San Diego Zoo

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The San Diego Zoo is operated by the international non-profit San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. https://SDZWA.org
(210109)

The 100-acre (40-hectare) Zoo is home to more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies, and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) empowers people from around the globe to support their mission to conserve wildlife through innovation and partnerships. SDZWA supports cutting-edge conservation and brings the stories of their work back to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park—giving millions of guests, in person and virtually, the opportunity to experience conservation in action. The work of SDZWA extends from San Diego to strategic and regional conservation “hubs” across the globe, where their strengths—via their “Conservation Toolbox,” including the renowned Wildlife Biodiversity Bank—are able to effectively align with hundreds of regional partners to improve outcomes for wildlife in more coordinated efforts. By leveraging these tools in wildlife care and conservation science, and through collaboration with hundreds of partners, SDZWA has reintroduced more than 44 endangered species to native habitats. Each year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s work reaches over 1 billion people in 150 countries via news media, social media, their websites, educational resources and the San Diego Zoo Kids channel, which is in children’s hospitals in 13 countries. Success is made possible by the support of members, donors and guests to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, who are Wildlife Allies committed to ensuring All Life Thrives.

10/31/2026

An all-time scream for Halloween 👻

The last birb in our Shrieks & Beaks series is the screaming piha. If you've ever walked by our Hummingbird and Songbird habitat during one of your Zoo visits, odds are good you've heard this bird. It's call is one of the loudest bird sounds in the world, reaching up to 116 decibels. That's similar to a rock concert or a chainsaw. That’s why it earns the title of most terrifying bird in our lineup (for your eardrums).

10/30/2026

Showing off those chompers 🐼

Despite their adorable faces, pandas have incredible jaw strength. Their back teeth can exceed 1,800 Newtons (over 400 pounds) of force, a necessary evolution to chew thick bamboo stalks.

10/30/2026

Here’s looking at you, kid 👀👀👀👀

This Brazilian Whiteknee Tarantula is native to tropical areas of Brazil. Tarantula hair is adapted to help them sense vibrations and other stimuli, and some hairs are even barbed and can be used as a defensive mechanism.

Many of us know tarantulas for their eight legs and two body segments, but there are other features that are characteristic of arachnids. If you look at a tarantula’s mouthparts, for instance, you will see chelicerae (jaw-like parts tipped with fangs) and a pair of pedipalps, which help them taste and hold their food.

10/27/2026

Something purr-fect this way comes 🧡🖤

The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park care for two of the six tiger subspecies, Malayan and Sumatran. Sumatran tigers, native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, are the smallest of the subspecies. Their darker coats help them blend into shadows, and longer fur on their faces may help protect them from dense vegetation. Malayan tigers, native to the forests of the Malay Peninsula, have a slightly lighter coat that complements their surroundings.

10/22/2026

Turning up the volume on spooky season 🐅

10/20/2026

Two toes way up for this new pup 💚

Earlier this August, Xena, a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, gave birth to a healthy pup. Xena is a wildlife ambassador for her species, and while the pup and Xena are spending time bonding behind-the-scenes, guests may be able to see the pair at Wildlife Explorers Basecamp’s Rady Presentation Area and other areas throughout the zoo in the comings weeks.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works to protect the tropical and
cloud forests two-toed sloths are native to through our Amazonia Conservation Hub.

10/17/2026

Adorable bird, spo0o0o0ky slow-mo call 👻

The third birb in our Shrieks & Beaks lineup is the bold bananaquit. These sugar-lovers are native to the Caribbean islands and other tropical areas like Mexico and South America, while their unique name comes from the yellow hue of their bellies. As for their signature song, the bananaquit's buzzy string of chirps and trills may sound sweet at full speed. But slowed down? A (delightful) fright.

10/16/2026

A cat that loves water? Im-paw-ssible 🐆

Jaguars are confident swimmers, using their powerful tails for propulsion and stability in the water. Unlike most cats, these fur-midable felines enjoy swimming and often use rivers to travel, hunt, and cool off. Their muscular bodies also help them climb trees, where they can rest in the shade and survey their surroundings.

10/15/2026

All hail the king of tongue-out-tober 🫡

10/13/2026

A universal love of a buncha crunchy leaves 🍂

10/08/2026

There are some things you simply ✨can't unhear✨

Welcome to Shrieks & Beaks, our October lineup of birds with incredible calls you need to hear to believe (trust us). We'll introduce new picks over four weeks of shrieks at the Zoo and Safari Park.

First up: the laughing kookaburra. Known as the "bushman's alarm clock", kookaburras have an incredibly loud call and vocalize at dawn and dusk to mark their territory boundaries. There are actually four species of kookaburra, but only the laughing kookaburra makes this iconic call.

10/08/2026

Sustainability pro tip: be your own straw🥤

A giant anteater's tongue can be about two feet long. Instead of being attached to the throat like most other mammals, the tongue actually attaches directly to the sternum.

