The Zoo: San Diego

[walnutqueen]

4 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I like them both but must admit Secret Life of the Zoo is my absolute favorite.  Great stories plus those accents!  Something about a keeper telling a fractious giraffe that he is "so NAW-ty!

Heh - somehow, it always sounds better to my ears when said in a delightful accent!

I like the S.D. show because it is local (to me), and I can relive my days of wine & roses & annual passes to the Zoo/Safari Park.  Plus, their long time efforts to save and preserve endangered species have had some spectacular results over the decades.

Baby penguins are just cutie patooties!

As are all baby animals, of course.  ;~)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Bronx Zoo show is my favorite, but I am enjoying San Diego. What I have noticed is how it is SO sunny all of the time. Some of the zookeepers wear sunglasses, but all of them should be protecting their eyes.

It's about 70 almost year round in San Diego and it is usually sunny most of the year. When I lived there, the first thing I did when I left my house was put on sunglasses as I was walking to my car. It's less a fashion accessory and more of a necessity because it's so bright and sunny all the time. Now that I live in Berkeley (which is only 500 miles north), I usually only wear sunglasses consistently when I'm on vacation aka not here. I've never actually counted, but I feel like whenever I'm in San Diego, on average eight out of ten people you see are wearing sunglasses.

To be fair, it is usually a good 10 degrees cooler at the zoo because it's so close to the water, and a lot of the areas of the zoo have shade so maybe that's why not everyone on the show is wearing sunglasses. Or maybe they were asked not to wear them since you would then see the reflection of the cameras and crew people in the lenses?

The Safari Park (formerly known as the Wild Animal Park) is about half an hour northeast of the zoo and it is hot and sunny there. I'd say it's a good 20 degrees hotter up there. I haven't been to that park for at least ten years but from what I remember of it, there isn't as much shade. We used to be able to tell when it was super hot up there because they would turn on the misters to help cool people off. But yeah, I would expect the staff up there to be wearing sunglasses a lot more since it's less shady and consistently hotter.

[Andyourlittledog2]

On 9/15/2019 at 9:23 AM, Kohola3 said:

I like them both but must admit Secret Life of the Zoo is my absolute favorite.  Great stories plus those accents!  Something about a keeper telling a fractious giraffe that he is "so NAW-ty!

Or describing  a tantrum-prone teenage chimp as 'a right madam'. Or an Orangutan dad as 'a real gent, a good lad.' 

Yes!  There just is no comparison between the two shows in terms of interest for me. In Secret Life  the show is much more about the animals and the way they live and interact with each other, the different families, etc. In both American Zoo shows (and the one on Hulu about the Columbus Zoo - Secrets of the Zoo) the show is primarily about the zookeepers and you barely see the animals at all. I find myself becoming angry at how much intrusion we see on the American Zoo shows, how chirpily the zookeepers explain taking babies away from their parents at the slightest hiccup, etc. We see them preparing food but rarely see the animals eating it, we see them at the vet but not much else. It's so annoying. I was hoping San Diego would be better but it really is just about the jobs of the zookeepers and the animals are almost incidental to their camera time.  I learn so much from Secret Life of the Zoo about the actual animals in the zoo and how they live and the zookeepers narrate but aren't the stars.

I'll watch San Diego for now in hopes they do better but don't hold out much hope. The production company seems to have a point of view and it doesn't include much about the actual animals themselves.

[Kohola3]

5 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

Or an Orangutan dad as 'a real gent, a good lad.' 

Yes!  Love Niall!  His comments are wonderful.  And his relationship with Boris is so interesting.  They are growing old together.

I do think that the keepers in all of the programs are truly devoted to the animals, though.  And I have learned a lot from all of the programs.  But I definitely prefer the Chester series.

[chenoa333]

On 9/15/2019 at 2:08 PM, walnutqueen said:

I like the S.D. show because it is local (to me), and I can relive my days of wine & roses & annual passes to the Zoo/Safari Park.  Plus, their long time efforts to save and preserve endangered species have had some spectacular results over the decades.

