SDZWA Stories

In the dappled light of the forest, a flash of orange, black, and white moves like a shadow. Tigers are masters of contradiction: boldly striped yet perfectly camouflaged. Even more interestingly, each tiger sports a completely unique stripe pattern. No two are alike... Unfortunately, despite their incredible adaptations, tigers face a fragile future. All six subspecies of tigers across the globe are endangered due to threats including wildlife trafficking, habitat loss, and challenges related to human-wildlife coexistence. The good news is we’re working with partners across the globe to secure their striped future.

He’s large, in charge, and the hair on his back is silver-gray. There’s someone new at Gorilla Forest at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and you’ll want to meet him—if you haven’t already! Paul Donn, a 36-year-old silverback with an incredible presence and a patch of red hair on his forehead, recently joined the family group at the Safari Park. He’s their first silverback since the passing of longtime leader Winston last year, and we look forward to seeing how he will carry on his generational heartwarming legacy.

For parents of newborns, forming a strong bond with their baby is of the utmost importance. Feeding them day and night, snuggling them close, and keeping them safe are just a few ways to nurture a relationship that helps a little one grow happy, healthy, and secure. These parental responsibilities are equally vital for koala moms like Adori and Merindah, who recently welcomed their joeys, Inala and Bunji, to the colony at the San Diego Zoo.

Does your dog hide under the bed during a thunderstorm? Does your cat seem extra clingy when something feels “off”? It turns out these kinds of behaviors aren’t unique to pets. Wildlife across the globe display fascinating and often mysterious responses to natural phenomena. Whether it’s an earthquake, a monsoon, or even a wildfire, animals seem to have an uncanny ability to sense changes in their environment—often before humans even realize what’s happening.

Picture a vast, 1,800-acre haven where wildlife thrives in sweeping savannas, lush tropical forests, and chaparral landscapes. That’s the magic of the “no place like it on Earth” San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where you can step into ecosystems from across the globe and connect with wildlife in whole new ways. There’s so much to see and do here, whether you enjoy a little bit of everything or immerse yourself in one unique area at a time.

The sun is shining warmly on your face, birds are chirping, and the calls of wildlife echo in the distance. It’s a brand-new day and you’re ready for an adventure like no other. Ahead of you stands the recently opened Safari Excursions, a welcoming lodge nestled within lush foliage, just waiting to transport you to worlds you’ve only dreamed of visiting. At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, your adventure begins before you even step foot on a safari truck.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance won top honors at the 136th annual Rose Parade® Presented by Honda with a float commemorating the historic arrival of giant pandas. For the second consecutive year, the Alliance received the Sweepstakes Trophy given for most beautiful entry, encompassing float design, floral presentation and entertainment.

For most American families, Thanksgiving dinner is the belt-busting dining event of the year. At this meal, the average person gobbles down 1 pound of turkey, plus stuffing, pie, and seemingly endless “trimmings,” adding up to around 4,500 calories. But for some wildlife species, that doesn’t even add up to an appetizer. Whether you opt for a big meal with all the trimmings or a simple celebration with family and friends, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving filled with joy and plenty of good food.

When you think of wildlife spending time in the water, you may think of expert swimmers including African penguins, leopard sharks, and otters. But some species just might surprise you with the reasons they take to rivers, lakes, and other waterways. Read on to discover how wildlife makes a splash regardless of the weather.

For decades, river hippos have played a big role for our organization. In 1936, guests were awed by the arrival of the San Diego Zoo’s first river hippo, Puddles, a one-year-old genial giant who actively sought attention and often turned somersaults in his pool. Few people at the time had seen this species “in person,” and his presence helped keep the Zoo’s gates open during the lean years of the Great Depression. Rube and Ruby arrived as a pair four years later, and were still living there in the early 1980s. Since then, numerous other river hippos have come to live—and reproduce—at the San Diego Zoo, becoming ambassadors of sorts for hippos in their native habitat.

Mothering comes in a wide variety of forms, whether it’s how a species approaches it or how individuals take on a role. Across the globe, wildlife follows their instincts to teach, nurture, encourage, and lead their little ones. It can be a team effort and an individual journey. There’s no limit to what “mom” means to wildlife, just as there’s no limit to what “mom” can mean for us. In the world of wildlife, mothering comes in many forms. Just as in our own lives, there’s biological moms, adoptive moms, foster moms, and individuals that step up to take care of the young ones that need it.

If you’ve ever experienced the birth or adoption of a loved one, or a reunion with a long-lost relative, you may remember what it’s like to anticipate the moment when you finally get to meet them. The excitement surrounding what they might look like, what kind of personality they’ll have, and the thought of bonding with them creates joyful anticipation almost as memorable as the event itself. Part of what’s so thrilling is knowing that it’s just the first of many memorable moments yet to come—moments that we will remember for the rest of our lives.