A 27-foot bronze statue of a lion named Rex awaits at the entrance to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. What a great entry into one of the most beautiful zoos in the world! To mark its 100th anniversary in 2016, a plaque commemorates the zoo's early history: "Rex's Roar - A Man - A Lion - An Encounter".
it was dr Harry Wigforth, Physician of the Panama-California Exposition. Rex was a lion, one of the exotic animals featured in the 1915–1916 Exposition. The accident was Rex's "makeup," which Wegforth heard as he drove away.
It was the Rex's roar that inspired Wegefort to create the Menagerie. He bought a zoo of exotic animals that remained after the fair ended, founded the San Diego Zoological Society in 1916, and served as its president for 25 years.
Today, the San Diego Zoo is operated by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), whose stated mission is to "save the world's species by combining our expertise in animal welfare and wildlife science." The San Diego Zoo works and collaborates with the Center for Conservation Research, the largest zoo science center of its kind.
In addition to animal conservation efforts, the San Diego Zoo has an impressive collection of rare and unusual plant species. The SDZWA Institute for Conservation Research operates a Native Plant Seed Bank, which contains seeds and specimens of the rarest plant species native to our region. An example of local collaboration is SDZWA's work with the San Diego Botanical Garden to preserve the Cedros Island Oak ( Quercus cedrosensis ) collections using tissue culture techniques.
Spread across 100 acres of canyons and mesas, Balboa Zoo is home to a botanical collection of 3,100 species of plants. Did you know that from the gathering of Mesa Chaparral in 1916 to the lush plant paradise of today, the San Diego Zoo is also a botanical garden? The zoo is accredited by Botanic Gardens Conservation International in recognition of its eight botanical collections as well as its conservation efforts.
New or returning visitors will be delighted when they visit the zoo's wonderful botanical world, which features plant species from habitats around the world. If you visit one of the many "Plant Days", take a vegan bus tour. With an onboard gardener as your guide, enjoy breathtaking views of cacti, bamboo, cycads, orchids, coral, palm trees, figs, and carnivorous plants. The zoo also offers self-guided botanical tours with brochures.
Explore the greenhouses
The recently renovated orchid greenhouse is a wonderful proposal. Orchids are highly sought after and many species have been sold illegally and are threatened with extinction. The greenhouse is a "plant rescue station" for confiscated species. Breeders take care of these plants by division, hand pollination or micropropagation. ( Dionaea muscipula ) with moving leaves in the vicinity of prey; and tropical pitcher plant ( Nepenthes spp. ), which attracts insects with its slippery "pitcher"-shaped leaves.
Pass under the treetops
Treetops attract and support wildlife, they help regulate the global climate, and when the weather is hot, there's no better place to stay. Download the zoo map or app and find the zoo's oldest park, Fern Canyon. The shady, winding paths invite you to see hamidoreya palms with curved leaves, narrow stems and rings of reeds. Leaf ferns (called fronds) come in all shapes and sizes, including the very large Australian tree fern ( Sphaeropteris coopi ). If you return in late spring or early summer, you'll be rewarded with blooming jacaranda trees ( Jacaranda mimosifolia ). Along with eucalyptus, these trees are among the oldest trees planted in the zoo.
Look for trails featuring tree species from the rainforests of Asia, Africa and eastern Australia. On the monkey trails, you'll see two giant figs: the Moreton Bay fig ( Ficus macrophylla ) and the Watkins fig ( Ficus watkinsiana ). Hike the winding paths of the Tiger Trail to see lush bamboo or oddly shaped trees like the salami tree ( Kigelia africana ). Gazing up at the lush treetops from Bashor Bridge reminds you that 100 years ago the land below was covered with Mesa Chapar thickets.
Visit the new galleries
The zoo's new exhibits encourage visitors to discover rare plant species and discover new habitats. Budding conservationists of all ages will be delighted with the combination of learning and play at Wildlife Explorer Base Camp in desert dunes, rainforests, swamp grasslands and rainforest habitats. Enjoy Africa's top-to-bottom mountain trails to observe the incredible biodiversity of African species and six habitats on the continent, including Madagascar, an island nation off the southeast coast. Look for ancient species of cycads, some extinct in the wild, and aloes with interesting colors and shapes.
The San Diego Zoo's horticulturists continue the SDZWA mission by planning, advising, and tending to plant collections. Plants not only improve the habitat of animals, but also underline the importance of preserving rare and endangered plant species. See for yourself.
Purcell Montague is an avid UCLA gardener who also loves history, travel, writing and genealogy, and speaks Spanish.
For free gardening advice, call the UCCE Master Gardeners of San Diego County hotline at (858) 822-6910 or email help@mastergardenersd.org .
This story originally appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