Yes. I'm sadly watching the S.D. Zoo episode with M'Bari the lion who passed from kidney issues. But it is, as we all know, the circle of life. 

These beautiful works of nature and (if there is one) God, are beyond perfection. Mankind, humans... can't even hold a candle to the rest of life on this planet. 

I used to work for a vet across the street from the Pacific ocean in Laguna Beach. Animal control brought in an injured brown pelican to the clinic. I can't even begin to describe the stunning beauty of the "brown" pelican when seen up close. I was blown away. Sadly, wildlife in captivity has a very low mortality rate. But my point is: the beauty of nature...takes my breath away.

Edited September 21, 2019 by chenoa333

[Kohola3]

43 minutes ago, chenoa333 said:

These beautiful works of nature and (if there is one) God, are beyond perfection. Mankind, humans... can't even hold a candle to the rest of life on this planet. 

Beautifully said.  Watching close ups of these magnificent animals takes my breath away. Even those considered "ugly" (like an alligator or a beetle or a fish) can be just fascinating when you see the minute details.

I cried my eyes out when they talked about euthanizing M'Bari but, as humans we have the ability to end their suffering and I'm glad to see the zoos are taking that so seriously.  I wanted to hug the keepers!

[chenoa333]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

I cried my eyes out when they talked about euthanizing M'Bari

I think animals have a far seen wisdom that us human idiots don't have. They don't fear death, nor do they worry about it happening to them someday. It happens to every living thing. Humans are the only freaks that worry about death and fear it. Hopefully death is the birth of something new and more beautiful.

[walnutqueen]

On 9/21/2019 at 5:08 PM, chenoa333 said:

Hopefully death is the birth of something new and more beautiful.

As long as that something includes all my dearly departed animals (and maybe my Mum), it will be beautiful.

I really enjoyed watching the training sessions with the baby elephant.  It is so important to get an early start on gaining trust, and preparing animals to assist in their own health care.

That type of training has served them well with their gorillas, and is crucial for studies like the Great Ape Heart Project.  

[Me Too]

I laughed when the gorilla grabbed the handy straw and wiped off his chest after his exam.  I know the feeling.

[walnutqueen]

31 minutes ago, Me Too said:

I laughed when the gorilla grabbed the handy straw and wiped off his chest after his exam.  I know the feeling.

Me  Too.   ;~)

[Kohola3]

35 minutes ago, Me Too said:

I laughed when the gorilla grabbed the handy straw and wiped off his chest after his exam. 

That was hilarious!

[walnutqueen]

The first rainfall of the season made some elephants at the Safari Park very happy yesterday : https://www.facebook.com/sdzsafaripark

[Kohola3]

6 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

The first rainfall of the season made some elephants at the Safari Park very happy yesterday : https://www.facebook.com/sdzsafaripark

I happened to catch it live on the webcam and was entertained for hours!  I laughed out loud at their antics.

[walnutqueen]

Just now, Kohola3 said:

I happened to catch it live on the webcam and was entertained for hours!  I laughed out loud at their antics.

Yes, it was freakin' adorable.  Rain is a very big deal around here, and it has been dry for a very, very long time.

[walnutqueen]

If you want to see a platypus, but can't make the trip to Australia, come to the San Diego Safari Park - we have the only 2 in a zoo outside Oz-land :

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/story/2019-11-21/australian-platypuses-safari-park

[chenoa333]

I haven't been to the SD Safari park for 35 years. I think it's a must see even if I do it alone. Sounds like the perfect escape from reality for me!

[Kohola3]

The baby elephants were really cutting it up this morning.  Must be time for new years hijinks!  Love the webcams.

[walnutqueen]

On 12/25/2019 at 6:47 PM, chenoa333 said:

I haven't been to the SD Safari park for 35 years. I think it's a must see even if I do it alone. Sounds like the perfect escape from reality for me!

The Safari Park has announced free admission for seniors 65 & older for the month of February.  You still have to pay for parking, but it is a great deal.  Sadly, I'll be missing the age requirement by just a few days ...

