PHOTO BY KEN BOHN, SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER
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Shades of Africa
Under the Forest Canopy at the San Diego Zoo
T
he mystique and magnificence of Africa’s wildlife and varied habitats will soon be showcased in the San Diego Zoo’s most impressive project to date—Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks, which will debut in 2017. The eight-acre exhibit complex replaces the antiquated grottos and cages in Dog and Cat Canyon with animal exhibits reminiscent of their homeland in Africa. We are filling in some areas to provide more acreage for the animals and creating an ADA-accessible path that meanders through the entire canyon. One of the many regions in Africa Rocks is the Africa Forest Canopy, which will be home to nearly 30 colorful and charismatic bird and mammal species. Guests—and the animals—will be immersed in a forested habitat with a sparkling stream weaving its way through the canyon.
Into the Forest: Pathway to Predators As the journey begins, you enter on an elevated walkway and are soon introduced to the wild world of two top predators: the African leopard and the spotted hyena. Each species will have its own wooded environment that will encourage natural behaviors, enrich the animals’ lives, and improve viewing for guests. Leopards are the most adaptable of the African cat species— they are the only cat that lives in both the rain forest and the arid
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desert, as well as habitats in between. Spotted, or laughing, hyenas are the strongest, most capable hunters of any animal their size. In reality, hyenas are captivating and highly intelligent mammals— they have just acquired a bad reputation by those who misunderstand them.
Monkey Business: Fast and Frisky Farther along the path, two energetic primates—patas and vervet monkeys—will each inhabit a spacious, environmentally rich hillside enclosure. The ground-dwelling patas monkeys are the fastest runners in the primate world, with speeds up to 34 miles per hour. Vervet monkeys are famous for their elaborate system of alarm calls, one of the most intricate in Africa. They have four distinct alarms calls for specific species: eagles, leopards, pythons, and baboons.