TimeOut

Thanks to the generosity of a good friend, this week Mrs Cazalea and I were able to visit the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park in Escondido, California. The park has been around since 1972, when zoo curator Charles Schroeder realized future zoos would need to ...  

Is this the San Diego zoo? -MW

Welcome back for Part 2 of our unique, insider's trip to the San Diego Zoo's Safari park. After visiting the elephants, we moved onto the African plains. We had a look at giraffes and rhinos. and there were some springboks and gazelles and so on - I didn'...  

Welcome back to part 3 of our insider tour of the San Diego Zoo Safari park. In previous parts, we've seen the entrance, the transportation choices, the elephants and the African exhibits. Today our goal is a mystery. Our friend Betty Jo has invited us fo...  

Welcome to Part 4 of our visit to the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park. We seen elephants, plains animals, gorillas and lions. Believe it or not, the "keeper-grade" tour of the lions is not the highlight of the trip. The finale is coming, as we head to a new a...  

Here we go with some candid shots of two male tigers playing together in their jungle enclosure: We were exhausted by the excitement, so our hosts packed up a few chocolate cookies to go, in case we got famished before we got home. Then they delivered us ...  

Awesome tour, thanks for sharing this with us. I haven't been to the SD zoo in a long time, I'm down around there in November so I''l definitely try to do the tour. HAGWE cazalea! -MW

Wow! What an experience! Lions and tigers and cheetahs! Is this tour as depicted by your photographs something that is available to normal civilians or do you have to be a special zoo patron in order to get the access you got? Can't wait to visit San Dieg... 

The discussion with keepers inside the lion and tiger houses is limited by their availability. Naturally the predators (lions and tigers) need attention, so they can\'t have their keepers spending all their time with visitors... And I suspect the private ...  

I might just have to spend a week down in San Diego someday and experience all of what San Diego has to offer up close and personal... Thank you for this phenomenal photo journey. Something that feels like a real possibility since it's only 500 miles away... 

unless you have to stop for a gourmet meal along the way, if the traffic gets heavy, or the weather is uncooperative. and of course dependent upon your navigational skills. At least the mountains and Death Valley are on your left... and the ocean on your ...  

Although haven't made it in one straight shot to San Diego direct, as I've always stopped for a few hours in Los Angeles or Orange County. Nice pictures.

Thanks Mike, that was truly an amazing experience in what you could call a REAL Zoo ! Filip

there are other excitements at the downtown zoo too: Eagle Owl I think this is a cheetah kitten ...  

that's the only way to see the Safari Park.. been there a couple of times..and I totally agree...earlier the better... what an experience..would love to book this for the family...thank you

Cool post Cazalea. I think I have a business conference in a few months in SD, your post really looks fun and I will have to take an extra day to check out the SD Zoo Safari park. Will let you know my travel plans, hope we can meet up :) Regards, ED-209

and we can work out something. Mike

As I viewed your encounter, the memory of an old black and white movie, by the name of Chang, came to my mind. It's directed by Merian C Cooper who also directed King Kong. This is primitive, raw footage of a young farmer who moves his family away from th...