An elephant paces throughout its new enclosure. The Safari Park opened the new Elephant Valley on Mar. 5 2026.

A white-faced whistling duck resides by a small waterfall. These ducks can be found in tropical areas of the world such as South America, sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

A white-faced whistling duck preens itself. Despite popular belief, the majority of duck species, such as the white-faced whistling duck, do not quack.

An American white pelican spreads its wings over a body of water. A pelican’s pouch, also known as the gular pouch, can hold up to three gallons of water.

A western gray kangaroo rests on a small hillside. The word for a group of kangaroos is a mob.

An open-air truck carries passengers to observe the Safari Park’s savanna habitat. The term safari originates from the Swahili word for an expedition.

The San Diego Safari Park hot air balloon floats in the sky. The balloon had a significant refurbishment and reopened on Feb. 7, 2015.

An antelope drinks from a watering hole. There are numerous species of gazelle that can be found throughout Afro-Eurasia.

A gorilla squats as it rests. The first western scientific record of a gorilla was created in 1847.

Two western lowland gorillas occupy their habitats. A western lowland gorilla’s natural habitat can be found in Central Africa.

A western lowland gorilla wanders in the grass. Despite being the most common gorilla subspecies, it is still classified as critically endangered.

A mongoose stares past its enclosure on a log. Other species within the mongoose family include meerkats and the Indian gray mongoose.

A gray crowned crane stands proud in its habitat. Gray crowned cranes are the national bird of Uganda.