Overview
- The 13-acre expansion officially welcomed guests on March 5 after an opening ceremony featuring remarks by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Marni van Wilpert, with Escondido Mayor Dane White in attendance.
- Billed as the largest project in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history, the habitat doubles the elephants’ usable space compared with the former exhibit.
- Visitors now traverse pathways and an overhead bridge above an elephant passage, view two watering holes including a 240,000-gallon oasis, and dine at the two-story Mkutano House.
- Elephant Valley houses eight African savanna elephants—Swazi, Ndlula, Umngani, Nisa, Kami, Khosi, Mkhaya, and Zuli—with founding members rescued in 2003.
- The exhibit serves as a platform to connect in-park science to partners in Kenya, highlighting coexistence efforts and cultural collaborations such as BeadWORKS Kenya, while African savanna elephants remain listed as Endangered.