Looking for wild times? San Diego supplies them as no other city can. The world-famous San Diego Zoo is home to more than 800 animal species, many of them rare and exotic. A sister attraction, the Wild Animal Park, offers another 3,500 creatures representing 430 species in an au naturel setting. And, Shamu and his friends form a veritable chorus line at SeaWorld San Diego--waving their flippers, waddling across an ersatz Antarctica, and blowing killer-whale kisses--in more than a dozen shows a day.
In 1999, San Diego's "Big Three" family attractions were joined by the instantly popular LEGOLAND California, which is located about 30 miles away in the seaside community of Carlsbad.
Now That's What I Call a Deal!--Always aware of what side their tourism bread is buttered on, San Diego's three main animal attractions have joined forces with combo ticket deals that reward big savings to visitors with recreational stamina. Here's how it works: If you plan to visit both the zoo and Wild Animal Park, a two-park ticket (the "Best Value" zoo package, plus Wild Animal Park admission) is $53 adults, $36 children 3 to 11 (a $59/$39 value). You get one visit to each attraction, to be used within 5 days of purchase. If you throw in SeaWorld within the same 5 days, this combo works out to $89 adults, $63 children ages 3 to 9 (a $103/$75 value).
Panda-monium--Giant pandas are among the rarest mammals in the world: It is estimated that only 1,000 remain in the wild, where they live in dense bamboo and coniferous forests at altitudes above 4,000 feet. Their numbers have dwindled due to the destruction of their natural habitat and poaching. Currently there are about 110 giant pandas in captivity, mostly in China; zoos in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Mexico City, Japan, and Germany also have giant pandas. In 1996, following 3 years of intense negotiation by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Wolong Giant Panda Conservation Centre in China, and the Chinese government, two giant pandas from China, Shi Shi (then a 13-year-old male born in the wild) and Bai Yun (a 3-year-old female born in captivity), arrived at the San Diego Zoo.
Successful breeding in captivity is an unusually delicate process: Female pandas are in estrus for only 2 or 3 days a year, and otherwise avoid interaction with other pandas. Shi Shi turned out to be a less-than-suitable suitor, although in 1999, through artificial insemination, Bai Yun gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She was named Hua Mei (pronounced "hwa may"), meaning "China USA," and was the first surviving panda cub born in the U.S. For his lack of mating interest, Shi Shi was returned to Wolong in January 2003. In the same month the zoo welcomed 13-year-old Gao Gao, a male who was born in the wild and taken to Wolong after he was found wounded at a young age--probably from a fight with another male panda. From the start, the more rambunctious, inquisitive, and alert Gao Gao gave zoo researchers hope that he would get along better with Bai Yun. Remarkably, the two mated right after their introduction and the zoo hopes to have a new panda baby by the time you read this. Alas, the news won't be known until after we go to press: Females don't show signs of pregnancy until only a few days before delivery.
Giant pandas are related to both bears and raccoons. They are bear-like in shape, with striking black-and-white markings, and have unique front paws that enable them to grasp stalks of bamboo. Bamboo makes up about 95% of their diet, and they eat as much as 84 pounds of food every day. This takes them 10 to 16 hours, so there's a pretty good chance that you'll see them eating. Fortunately, the efforts of panda specialists around the globe are starting to pay off: In the last few years, the pregnancy rate of females in captivity has risen, and infant survival has dramatically increased.
Because of the exhibit's enormous popularity and the fact that the pandas are not always on display, the zoo provides a panda-viewing hot line (tel. 888/MY-PANDA). Call before you go.
