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One hundred flamingos move
as one, stepping back from the water's edge to make room for a pair of thirsty
rhinos. On a nearby hill, a herd of Thomson's gazelle graze under the protective
eye of the dominant male. A dozen giraffes wander along a sandy streambed;
the infants stop to explore each tree and rock with the typical curiosity
of youth. Above it all, from his roost in a long-dead tree, a white-backed
vulture maintains a steadfast and patient vigilance over the hundreds of
animals in view.
You might believe these images are from the plains of East Africa. In truth,
they are from the foothills of northeast San Diego County. This idyllic
play of exotic wildlife is a common moment at the San Diego Wild Animal
Park.
Opened to the public in 1972, the San Diego Wild Animal Park is a unique
adventure in which animals roam in entire herds and flocks, in enclosures
measured in acres rather than feet. It is a sanctuary for 58 endangered
animal species, 41 of which have successfully reproduced in the park. Nearing
the end of its third decade of study and preservation, it remains, as dubbed
at its birth, "the zoo of the future."
San Diego Wild Animal Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Road
Escondido CA 92027-7017.
(760) 747-8702
San Diego photos by Zoological Society of San Diego, 1999
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