San Diego Zoo Safari Park Celebrates Official Opening of Elephant Valley | News
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park celebrated the official opening of the all-new Denny Sanford Elephant Valley. Park guests were invited to experience the highly anticipated space for the first time following an opening ceremony with leaders and government officials from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The ceremony included remarks from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and San Diego City Councilmember Marni Van Wilpert. Other city and community leaders, including Escondido Mayor Dane White, were in attendance.
Elephant Valley is now open and has been carefully designed to generate greater empathy, understanding and appreciation for elephants, while fueling the desire to protect them and their native habitats. Surrounded by African savanna elephants on multiple sides, guests of all ages will experience what it feels like to share common ground with the herd. As they walk alongside the world’s largest land mammal, they will notice the intricacies of the elephants’ wrinkled skin and long eyelashes, forging a connection with one of the most powerful, sensitive and complex animals on Earth. Walking over the bridge to reach the other side of the valley, visitors will notice an elephant passageway directly beneath their feet. This underpass is similar to wildlife corridors in native habitats.
“If you talk to any of our experts here today or within our Alliance, they will tell you that conservation is a long-term commitment. Victories and successes are built on years, decades of focused effort and research, and meaningful collaboration,” said Shawn Dixon, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Elephant Valley not only reflects Africa’s grasslands – it represents the critical role the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance plays in international conservation.”
The Safari Park’s elephant herd consists of eight individuals: matriarch Swazi, Ndlulamitsi (Ndlula), Umngani, Qinisa (Nisa), Phakamile (Kami), Khosi, Mkhaya and Umzula-Zuli (Zuli). The founding members of the herd, Swazi, Ndlula and Umngani, were rescued in 2003. Elephant Valley is an immersive journey for guests to learn about the crucial role elephants play as ecosystem engineers and to better understand the nuances of the herd’s rich social structure.
In the heart of Elephant Valley lies the two-storey restaurant Mkutano House. Inspired by the rich and varied culinary traditions of Africa’s many regions and blending them with global influences, the restaurant offers a harmonious blend of familiar flavors with bold notes. The Swahili word Mkutano refers to purposeful collecting. Mkutano House is uniquely situated right next to one of Elephant Valley’s two extensive waterholes, a 240,000 liter oasis where the herd wade, swim and play: a profound experience for those who witness their natural bonding behaviour. Nearby Mkutano Park serves as a gathering place to learn from docents about the region’s awe-inspiring nature.
“I am so proud that Elephant Valley becomes one with the Safari Park today,” said Pat McTigue, interim director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “A central part of this transformative space is community. Visiting Elephant Valley gives us the opportunity to celebrate together the wonders of nature, whether it’s the African savannah or the San Pasqual Valley. I’m excited to see how this space inspires our community to protect and connect with wildlife and wild places for years to come.”
The Elephant Valley experience will spotlight the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s global conservation partners and celebrate Kenya’s vibrant cultures and local communities where people and elephants coexist. Talking sticks with vibrant beads representing traditional Samburu artists are unique location markers and storytelling stops in Elephant Valley. Mkutano House is decorated with beautiful artefacts handmade by artisans from BeadWORKS Kenya. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is proud to partner with BeadWORKS Kenya, a Northern Rangelands Trust social enterprise. BeadWORKS helps women artisans in semi-nomadic, pastoralist communities earn a reliable income using traditional beading skills passed down from generation to generation.
The rich plant life in Elephant Valley has been curated by a team of expert horticulturists and arborists to authentically recreate the sights, sounds and smells of Africa’s diverse ecosystems, particularly its vast savannah and grasslands. More than 350 individual plants have been grown for Elephant Valley, representing rare and endangered African plants.
Elephant Valley bridges the critical work happening in San Diego and the collaborative elephant conservation initiatives that San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports in the African savannah. African savanna elephants are currently listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, largely due to the rise of human-elephant conflict in various countries. Research conducted in Africa and with the Safari Park’s elephant herd provides the opportunity to advance technologies and approaches to monitor and protect elephants in the wild, and support coexistence. Increasing knowledge of elephants’ health needs and the complexities of their social behavior has provided the organization and its partners with valuable insight into what successful conservation outcomes look like for the species.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is grateful to the more than 5,200 donors who made Elephant Valley possible, including a lead gift from Denny Sanford and foundational gifts from Stephanie Petersen, the Warren Family Foundation, Marian Frank, Gisela Hill, Nelson Millsberg, Frank and Linda Riolo, Lisa and Wayne Stelmar, Tisha Hunte Wheat and Betty Jo Williams.
Spanning 1,800 acres in Escondido, California, the Safari Park is home to more than 3,000 animals representing more than 290 species. This unique destination offers guests of all ages the opportunity to strengthen their connection with nature and nature. Elephant Valley is included in Safari Park admission. For more information, visit sdzsafaripark.org/elephantvalley. For weddings at Mkutano House, visit https://sdzwa.org/weddings.
