Walk among giants at San Diego Zoo Safari Park's new Elephant Valley
An African safari may be out of the question for most San Diegans, but a new experience at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park may be the next best way to get up close with one of Earth’s biggest creatures.
Opening Thursday at the zoo’s North County San Diego destination, The Denny Sanford Elephant Valley is a new animal enclosure that feels anything but. Elephants roam a massive space with mud baths, watering holes and plenty of activities to stimulate the remarkably smart animals. But what’s unique about Elephant Valley is the closeness guests can feel to these gentle giants.
The expansion, the largest in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history, invites guests to walk amongst the herd in an exhibit that replicates the animals’ native habitat.
“When you get up close, you really get up close,” NBC News correspondent Steve Patterson said in an early first-look at Elephant Valley. “You can see the intelligence in their eyes, the eyelashes, the hair follicles, the wrinkles on their skin and then how they sort of move through and enjoy a day.”
Of course, guests aren’t literally walking with pachyderms but the exhibit is made to evoke that feeling as guests journey through the valley surrounded by elephants on multiple sides. SDZWA hopes the immersive exhibit will foster interest in the organization’s conservation efforts in partnership with Kenyan elephant sanctuaries.
The highlight is, of course, the elephant herd led by matriarch Swazi. Mothers Qinisa, Ndlulamitsi and Umngani and their children Umzula-Zuli and Mkhaya join the ranks of this highly social family group. The pachyderms moved into their new home months ago and are better adjusted to their space than their first introduction when they explored the area clumped together for protection, according to the SDZWA.
“They quickly realized this area was actually full of amazing things for them to enjoy, so they spread out and settled in,” SDZWA editor Sara Maher said.
Guests will want to spend long periods of time watching these creatures interact and explore their new habitat. When visitors need a break, the new two-story Mkutano House restaurant offers a respite while still enjoying the backdrop of Elephant Valley.
Elephant Valley is funded by thousands of donors and longtime supporter Denny Sanford — who was also the lead donor for Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at the San Diego Zoo.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park sits on a sprawling 1,800-acre plot near Escondido and is home to nearly 300 species of animals, many of which can be seen via the Safari Park’s signature Africa Tram tour — a 2.5 mile trek around an Africa savanna-inspired oasis.
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