Baby giraffe makes San Diego Zoo debut

Ever heard why giraffe’s are so slow to apologize? It’s because it takes them a long time to swallow their pride! But with the case of Masai giraffe Harriet, she was not shy to show off her newly born calf as he galloped onto the exhibit on June 20.

The lanky youngster, standing at 6 foot 2 inches tall, spent four days with Harriet in a private habitat before meeting his father, Silver and six-month-old sister, Kumi. The debut of the zoo’s newest giraffe came just in time for World Giraffe Day on June 21, an event meant to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the world’s tallest mammal.

The Nighttime Zoo returns

Zoo-goers will be pleased to know they can once again combine two San Diego summertime favorites in one day — hitting the beach while the sun’s out and visiting the Zoo at night with extended hours through Sept. 1.

Now open from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., the Nighttime Zoo offers a chance to see the animals and plants from a different perspective, as well as new, high “koala-ty” Australian-themed shows.

Additionally, guests can also see the brand new mountain lion exhibit, where these fearless California-natives will be climbing and exploring pine trees, rock outcroppings and wood structures.

Four flamingo chicks hatched

Four baby flamingos hatched in mid-June can now call the San Diego Zoo home. The chicks stayed close to their parents for about a week after being born, until they became more comfortable with the lush, island-style exhibit.

But don’t get your feathers in a bunch just yet! It will be a while until these Caribbean flamingos resemble all of our favorite lawn ornaments; at hatch, chicks have small gray feathers and are roughly the size of a tennis ball with legs.

New tour showcases pandas in action

Waiting in line at of the most popular exhibits at the Zoo often means missing out on watching the polar bears sun bathe in the San Diego sunshine. But now zoo-goers can experience the best of both animal kingdoms, by attending an early morning tour of the giant panda exhibit.

From 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., a small group tour will let you get up close to the iconic bamboo bears as they get their day started eating breakfast. Tickets are $75 per guest. For reservations call 619-718-3000.