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The zoo originated with the Panama–California Exposition of 1915–16, which featured an assortment of animals in cages along Park Blvd. Local legend has it that Dr Harry Wegeforth, hearing the roar of one of the caged lions, exclaimed, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a zoo in San Diego? I believe I’ll build one!’ He soon formed the Zoological Society of San Diego. By pulling a few strings, Dr Wegeforth then ensured that quarantines made it almost impossible to remove exotic animals from the county, so the society acquired much of the menagerie left over from the exposition.

The city provided 100 canyon-filled, barren acres of Balboa Park for the zoo, but these seeming detriments became advantages: canyons helped separate different groups of animals to prevent the spread of disease, and they could be individually landscaped to simulate appropriate natural settings.

Locals loved it. They brought in various finds such as seals and rattlesnakes, which the zoo often profitably traded for animals from other zoos. In one exchange, the zoo provided fleas for a New York flea circus. The US Navy unofficially contributed an assortment of animals that had been adopted as mascots. US Marines landing in Nicaragua were offered prizes if they captured beasts for Dr Wegeforth. During the 1930s Wegeforth himself traveled the world, collecting jaguars from Venezuela, orangutans from Borneo and marsupials from Australia. On a trip to India, Wegeforth contracted pneumonia and malaria; he died in 1941. His final contributions to the zoo were three elephants, which arrived in San Diego two months after his death.

By the end of WWII the San Diego Zoo had a strong worldwide reputation, and helped to rebuild collections of European zoos that had been devastated by the war. The Zoological Society continued at the forefront of zoo management with the introduction of ‘bioclimatic’ habitats, which allowed a number of different types of animals to share a simulated natural environment. In the 1960s the society started work on a 2000-acre Wild Animal Park, 32 miles north of the city, which now provides free-range areas for many large animals.

Orientation & Information

The zoo (Map; 619-231-1515; www.sandiegozoo.org; adult/child $21/14, with 40-min guided bus tour & aerial tram ride $33/22; 9am-5pm, latest admission 4pm); ) is located in the northern part of Balboa Park. The parking lot and the zoo fill up on weekends. Bus 7 will get you there from Downtown. To leave the zoo and return the same day, get a hand stamp from the information booth near the entrance. Check the website for extended hours during the warmer months.

Discount admission coupons are widely available in local magazines, newspapers and hotels and information-center kiosks. Combination tickets cover unlimited admission for five days to the San Diego Wild Animal Park and SeaWorld. They cost $59/39 per adult/child for the Zoo & Wild Animal Park, or $107/77 for all three. Parking is free.

Arrive early, as many of the animals are most active in the morning – though many perk up again in the afternoon. The guided double-decker bus tour gives a good overview of the zoo with informative commentary: sitting downstairs puts you closer to the animals. Once you’ve made the loop, your ticket remains good for an express bus service in the park, a big help if you’re unable to walk far. The Skyfari cable car goes right across the park and can save you some walking time, though there may be a line to get on it. Either way, you’re going to do a lot of walking: carry quarters for the electric foot-massagers located around the park.

Facilities are provided for disabled visitors; call the zoo ( 619-231-1515 ext 4318) for specifics.

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GIVING BACK

The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park share an active program of breeding endangered species in captivity for reintroduction into their natural habitats, including the Arabian oryx, the Bali starling and the California condor.

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Sights

Pick up a map at the entrance to the zoo. Most visitors will have their own favorite