San Diego: The Zoo Part Two

January 21, 2013

Yesterday we covered half the trails and exhibits of the San Diego Zoo, and we were very excited today to be able to return for the second half. Two daysisabout the time needed to just walk through. To really study, learn, and appreciate, you could spend a year. In fact, we ran in to two docents - at the pandas and at the orangutans that have been here 15 to 20 years. They were both full of enthusiasm for their areas.

The baby panda is a big attraction right now. The exhibit opens at 9:30, half an hour after the park opens. So we were at the front gate at 9, looking at the map to figure the most efficient way to the panda exhibit. We needn't have bothered. A small hoard of people, clearly more on the ball than us, already knew just where to go.

When the rope went down, these people were off like a shot. No aimless wandering. They just zeroed in. We were more or less with them, but ended up with a spot sort of far back in a line. We then waited 20 minutes for our audience with the pandas.

It was worth it. The baby was asleep in a stump, while his mom munched bamboo nearby. We were very reasonably close to both. We are not sure what their rating as an endangered species is right now, but it was a priviledge to see them.

We then hopped the Skyfari gondola to the other corner of the park, and began another 8 hour crawl through. This time, there were the superstar species gorilla, orangutan, tiger, and others. We also revisted superstars polar bear, elephant, giraffe, and others. But in addition to these there were extensive insect and reptile collections, and a petting zoo. We were impressed at the degree of interest people showed in the less spectacular displays. Kids, for example, seem into snakes.

The photos and captions that we plan to add here soon will run you quickly around it all.

We spent some time thinking about the many decisions zoo management must make. For example on the type, quality, and price of food offered on site, or the type of goods offered in the gift shops. Turning to the gift shops, admittedly the biggest focus is on made in China goods featuring animal images. So that would be stuffed toys, mugs, t-shirts, toys, etc. But we also found fair trade stuff from the countries that are the homes of many of the animals, and we found some scholarly books and many very informative books aimed at kids or teenagers (or us!).

Needless to say, we loaded up on grandkid goods! But have a look (when the photos come up) at some of the other things on offer. I was particularly interested in Jane Goodall's book TheTen Trusts. These ten " commandments" are very fitting and in the spirit of this zoo and our visit to it. More on that soon...

HERE ARE PHOTOS! UPLOADED FROM THE TRAIN. SORRY! STILL DISORDERED AND WITH NO CAPTIONS YET...

PANDAS