San Diego

Cool Cats

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Kongo is a proud Leo. Who wouldn’t want this magnificent animal for a talisman? So much better than say, a crab. (No offense to those gentle Cancer readers). The monkey took these pictures today at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.  He was on the way to see the new Tiger Trail Exhibit after getting all lathered up from reading a wonderful blog post titled “Tiger Breath” a few days ago by Cindy Knoke.  He passed the lion enclosure on the way to see the tigers.

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The lions are definitely cool.  Way cool.  And since lions spend almost the entire day sleeping Kongo felt very lucky to see this big guy up and about in the middle of the afternoon.

But the real purpose of the trip out to the park was to see the Sumatran Tigers in a brand new exhibit called Tiger Trail.  These big cats are absolutely stunning and they should be on your must see list the next time you visit San Diego!

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The new exhibit just opened on May 24.  There are lots of these beautiful animals and they’re just waiting for you to come visit.  Don’t disappoint them.  There are only about 450 of these tigers in the wild so this is a rare opportunity to see them in an almost natural habitat.  You’ll have a roaring good time!

This tiger shows off his four-inch teeth to visitors on the other side of the glass.
This tiger shows off his four-inch teeth to visitors on the other side of the glass.
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Politely posing for a picture. These tigers spent a lot of time watching the visitors and one of the volunteer guides at the exhibit told Kongo that they seem to like humans. Kongo isn’t sure exactly what that means…Kongo likes a good steak once in a while so maybe these big cats are just dreaming about kid burgers or something. After all, the term “man-eating tiger” has some basis in historical fact…
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So, you have to wonder: Is this tiger bonding with the little girl or wondering what she would taste like?

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You can learn all about the Sumatran tigers at Safari Park by visiting their special website.  There’s even a live tiger cam so you can visit virtually if you like.  The $20M, 5-acre exhibit houses the six Sumatran tigers at the park.  The enclosure comes complete with tiger swimming pools, giant waterfalls, heated rocks for cool weather, shady nooks to cool off in during the hot summer months, and a pretty healthy diet along with free medical care.  It is one of the biggest additions to the Zoo’s Safari Park in several years.

Everybody can get into the act at Tiger Trails.
Everybody can get into the act at Tiger Trails.

You can find Safari Park in Escondido, California, about 40 minutes north of downtown San Diego.  Take the Rancho Parkway exit off Interstate 15 and follow the signs to the park.

Travel safe.  Have fun.

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10 thoughts on “Cool Cats”

  1. My bet is they’re sizing up potential meals. “That one’s too small. Ooh! I want that big one!” Nice to hear how big and natural their habitat is. I think zoos with small cages for large animals are so sad and even cruel. They deserve to be in their natural habitat. That said, I know that some zoos do a sterling job. Thanks for sharing.

      1. I love the Lion King. Monkeys are my favouite animals. I will always choose monkey over any other animal. Don’t worry, Kongo 😉

  3. The San Diego Zoo is a bit far for me, but my daughter and I went to the Cat Tales sanctuary near Spokane, WA a few years ago. It’s a haven for animals (not just big cats) that were kept as exotic pets but got too much for their owners to handle. The sanctuary employs young men and women who are training to become or to gain more experience as zookeepers.