10/05/2026

Leaf it to beaver 🦫

You've heard that beavers build dams, but did you know they help shape entire ecosystems? Beavers are a keystone species, meaning their impact on their environment is far bigger than their size. They transform landscapes, using twigs, branches, rocks, mud, and clay to construct complex lodges and dams. Their dams create new ponds and wetlands that help protect against wildfires and give other wildlife places to thrive.

And after all that hard work, these smol construction crews take time to groom and keep their coats sleek and waterproof. Beavers are top-notch architects, and we at the San Diego Zoo are so proud to have celebrated them with you all week long.

10/03/2026

Willow and Rogue are making a splash 💧

These little loggers are some of the best swimmers around, with some un-beaver-lievable adaptations that make them suited to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Beavers have extra eyelids that work like built-in goggles, their noses and ears plug underwater, and they can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes.

Not only that, but their webbed back feet and paddle-shaped tails help them propel and steer through the water, while thick fur and waterproofing oils keep them warm and dry.

10/02/2026

BeavER, bEAver, beaVEr 🦫
..Have we mentioned it's Beaver Week? The beaver ambassadors usually live behind the scenes, but Beaver Week means more chances to see and learn about these busy builders during special presentations now through this Sunday, 10/4. Swim on over and join the gnaw-n stop fun.

10/01/2026

POV: you join Peanut the beaver's PT session 🦫

Peanut is a senior beaver, and with her golden years have come a few specific health changes. In addition to lower mobility, she also lives with arthritis.

Our veterinary team and her Wildlife Care Specialists have worked together to create a care plan specifically tailored to Peanut to help improve her mobility and physical fitness. All at Peanut's discretion, of course.

Because of her arthritis and limited mobility, her care team also elevated her habitat to the same level as her pool. It's just another way we're providing exceptional care so Peanut and wildlife like her can continue to thrive at every stage of life.

09/30/2026

Munchin' on a mulberry branch 🪾

Beaver's teeth never stop growing, so these ecosystem engineers gnaw on wood to wear them down and keep them filed. Their orange teeth have an iron-rich enamel coating which makes them extra tough and perfectly adapted to chew through wood and bark.

When it comes to trees, beavers love to chew on the soft, nutritious cambium layer just under the bark, and also love to cronch on leaves, twigs, buds, and tender shoots. If you ask Rogue, gnaw-thing beats a fresh mulberry branch.

09/30/2026

Meet the beaver ambassadors: Justine Beaver, Willow, River, Rogue, and Peanut 🦫

⭐Justine Beaver is a superstar swimmer, using her rear webbed feet and large tail to propel her through the water. A serious snacker, don't even think about asking this gal for a bite of her apples. The answer is Never Say Never (just kidding, it's never).

⭐Willow is something of an architect and loves to collect materials to build her dam, tear it down, and rebuild it again. Her favorite hobbies are sleeping, ignoring her care team, sniffing her snacks, and using Rogue as a pillow.

⭐River is a vocal guy and loves to make his opinions known. Whether he's excited, ready for a meal, or on a stroll, he WILL be sharing his thoughts. Beneath all that personality is an incredibly sweet nature, and River has plenty of charm to share.

⭐Rogue is pretty much always with Willow. He's not a fan of clutter, keeping his space clean and tidy. Rogue can often be seen swimming, dreaming about swimming, or enjoying some time in the sun to dry out from swimming.

⭐Peanut is a senior beaver and possibly the most opinionated. She loves yams, but don't even talk about beets. Beets are OUT. When she's not munching browse or building dams, you'll find her hanging out in her pool or snoozing.

09/28/2026

Hot dam it’s Beaver Week 🦫

The incredible beaver ambassadors at the San Diego Zoo live behind the scenes, but during Beaver Week they’ll be making extra appearances in regularly scheduled wildlife presentations. And woodn’t you know it, surprise Beaver Bonus Presentations will be popping up during the week too.

We’re gnawt kidding, this is one week you won’t want to miss. Visit Monday 9/28 through Sunday 10/4 for a chance to meet the beavers Peanut, Justine, River, Willow, and Rogue, and learn about this amazing species. Follow along here as we bring the best beaver buzz all week long.

✨All beaver appearances are subject to beaver discretion✨

09/25/2026

The snout-standing gharial 🐊

Say hello to the gharial, a crocodilian with a truly iconic nose. Male gharials sport a bump called a ghara, which they use to make buzzing sounds and blow bubbles. These reptiles are built for swimming, so when it’s time to move between bodies of water, they skip the stroll and belly-slide instead.

Unique as they are, gharials are critically endangered. Habitat loss and overfishing are putting these resilient reptiles at risk, which is why San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works alongside partners to support gharial conservation in their native habitats.

Address

2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA
92101

Telephone

+1 619-231-1515

Website

http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/

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