[SRTouch]

On 12/25/2019 at 8:47 PM, chenoa333 said:

I haven't been to the SD Safari park for 35 years. I think it's a must see even if I do it alone. Sounds like the perfect escape from reality for me!

It's been even longer for me (and I'm talking the zoo, as I've never been to the Safari Park). I went to school in SD County from kindergarten through 4th grade, and took several school field trips to the zoo. Then after the family moved north to Bakersfield, still visited the zoo a few time with my Grandpa. Back then, our family (with 5 kids) could spend a couple days wandering up and down the hills before seeing everything. Then when we got tired of the hills, we could wander through the many museums in Balboa Park (no charge for museums back then). This was back in the early to mid-60's. At a guess, last time I went to the zoo was around 70-71. Even got to go the Seaworld free when it was new since a cousin worked there one summer. Sadly, with today's prices, I doubt many families can afford it. 

Edited January 4, 2020 by SRTouch

[walnutqueen]

The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are stepping up to help Australian wildlife; they are already on the ground providing relief and are donating today's admissions from both parks to the cause.

Here's a link to the page describing their efforts and the fund they've established for those purposes :

https://www.sdzsafaripark.org/australia

[RealityCheck]

Animal Planet Green Lights A Second Season Of THE ZOO: SAN DIEGO

Quote

Season two will feature the arrival of a baby hippo named Amahle, the introduction of two rescued mountain lion cubs to Koya, the resident adult female; and koalas Thara and Hunter have successfully produced a joey.  Additionally, a partnership between San Diego Zoo and Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya brings representatives from the elephant sanctuary to the zoo to train and develop care plans and create an infant formula for baby elephants.  Later in the season, we’ll join San Diego Zoo representatives as they visit the sanctuary in Kenya to provide further assistance.

 

[Kohola3]

Great news!  Although I confess Secret Life of the Zoo is my absolute favorite.

[suomi]

On 2/28/2020 at 4:22 PM, Kohola3 said:

Great news!  Although I confess Secret Life of the Zoo is my absolute favorite.

OMG, it's the best isn't it? I enjoy it on re-watch as much as a first viewing. Every one of the staff members is so personable, so endearing, so well-spoken. I get a kick out of the phrases and terms some of them use and how they express themselves. Secret Life and The Bronx Zoo are my two faves. Jose is yummy! (I may have said this before) my sister and I clap every time he says "That's how we do it in the Boogie Down Bronx" during the intro. 

(We also clap every time Baby's mom says "Sit down, Jake" leading up to the finale in Dirty Dancing. We are such nerds that Siddown Jake is one of our catch phrases).

Edited March 1, 2020 by suomi
typo

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, suomi said:

Every one of the staff members is so personable, so endearing, so well-spoken.

Yes!  I don't know which is my favorite, they are all so great.  I love Niall and his relationship with the chimps, it's like he and Boris are pals.  And Sarah telling the baby giraffe how "naw-ty" he is.  And Kirsten wanting to spoon with the anteaters but "But, no, I'd get sacked".  And Anne with the penguins.

And their great expressions - "He's a right bobby dazzler" and "She's a bit bolshie".

And those wonderful elephants!

Fingers crossed there will be another season. I think I've watched each one so often I can recite the dialog!

[Kohola3]

Great news at Chester Zoo - Sundara has had a new baby!

Having Indali surviving that dreaded herpes virus makes this new one even more exciting.  Hope for the future for the Hiway family.

 

[Kohola3]

Well, shoot. All of the webcams are down.  Man, I really need my daily dose of animals at a time like this!

Update:  all is well.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Kohola3
fixed

[Kohola3]

Have been watching the webcams to pass the time and the baby siamang, Selamat, is a hoot!  What a little livewire.  Pesters the heck out of the young orangutan.

[Kohola3]

Gotta love the dedicated staff. Watched one of the keepers having lunch in the window of the orangutan exhibit.  One of the orangs sat watching him and occasionally they would "touch" hands on the glass. It was lovely to see.

[RealityCheck]

Endangered Pygmy Hippo Born at the San Diego Zoo

[Rammchick]

It appears that new episodes of this show are going to be shown exclusively on Discovery+, sadly.

