San Diego Wild Life Park

Location: 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, California 92027

Phone: 760-738-5049

Website: http://www.sandiegozoo.org

Hours: Open daily - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (grounds close at 5 p.m.) thru June 16. Park at Dark (June 17 thru September 4): 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (grounds close at 9 p.m.)

Fees: Check website for current ticket prices, discount offers and combination packages.

Comments: The major objective of the San Diego Wild Animal Park was to provide an opportunity for endangered and near-extinct species of animals to survive and reproduce. The terrain of the San Pasqual site resembled parts of Africa (4). Three major drainage channels, chaparral, cactus, and similar growth characterized this site. Today the San Diego Wild Animal Park is most like a natural environment zoo, which provides facilities for the public's viewing of the animal collection. This natural environment zoo would provide facilities for the public's viewing of the animal collection that in turn would attract and accommodate the public.

Animals such as the Masai lions African elephants, White rhinoceroses, Ceylonese elephants, tigers, Asiatic lions, Indian rhinoceroses, and the ape buffalo would be moated to provide obstructed viewing in a natural setting. Instead of having a road system for public viewing as in the game preserve, a railroad would be built that would stop at major moated areas to provide the public with extended viewing times.

This wildlife park near San Diego offers visitors the chance to see and photograph wildlife in a habitat more natural than a zoo. Long and moderate telephoto lenses are strongly recommended although opportunities for normal and macro lenses also exist. Special rides giving close-up photo opportunities are available for additional cost.

Directions: From Orange County on I-5 [San Diego Fwy.] headed south toward San Diego. Turn RIGHT onto Ramp (Vista Way / Escondido / Vista / San Marcos). Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto SR-78. Turn RIGHT (South) onto SR-78 [N Broadway]. Turn LEFT (East) onto SR-78 [E Washington Ave]. Turn RIGHT (South) onto SR-78 [N Ash St]. Arrive at Wild Life Park.

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