March 5, 2026 • 8 mins
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has unveiled its largest expansion in more than a century — Denny Sanford Elephant Valley. We're taking you inside the new immersive habitat where visitors can walk alongside a herd of African savanna elephants and learn how the experience connects guests with global conservation efforts to protect these endangered giants.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back to entertain Me. This is a show where
we cover all things entertainment from SoCal to the silver screen.
And this week we're going on a little bit of
a road trip. I got to go to the grand
opening of the Elephant Valley at the San Diego Zoo
Safari Park. Now, I haven't been to the Safari Park
in many, many years. I took my daughter when she
(00:22):
was little, and we went and stayed the night there. Actually,
they have something called the Roar and Snore where you
can stay in these sort of glamping like tents and
explore the zoo the Safari Park after hours and then
get woken up by the sounds of lions and tigers
and animals in the morning, which is exactly what we did.
(00:44):
And that was such a fun experience. So I was
really excited to go back and see what they've done now,
because they have completely renovated and changed their elephant habitat.
It's now called the Elephant Valley, and I was so
thrilled to be there for their grand opening and see
how beautifully they have expanded and restored and just changed
(01:06):
and created this beautiful space for these wonderful creatures. Had
the opportunity to speak with the Vice President of Wildlife Care,
Christy Burtis, while I was there to find out more
about this incredible habitat they have built for these gentle giants.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, good morning. Today is an incredible day. We are
opening the new Elephant Valley habitat. So today we're welcoming
guests to a very immersive experience where they're going to
be able to walk through two habitats and really experience
what it's like to live among elephants. So guests are
getting closer than ever before, so much so that you'll
(01:45):
be able to see the eyelashes in the elephant, make
eye contacts, see the wrinkles in their skin, the muscles
in their trunk. This is the most transformative project that
we've done in our history.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I've been to the park before, it's been a while
and I seem to remember their was an elephant exhibit before.
What is different about this one compared to the other one.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, as you know, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
is an eighteen hundred acre park, and yes, we had
elephants here since the start about fifty four years ago.
And what's different is that the space has transformed. We
have right behind us, that's right behind us, a two
hundred and fifty thousand gallon pool. This is a space
where our elephants can get in. They can completely submerge, swim,
(02:26):
play with one another. But also there's time feeders, there's
water sources, so we can really move all those resources around,
which really stimulate a lot of behavior by our herd.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
There's such magnificent creature. When I told everybody that I
was coming down here, they were like, Oh, my gosh,
I love elephants so much. What is it about elephants
that we're so drawn to and that we makes us
want to be closer to them?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Well, elephants are the largest mammal on land, and so
besides being the largest, they're what we call gentle giants.
For me, what really connects me with elephants is number one,
they're what we call an umbrella species. So all the
conservation work that we do not only helps elephants, but
it helps all the animals that live in the same
(03:10):
type of habitats around the world with elephants, but what's
really special to me is that they're part of a
matriarchal society. So we have one lead female Swazi, and
so she really leads the herd. And they have such
strong dynamics, social dynamics, very strong family bonds.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So I think there's so much.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
That we see in their behavior that I think there's
a lot for us to learn as human beings on
how to care for one another, how to respect one
another and live cohesively with each other.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Now, just walking in here today, I was blown away
by the pathway leading into it. It's so transformative, just
a stunning amount of care taken to add flora and
fauna and create this space. Can you tell me about
the thought process that's gone into creating this environment and
how long you've been working on it, and what do
(04:00):
you think woles surprise people the most when they visit.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, this project has been in the works since before
twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
That's when I actually joined the team.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Our construction started in twenty twenty two, so it was
a very long project and that was intentional. We wanted
to ensure that we got everything correct. And what I
really am hoping is guests enter into the space before
you even see the elephants. You come across this bridge,
and that bridge has would from our previous Timbo stadium
where elephants would interact with our wildlife care specialists.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So it's really paying homage.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
To our history here, which is incredibly important as we've
transformed on how we care for elephants.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
As you move through, you'll.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Actually see stamps in the ground, so you are starting
to feel okay, elephants have been here. If you notice
the plants, over three hundred and fifty African plants have
been planted here so that we can also share our
conservation works with plants as well. And as you move through,
I think people stop and see friking thorn tree, which
(05:01):
are you know from Africa. Elephants eat that type of tree,
so I think it's such a great experience for them
to see how elephants are are ecosystem engineers. They do
tear down trees, but they also re establish seed throughout
Africa so that other animals have opportunities to eat as well.
