It’s not everyday you get to see an elephant only a few yards away, even in San Diego.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Elephant Valley allows visitors the opportunity to do just that.
Eight years after the idea for an up-close-and-personal exhibit, matching the habitat these creatures come from, was conceived, the public got its first look at the Denny Sanford Elephant Valley Thursday.
Eight African savanna elephants roam the valley’s 13 acres as visitors walk on a guided-path bridge surrounded by the habitat.
The aim is for Elephant Valley to benefit the public too. Xela Rivera Luis, a Safari Park wildlife care specialist, said the staff wants to educate park attendees on the species and its natural habitat.
“Our goal is to get people super excited about elephants, passionate about them, and then understanding that humans can have a very negative impact on wild populations,” she said. “And it’s not just about coming here to enjoy elephants, but understanding that everything we do with elephants here, the research, the studies, the data that we collect, helps us better understand and positively impact wild populations of elephants out in Africa.”
Though the Safari Park’s address is in Escondido, it actually is located in the city of San Diego, so Mayor Todd Gloria attended the opening, along with Councilmember Marni von Wilpert. She represents the park’s home, District 5, and noted that each year a total of nearly 250,000 students visit the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
“The best way to learn about something is to see it firsthand,” von Wilpert told Times of San Diego.
“And the fact that the zoo has been investing heavily in making sure that students can have free access to this park is also incredibly important.”
Mark Burrough’s students are among the throngs of youngsters that head to the Safari Park annually. The superintendent/principal of the San Pasqual Union School District, just down the road from the park, was there to see the unveiling.
His district serves children in transitional kindergarten to middle school and he said there’s something for all students. The younger ones like to look at the various animals and the older ones, he finds, are interested in the research done at the Safari Park.
It’s a way for them to get out of the classroom, see what they are learning about in real life and learn from experts at the Safari Park.
Rivera Luis sees community and family represented at Elephant Valley. She said the elephant wildlife care specialist team exemplifies that with the care they have for the elephants and their home.
“They [usher] the elephants from place to place in order to safely service the habitats (and) make them look nice and spotless, as hard as that is with a group of eight elephants.”
All around Elephant Valley are names of some of the more than 5,000 people who contributed to the project. The Mkutano House, a restaurant with African-inspired dishes – where only a watering hole separates the elephant’s habitat from diners on the patio – showcases this as well.
In the design process, the Safari Park worked with partners in Kenya, bringing them to North County in the early stages of construction to incorporate their input on what should be included and how to authentically outfit the Valley.
Pat McTigue, the park’s interim senior vice president and executive director, said that when Elephant Valley was finished their partners from BeadWORKS Kenya came to see how it turned out.
“And when [Psalma, an artisan with BeadWORKS] saw her neck collars — they created neck collars that are hanging in the restaurant — she was so moved saying that she never would have imagined that her work would be across the world, inspiring other people.”
Despite the many intricate elements of Elephant Valley, for some people the most awe-inspiring aspect remained the elephants.
Rivera Luis said she anticipates many people will comment on the texture of their skin or the fact they can see the elephant’s eyelashes. But that’s not all. There’s something else she believes visitors won’t be able to miss about the elephants.
“But we hope guests will comment on the smell. It’s a natural component that comes alive with the wildlife.”
