In March 2012 our family had the pleasure of visiting the San Diego Zoo. That facility is incredible! Huge enclosures, beautiful weather, every cool animal I could dream of seeing in person. The park has trees that provide shade while exploring and each exhibit is designed in a way to be as close as possible to the animals while keeping everyone safe. We learned so much and had a great time!
This mama chimpanzee was staring at my son through the glass and the crowd kept saying “Aww the mama likes the baby!” It was pretty cute, she was clearly interested and followed his movements for about 5 minutes.
Even the giraffes posed in beautiful lines! I think I was just as delighted as my son was with all the animals.
Rhinos are so funny when you are one year old and have only seen them in books before!
We had a really great time and I hope we can go back one day! This book became one of our nightly favorites for almost a year.
Have you ever been to the San Diego Zoo? What is your favorite zoo?
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I have always wanted to see the SD zoo! I have heard great things about it. How big is it? Easy enough to do the whole thing in a day with a little one(s)?
Honestly it’s huge and we could have spent 2 full days there! It’s in Balboa Park and it’s kind of a hike much of the time. There’s actually an escalator and other ways to get around for people that aren’t able to do the climb. But you guys are young and healthy! It would have been easier without our stroller, but we made it work. I think it’s worth it though, for however long you can spend there.
We love the zoo. The otters are my fave!
Otters are so cute! I love how they seem to interact with the kiddos ;)
The SD Zoo has gotten a lot better over the years. The cat cages still make be very sad. And I have a problem with the elephants being chained up in that little enclosure. I like the Wild Animal Park better
I agree. Actually all the feline exhibits seemed huge to me, like at least a couple acres and some had natural ravines/caves. These photos don’t do the exhibits justice because they are all close up :) The photo of the elephant isn’t in the elephant exhibit, it’s off to the side where they handle them for cleaning/vet stuff. Where is the Wild Animal Park? Maybe I’ll go back through my photos and see if I can find some that highlight how cool the exhibits are and not just close ups on the animals!
I’ve nothing against zoos as long as the animals are treated well and have enough space though polar bears in California is a no go!
Good point, that one’s not really fair! I believe the cold weather animals had both indoor (cooled) and outdoor areas connected with cooled pools/lakes.
Okay, I didn’t know that! Makes it definitely less cruel!
You’re totally right on, though! Many zoos in the U.S. don’t have the amazing facilities (and resources) that the San Diego Zoo has. They are also well known for their conservation efforts and research. Check out the info and live webcam of the polar bears here: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/polar-bear
Okay so apparently these bears were orphans and wouldn’t have survived in the wild anyway……I also love the live cam!
aaaaawwwww! I didn’t know that, very cool, thanks for sharing Van!
I’ve heard that SD’s zoo is among the bests.. unfortunately we never had the chance to visit. Now that the boys are all grown up, zoos or even theme parks are the thing of the past..
Before I had my son I was lucky enough to have sisters that were much younger than me. It’s always nice to have kiddos around in case you want to go see a kid’s movie or go to the zoo! Or you can always offer free babysitting to your neighbors ;)
It looks like y’all had a fun time at the zoo! What was your favorite animal exhibit?
ooooh wow that’s a hard question… I think my son enjoyed the flamingos the best. I really loved the panda exhibit. It was really educational and pandas are so beautiful!
I’m not a huge fan of zoos – as a concept – but I have to say I’m thankful for them since they are the only reason I have been able to see pandas and they are my favourite! It’s really cute that the mama chimpanzee was looking at your baby boy, she must have been so intrigued by this non-furry baby ;)
Pandas were one of my faves too! Yes, the mama chimp was great, she was actually lactating and had a baby nearby so I think that heightened her interest. She must have been wondering, are you hungry little guy?! lol
I lived in SD for a few months but unfortunately never went to the Zoo. It looks like a lot of fun!
We love the zoo
That zoo is really great! Also went to Sea World when I was in SD for a track meet in college years ago, and loved it. (I’m from the Midwest so WOW, what a novelty.) Cute kid!
wonderful photos! love the polar bear.