California–2014 June 24
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
I’m of two minds about this place. First, a bit of explanation: its primary function is as a conservancy and breeding area for endangered species. Apparently, people would try to break in to see the animals, so the zoo decided to open it, under their control, to the public.
If you want the basic park admission, you see a fair amount of interesting stuff. However, if you want to do a cart trip to one part of the area to see the animals closer up, that’s an extra US$50. If you want a trip that lets you get closer to the animals and feed them, that’s an extra US$105. If you have a large family, this could run into serious money.
These are pictures from the cart tour. The guide was absolutely wonderful; she was able to answer every question that we asked.
These pictures are from the other areas of the park. The last picture is from the cheetah run, where you get to see a cheetah running full speed. I have a video here, taken at 120 frames per second, which is about one-fourth normal speed.