Park’s iconic Wildlife Safari experience, bringing to life the Safari Park’s ability to connect guests with wildlife and provide life-changing moments.
SAN DIEGO (Nov. 3, 2022) – On Jan. 2, 2023, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance—an international conservation organization with “two front doors”: the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park—will participate in the 134th Rose Parade presented by Honda, with a float celebrating the Safari Park’s 50th anniversary. The Safari Park opened in 1972 and since the beginning, saving species has been a key part of the Safari Park’s mission.
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.
SAN DIEGO – (April 12, 2022) San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced today that Erika Kohler will take over as the executive director of the 100-acre San Diego Zoo. Kohler has been a member of the organization since 2015, when she was hired as the Zoo’s director of operations—bringing nearly two decades of experience from her time with the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. She has served as the San Diego Zoo’s interim executive director since November 2021.