[Cetacean]

4 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

It appears that new episodes of this show are going to be shown exclusively on Discovery+, sadly.

Oh, crap!  I live on the zoo programs.  If they move Secret Life of the Zoo I will shoot myself.

[Rammchick]

On 2/11/2021 at 9:35 AM, Cetacean said:

Oh, crap!  I live on the zoo programs.  If they move Secret Life of the Zoo I will shoot myself.

Me too.  I'm holding my breath for The Zoo, the one about the Bronx Zoo in NYC.  I practically grew up in that place!

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Rammchick

[Cetacean]

12 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

Me too.  I'm holding my breathe for The Zoo, the one about the Bronx Zoo in NYC.  I practically grew up in that place!

I cannot find a definitive list of the programs anywhere.  I think the are deliberately keeping it secret so that we buy their crap channel.

[Rammchick]

2 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I cannot find a definitive list of the programs anywhere.  I think the are deliberately keeping it secret so that we buy their crap channel.

I'm already paying a lot for cable, it's beyond annoying to be expected to pay even more to see the same shows I'm already paying for!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E1: Baby Miracles

Quote

Audiences meet Funani, a river hippo who welcomes a new addition to the family; Omeo, an orphaned koala joey; and the team's journey to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya to help develop an innovative milk formula for elephant calves who do not have mothers.

Original air date: 2/6/21

[Cetacean]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

S2.E1: Baby Miracles

 

Is this on Discovery+ or the cable channel?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved that they grouped several of the baby stories together for this episode. Omeo was the cutest baby koala and it was great to see him developing.

I really enjoyed seeing the staff at the elephant sanctuary in Kenya. Watching the baby elephants come running for their bottles was adorable. It was so nice to see the herd welcome the newest orphan and show her around.

I've never thought that hippos are particularly cute (I don't dislike them but aesthetically speaking they aren't cute to me) but that baby hippo learning how to do target and opening its mouth for the zookeeper to put her hand in was pretty cute.

I like seeing how they train the animals to voluntarily participate in health stuff by teaching them to stand on scales, next to the x-ray machine, etc. because I used to wonder if they had to use tranquilizer darts every time the staff needed to check on an animal. It's to see when they're trained to cooperate so that the procedures can be done without knocking them out. Hopefully we will see some baby cheetahs soon!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E2: Mabel's Joy

Quote

Hyena brothers Puru and Tuli prepare to share a habitat with the lions.

Original air date: 2/13/21

[Cetacean]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Original air date: 2/13/21

On DIscovery+?

[DanaK]

It looks like those first 2 episodes for Season 2 are on both Discovery+ and the linear channel (I forget if that's Animal Planet or Nat Geo Wild)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E3: Cubs Come Home

Quote

A pair of rescued mountain lion cubs are ready for their new habitat. Plus, a white rhino undergoes an intense procedure in the hope of saving the species!

Original air date: 2/20/21

[Rammchick]

21 hours ago, DanaK said:

It looks like those first 2 episodes for Season 2 are on both Discovery+ and the linear channel (I forget if that's Animal Planet or Nat Geo Wild)

At least here in the Seattle area, no episodes for Season 2 have aired yet on Animal Planet.

[DanaK]

10 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

At least here in the Seattle area, no episodes for Season 2 have aired yet on Animal Planet.

I think they will be shown in my area in Maryland next Saturday

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awww, I loved seeing the little cubs. They grew noticeably just during their month of quarantine. I'm glad that the zoo takes so many steps before introducing animals to each other. Even though Kota reacted well to their hay, it was good to see that the zoo has kept them apart due to her later attitude.

I understand why the condor chick was taken from its parents (so that they can hopefully release it into the wild later), but I still felt sad for the parents. What happens after the incubation period? Do the zookeepers just take away the fake egg and let the parents wonder what happened?

The rhino breeding program looks so labor intensive. I thought they said there were only two northern white rhinos left and they were both female, so are they hoping to breed one of them with a southern white rhino?

