SAN DIEGO — After being closed to guests since mid-March, San Diego Zoo Global has announced that the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will reopen to the general public on Saturday, June 20th., ending the first major closure in the conservation organization’s 103-year history.
On Friday, San Diego Mayor Faulconer and San Diego Zoo Global President and CEO Paul Baribault symbolically reopened the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in a ribbon cutting ceremony dedicated to Health Care Heroes at both parks.
Before the official reopening, the Zoo and Safari Park will hold a series of special Preview Days to express their appreciation for its membership base and committed donors. These invitation-only preview events will begin this Sunday, June 14, 2020.
“We’re thrilled to once again welcome guests back to San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park for the first time in three months,” said Baribault. “There’s no better way to celebrate the occasion than to invite our faithful members and donors, who have been steadfast allies helping us by continuing to support our mission to save wildlife worldwide.”
Guests will have the opportunity to once again experience the wonders of wildlife with their families, stroll among diverse habitats, take part in fun, educational activities, and visit with a few of the Zoo and Safari Park’s newest residents—including koala joey Omeo, Andean bear cub Agapito and a 1-month-old pigmy hippo calf at the Zoo; and 3-month-old giraffe calf Zahara at the Safari Park.
To ensure a safe and healthy guest experience, Zoo and Safari Park officials have enacted an extensive range of temporary changes that comply with guidelines outlined by local and state health authorities.
Both parks will resume operations in stages that will start with limited dining and shopping experiences, reducing the number of guests on grounds at a given time, increasing the number of handwashing and sanitizing locations, maintaining robust cleaning routines, adding one-way path modifications and barriers, encouraging the wearing of face coverings and observing social distancing practices.
During the initial reopening phase, the Zoo’s Guided Bus Tour, Kangaroo Bus and Skyfari Aerial Tram, and the Safari Park’s Africa Tram will be unavailable. Activities that traditionally include larger numbers of guests—including some shows, tours and Safari experiences—will also be temporarily unavailable.
“As the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park reopen to guests, it’s true that we will be faced with a new normal,” said Baribault. “However, within this new normal, I have no doubt we will be able to showcase our strength, our resilience, our dedication to community, and our continued mandate to save wildlife around the world. Welcome back!”
For more details on the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park reopening—including yearly membership options and important information for guests planning their next visit, click here.