(05:22):
The footprints that they make so interesting that in times
of drought, when water collects in these footprints, those are
little micro habitats for other specimens to thrive. So it's
such an immersive, amazing experience for our guests to learn
about our elephants the conservation work we do with both
animals and plants.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So I notice here that we are very close to
where they could be potentially lounging, having a little bath,
you know, enjoying some water. But we're also standing on
a rush next to a restaurant. Is it possible someone
is here having lunch and then the elephants are just
hanging out with them or watching them like, how quotes
are they actually going to get?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Well, we have all the safety in place. Safety as
our priority, so our architecture team did such a phenomenal
job of there's places where you are that you feel
like you're closer, but there's plenty of beers in place
to protect people, so you do get that feeling that
you're really right next to them. But this is such
a wonderful place. I think it's going to become my
(06:24):
favorite place in the park where you can really sit
and enjoy the food in a wonderful place.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
So let's talk about this restaurant here. What is it?
What kind of food are we going to enjoy?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Well, Mukatano House. The word Mukatano is gathering with purpose,
So it's really an opportunity for our guests to come
together to communicate, whether it's friends, whether it's families, come
together in a place to not only share food. That
is very important in culture for us to sit and
enjoy food together. But Chef Grant has just done such
a fantastic job of pulling flavors and spices from Africa,
(06:59):
so you get the opportuntunity to really immerse yourself into
the Kenyan culture as well.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
All right, So when does this officially open to the public?
How can people come? Can anybody come? Let me hear
all the details.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
So we are so excited to open Elephant Valley today
at noon. So after today at noon it is officially
open for our guests. I really want to invite people
to come here to experience what it's like to be
in the presence of elephants, and of course join our
conservation efforts, which you can do by coming to being
a guest, becoming a member, or of course going to
our website www dot sdzw A org and join our mission.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Wonderful, Christy, thank you so much, You're welcome, Heather, thank you.
Visiting the new Elephant Valley at the Safari Park was
truly a special experience and I'm so grateful I had
the opportunity to do that. If you're headed that way
or feel like making it a weekend or a day
trip from the Los Angeles area, it's definitely worth it.
These creatures are so beautiful, and then you can stay
(08:00):
and enjoy the rest of the park. There is so
much to explore there. Thank you so much for listening
to entertain me. Make sure you share this show with
some friends and maybe some enemies you know, Okay, maybe
not enemies. You guys can listen anywhere on the iHeartRadio app,
Welcome back to entertain Me. This is a show where
we cover all things entertainment from SoCal to the silver screen.
And this week we're going on a little bit of
a road trip. I got to go to the grand
opening of the Elephant Valley at the San Diego Zoo
Safari Park. Now, I haven't been to the Safari Park
in many, many years. I took my daughter when she
(00:22):
was little, and we went and stayed the night there. Actually,
they have something called the Roar and Snore where you
can stay in these sort of glamping like tents and
explore the zoo the Safari Park after hours and then
get woken up by the sounds of lions and tigers
and animals in the morning, which is exactly what we did.
(00:44):
And that was such a fun experience. So I was
really excited to go back and see what they've done now,
because they have completely renovated and changed their elephant habitat.
It's now called the Elephant Valley, and I was so
thrilled to be there for their grand opening and see
how beautifully they have expanded and restored and just changed
(01:06):
and created this beautiful space for these wonderful creatures. Had
the opportunity to speak with the Vice President of Wildlife Care,
Christy Burtis, while I was there to find out more
about this incredible habitat they have built for these gentle giants.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, good morning. Today is an incredible day. We are
opening the new Elephant Valley habitat. So today we're welcoming
guests to a very immersive experience where they're going to
be able to walk through two habitats and really experience
what it's like to live among elephants. So guests are
getting closer than ever before, so much so that you'll
(01:45):
be able to see the eyelashes in the elephant, make
eye contacts, see the wrinkles in their skin, the muscles
in their trunk. This is the most transformative project that
we've done in our history.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I've been to the park before, it's been a while
and I seem to remember their was an elephant exhibit before.
What is different about this one compared to the other one.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, as you know, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
is an eighteen hundred acre park, and yes, we had
elephants here since the start about fifty four years ago.
And what's different is that the space has transformed. We
have right behind us, that's right behind us, a two
hundred and fifty thousand gallon pool. This is a space
where our elephants can get in. They can completely submerge, swim,
(02:26):
play with one another. But also there's time feeders, there's
water sources, so we can really move all those resources around,
which really stimulate a lot of behavior by our herd.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
There's such magnificent creature. When I told everybody that I
was coming down here, they were like, Oh, my gosh,
I love elephants so much. What is it about elephants
that we're so drawn to and that we makes us
want to be closer to them?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Well, elephants are the largest mammal on land, and so
besides being the largest, they're what we call gentle giants.