[Rammchick]

22 hours ago, DanaK said:

I think they will be shown in my area in Maryland next Saturday

Thanks -- I'll look for it!

[Aliconehead]

14 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Awww, I loved seeing the little cubs. They grew noticeably just during their month of quarantine. I'm glad that the zoo takes so many steps before introducing animals to each other. Even though Kota reacted well to their hay, it was good to see that the zoo has kept them apart due to her later attitude.

I understand why the condor chick was taken from its parents (so that they can hopefully release it into the wild later), but I still felt sad for the parents. What happens after the incubation period? Do the zookeepers just take away the fake egg and let the parents wonder what happened?

The rhino breeding program looks so labor intensive. I thought they said there were only two northern white rhinos left and they were both female, so are they hoping to breed one of them with a southern white rhino?

No the two Northern White Rhinos are not capable of carrying offsprings. One had a miscarriage (they think) that changed her uterus.  Not sure why the other can’t.  The plan is for the southern white female to be a surrogate.  SD Zoo and Berlin zoo have DNA from different NWR and both have fertilized embryos from the two remaining NWR. Once they perfect some things and much testing they will give surrogacy a chance. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

8 hours ago, Aliconehead said:

No the two Northern White Rhinos are not capable of carrying offsprings. One had a miscarriage (they think) that changed her uterus.  Not sure why the other can’t.  The plan is for the southern white female to be a surrogate.  SD Zoo and Berlin zoo have DNA from different NWR and both have fertilized embryos from the two remaining NWR. Once they perfect some things and much testing they will give surrogacy a chance. 

Thanks for the explanation. I wasn't sure if I hadn't been paying enough attention or if they hadn't mentioned their plans. I was trying to figure out how they were going to breed more northern if they only had two females left (meaning no male contribution).

[Aliconehead]

14 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Thanks for the explanation. I wasn't sure if I hadn't been paying enough attention or if they hadn't mentioned their plans. I was trying to figure out how they were going to breed more northern if they only had two females left (meaning no male contribution).

No worries.  They did not mention most of this in the episodes, I am a San Diego Zoo Member (annual pass holder) so I go a lot and  done some beside the scene tours where I ask lots and lots of questions. Plus I love the chubby unicorns
 

they actually harvested the sperm from some deceased males. Also Berlin and San Diego have a larger quantity of DNA from lots of different animals so they can insure biodiversity. 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Aliconehead

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, Aliconehead said:

I am a San Diego Zoo Member (annual pass holder) so I go a lot and  done some beside the scene tours where I ask lots and lots of questions.

My mom used to an annual pass so that's where she would take my little sister whenever they needed something to do. They knew the layout of that place like the back of their hands. In contrast, I only went sporadically so I was always getting turned around. It's great when a six year old is telling you where to go because she knows where everything is. I preferred the Wild Animal Park (even though it was a thousand times hotter up there) because I liked the more natural habitats. Of course, that was back in the olden days when you could ride the Wgasa tram around the park for free so you could get a little shade and breeze and take a break from walking.

[Aliconehead]

12 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

My mom used to an annual pass so that's where she would take my little sister whenever they needed something to do. They knew the layout of that place like the back of their hands. In contrast, I only went sporadically so I was always getting turned around. It's great when a six year old is telling you where to go because she knows where everything is. I preferred the Wild Animal Park (even though it was a thousand times hotter up there) because I liked the more natural habitats. Of course, that was back in the olden days when you could ride the Wgasa tram around the park for free so you could get a little shade and breeze and take a break from walking.

My mom did the same with my brother and i, we had zoo and sea world passes. Now my friend goes with her kids and i tag along. Or i will do Zoo nights. You still can ride for free when it’s running.  I went last Monday and Wgasa was closed because it’s considered a “ride”. Both parks have their benefits but The Wild Animal Park (Safari Park) is really hot in summer.  Did Roar and Snore in August when it was 100 degrees. 
 

I really don’t want to add another streaming service so I hope the replay on channel later so I can avoid it. 
 

saw this today https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeYEgUyg/

Edited February 24, 2021 by Aliconehead