The San Diego Zoo, located in Balboa Park, Southern California, is a well-known and popular zoo. It covers an area of 100 acres and is home to over 12,000 rare and endangered animals, such as red pandas, giraffes, elephants, and koalas. The animals live in enclosures that resemble their natural habitats, making it a great place to observe them up close.
The zoo is divided into different zones and environments that showcase unique wildlife. For instance, the Elephant Odyssey is a 7.5-acre habitat where visitors can see Devi and other pachyderms. The Northern Frontier is where visitors can watch polar bears swim, while the Hippo Trail is where they can view hippos grazing in the water. The Monkey Trail takes visitors through an elevated path into the tree canopy to observe colobus, capuchin, and spot-nosed monkeys.
Apart from animal exhibits, the San Diego Zoo also offers guided bus tours, the Skyfari Aerial Tram, and a 4D movie theater that screens educational wildlife films. Visitors can also watch animal presentations and encounter programs daily. The zoo’s botanical gardens are famous for their beauty, and some of the plants are grown specifically to meet the food requirements of certain animals.
Families with children will appreciate the zoo’s children’s zoo exhibit, where kids can pet small critters, and the animal nursery, where they can see the zoo’s newest arrivals. Every spring and summer, babies of various species are born, making it an excellent place to visit with children.
Visitors are advised to arrive early, as many of the animals are most active in the morning, though they tend to perk up again in the afternoon. Walking is the best way to get close to the animals, and visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes. Alternatively, visitors can hop on a double-decker bus for a 35-minute guided tour, or the Kangaroo Bus, which allows them to hop on and off at four stops.
To leave the zoo and return the same day, visitors can get a hand stamp from the information booth near the entrance. The zoo is located in the northern part of Balboa Park, and Bus 7 will take visitors there from downtown.