San Diego Zoo Africa Rocks
Africa’s a big continent, and the new Africa Rocks exhibit at the San Diego Zoo showcases the variety of wildlife that roams the plains and jungles. Six new habitats open at the zoo this summer, giving you even more reasons to spend a day at the zoo.
The Zoo has created new venues with the varied geography and wildlife of the African continent. Cape Fynbos replicates the coastline of South Africa, home to penguins and leopard sharks. Leopards make their home on land in the Acacia Woodlands, where vervet monkeys and bright-colored birds also make their homes. Lemurs leap through the Madagascar Forest, along with badgers and the fossa, which blends traits from dogs, cats, and weasels.
The Ethiopian Highlands are home to baboons, an elegant primate called gelada, and graceful ibex with impressive horns and beards. In the Kopje Woodlands, meerkats live in a lively community and share terrain with rock hyrax, dwarf mongoose, and another dwarf, a small antelope called a klipspringer. The West African forest’s waters shelter yet another dwarf, a crocodile that’s still impressive and dangerous at 5 feet.
The Zoo’s running Africa Rocks contests, offering the chance to win a behind-the-scenes tour. You don’t need to win a contest to take a behind-the-scenes tour with the penguins in Cape Fynbos.
The special Breakfast at Penguins, on Saturdays in July & August, is a great way to start your visit at the zoo. After you finish your visit, head back to Best Western Plus Island Palms, a San Diego hotel near the zoo. You can take a dip in our pools, play a round of tennis, or stroll our paths to unwind before dinner in our restaurant. The wonders of Africa Rocks and the wonders of San Diego are all within easy reach.