For me, what really connects me with elephants is number one,
they're what we call an umbrella species. So all the
conservation work that we do not only helps elephants, but
it helps all the animals that live in the same
(03:10):
type of habitats around the world with elephants, but what's
really special to me is that they're part of a
matriarchal society. So we have one lead female Swazi, and
so she really leads the herd. And they have such
strong dynamics, social dynamics, very strong family bonds.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So I think there's so much.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
That we see in their behavior that I think there's
a lot for us to learn as human beings on
how to care for one another, how to respect one
another and live cohesively with each other.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Now, just walking in here today, I was blown away
by the pathway leading into it. It's so transformative, just
a stunning amount of care taken to add flora and
fauna and create this space. Can you tell me about
the thought process that's gone into creating this environment and
how long you've been working on it, and what do
(04:00):
you think woles surprise people the most when they visit.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, this project has been in the works since before
twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
That's when I actually joined the team.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Our construction started in twenty twenty two, so it was
a very long project and that was intentional. We wanted
to ensure that we got everything correct. And what I
really am hoping is guests enter into the space before
you even see the elephants. You come across this bridge,
and that bridge has would from our previous Timbo stadium
where elephants would interact with our wildlife care specialists.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So it's really paying homage.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
To our history here, which is incredibly important as we've
transformed on how we care for elephants.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
As you move through, you'll.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Actually see stamps in the ground, so you are starting
to feel okay, elephants have been here. If you notice
the plants, over three hundred and fifty African plants have
been planted here so that we can also share our
conservation works with plants as well. And as you move through,
I think people stop and see friking thorn tree, which
(05:01):
are you know from Africa. Elephants eat that type of tree,
so I think it's such a great experience for them
to see how elephants are are ecosystem engineers. They do
tear down trees, but they also re establish seed throughout
Africa so that other animals have opportunities to eat as well.
(05:22):
The footprints that they make so interesting that in times
of drought, when water collects in these footprints, those are
little micro habitats for other specimens to thrive. So it's
such an immersive, amazing experience for our guests to learn
about our elephants the conservation work we do with both
animals and plants.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So I notice here that we are very close to
where they could be potentially lounging, having a little bath,
you know, enjoying some water. But we're also standing on
a rush next to a restaurant. Is it possible someone
is here having lunch and then the elephants are just
hanging out with them or watching them like, how quotes
are they actually going to get?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Well, we have all the safety in place. Safety as
our priority, so our architecture team did such a phenomenal
job of there's places where you are that you feel
like you're closer, but there's plenty of beers in place
to protect people, so you do get that feeling that
you're really right next to them. But this is such
a wonderful place. I think it's going to become my
(06:24):
favorite place in the park where you can really sit
and enjoy the food in a wonderful place.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
So let's talk about this restaurant here. What is it?
What kind of food are we going to enjoy?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Well, Mukatano House. The word Mukatano is gathering with purpose,
So it's really an opportunity for our guests to come
together to communicate, whether it's friends, whether it's families, come
together in a place to not only share food. That
is very important in culture for us to sit and
enjoy food together. But Chef Grant has just done such
a fantastic job of pulling flavors and spices from Africa,
(06:59):
so you get the opportuntunity to really immerse yourself into
the Kenyan culture as well.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
All right, So when does this officially open to the public?
How can people come? Can anybody come? Let me hear
all the details.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
So we are so excited to open Elephant Valley today
at noon. So after today at noon it is officially
open for our guests. I really want to invite people
to come here to experience what it's like to be
in the presence of elephants, and of course join our
conservation efforts, which you can do by coming to being
a guest, becoming a member, or of course going to
our website www dot sdzw A org and join our mission.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Wonderful, Christy, thank you so much, You're welcome, Heather, thank you.
Visiting the new Elephant Valley at the Safari Park was
truly a special experience and I'm so grateful I had
the opportunity to do that. If you're headed that way
or feel like making it a weekend or a day
trip from the Los Angeles area, it's definitely worth it.
These creatures are so beautiful, and then you can stay
(08:00):
and enjoy the rest of the park. There is so
much to explore there. Thank you so much for listening
to entertain me. Make sure you share this show with
some friends and maybe some enemies you know, Okay, maybe
not enemies. You guys can listen anywhere on the iHeartRadio app,
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