About San Diego's San Diego Zoo's Safari Park

Introducing Kokamo and Her Son , Monroe

Kokamo, a Silverback Gorilla at San Diego Safari Park is a new Mom. As you can see, she is rather dexterous when it comes to keeping her son on hand. Little Monroe seems to be enjoying the ride even if he is seeing the world upside down most of the time. When Monroe is a little older and stronger, he will be carried on her back. But for now, she has to hold him tight.

Kokamo came to San Diego from the Colorado Zoo in 2010 as part of the Association of Zoos Species Survival Plan. She was sired by Winston a long time favorite Silverback Gorilla that was the very first born gorilla at Safari Park in 2000.

Monroe is seen here one month after his birth at the San Diego Safari Park born Jun 17,2011. Monroe was named after Dr. Lee Monroe a former president of the San Diego Zoo Global and chair of the San Diego Zoo's research committee.

One of things I love most about living in and being a REALTOR® in San Diego is the Zoo and Safari Park. I love learning about these animals and as much of the inner working of the zoo as I can learn. I never tire of seeing these marvelous animals and I so appreciate the wonderful works done in conservation of these endangered animals. I hope my photos of them will always be welcomed here in the Rain. When I am at one of the parks , even while trying to get the best photo I can, I still feel like a little kid discovering each of them as though it were for the first time. I marvel at their antics and I am totally fascinated with them and all the efforts made to keep them healthy and happy in their home here in San Diego.

For my clients that move or relocate here to San Diego, I always make a big fuss about encouraging them to becoming members of the Zoological Society and taking advantage of these two most important San Diego treasures, the Safari Park and the Zoo. Annual memberships are so affordable and you can visit either of the parks any time you like. And it certainly makes collecting photos of these animal treasures and catching them when they least suspect someone is watching.

Lazy Days of Summer

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped over to our Safari Park to photographically capture more of it's many opportunities to see and experience the wild animals in the place they call home. With many photos of the animals already taken, catching this lion resting out in the lawn area of his camp, reminded me of our own Lazy Days of Summer when all we want to do is relax and to get away from the daily grind.

I was speaking with Kerrie Greenhalgh of ActiveRain this morning about her wonderful photo journey abroad last month and how important photo stories are here in the Rain. I am not in the business of selling photos so why do I take so many? Simple. Because my readers in the Rain enjoy them and it helps me have the goal of getting better and better at photography and having an outlet to share the results with my ActiveRain family.

As most of you know, I love the many treasures of living here in San Diego and I love the idea that through my photography I can help homeowners find all these amazing things to do while living here. And if people are thinking of moving, I want them to see some of the many reasons why I love living here in a community that has what seems as endless possibilities for a quality of life in San Diego.

I sell my share of San Diego real estate and I also have my own share of challenges in the industry just like others here. What I also realized when I took up photography a couple years ago was how amazing and fulfilling life can be here when you factor in all the huge number of things to do and experience.

I hope the love I have of the community and our vast resources for enjoying life comes through. And if it does, then what I am doing here in ActiveRain is working.

The new Bonsai Pavilion is now open
at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park

Although Safari Park is part of the San Diego Zoo, at 1,800 acres (and growing), it is 18 times larger than the Zoo. It is also out in the rural area of northeast San Diego County, which is why it can be so large.

View Larger Map

I go several times a year, and one of favorite parts of the Park actually doesn't have any animals in it. It's the Bonsai Pavilion. I always find it amazing to walk through and look at miniatures of trees that are supposed to grow to be 30 or 40 feet tall, or more.

The Bonsai House that I knew for a couple of decades is now closed, but only because they built a new, larger one that is modeled after a Japanese garden with a waterfall, pond, and flowing water. And the bonsai seem to stand out more, to look better. I bet they like their new home. I know I do, and here it is:

My favorites are the twisty ones that look like they are a few thousand years old:

I also like the miniature groves. I'm thinking there should be some miniature playground equipment and some miniature children running around playing.

I think my favorite, though, was this one:

I liked the big, old, fat trunk, and how the tree tapered.

I have no idea what any of them are because they were not labeled. All of them do have numbers sticking out of the soil; I hope those will eventually be related to placards with the names of the trees and a little history about them.
 

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