WILDFILE

RoxAnna Breitigan and Anna Young, PhD Embark on Zoo Professional Development Program

The Living Desert’s RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal Care, and Dr. Anna Young, Director of Education Engagement, have deepened their engagement with AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) through the prestigious Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP). Now in its ninth year, the highly respected and rigorous ELDP program fosters executive leadership development in the zoo and aquarium profession through custom-designed programming, workshops, one-onone mentorship and more. Nationally, just ten candidates are selected from AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to participate in this esteemed development program each year.

Congratulations to RoxAnna Breitigan who graduated from the ELDP program in January 2023 and Dr. Anna Young who recently began her participation in the program.

Me and You at the Zoo Returns to The Living Desert

Back by popular request, The Living Desert’s littlest adventurers have a programming designed just for them! Offered weekly, Me and You at the Zoo offers an hour of guided exploration and fun experiential activities designed for toddlers and their accompanying adult(s).

Families will enjoy nature-inspired programming that encourages movement, curiosity, and collaboration. Each week offers an opportunity for your little explorers to learn and play alongside their peers, as well as develop their creativity and critical thinking skills.

Offered Tuesdays from 9:00-10:00am at the Discovery Center Pavilion through April 25. Please note: programming will resume in the fall. This program is free for members or with paid park admission. No advanced registration is required — drop in anytime!

Travel with The Living Desert India: Tigers and Beyond

Join The Living Desert’s Travel Club October 22 – November 4, 2023, for an incredible journey to India, a country full of cultural treasures and resplendent natural heritage. Travel into the heart of wild India through the stories of its conservationists and its most beloved resident: the Bengal tiger. This trip offers an opportunity to witness firsthand the conservation legacy of Kailash Sankhala, who founded Project Tiger in 1973, while we stay in his ecolodge, Kanha. Along with game drives to see wildlife like barasingha deer, Indian bison, langur monkeys, and sloth bear, we will be on the lookout for the elusive Bengal tiger!

For full itinerary, more information, and booking details, visit LivingDesert.org/ Travel or call Lexi Ward at (760) 340-2157.

Celebrating Our Volunteers

On a beautiful February evening, The Living Desert celebrated our beloved volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. In 2022, volunteers gave 45,000 hours to The Living Desert across 16 different areas.

Congratulations to 2022’s volunteer honorees:

Volunteer of the Year: S.P. Andrade

Rookies of the Year: Mary Leidel; Richard Talmy

20-year Milestone Award: Dot Spear

15-year Milestone Award: Bill Blue; Nancy Gilmore; Paul Kodet; Rena Towne

Are you looking for a way to give back?

Consider volunteering at The Living Desert! There are a variety of opportunities available. Volunteers share information and stories of the zoo’s plants and animals to educate and inspire our guests to take conservation action. Active volunteers receive a number of benefits including exclusive educational opportunities, discounts, and more.

Visit LivingDesert.org/Volunteer for more information and note our upcoming Volunteer Orientation on April 22.

Discover these Favorite Zoo Experiences and Tours

Rhino Encounter

Meet your new one-ton bestie through our new Rhino Encounter experience. This semi-private encounter will take you to an exclusive animal care area to meet one of our black rhinos — Nia or Jaali — up close.

The Rhino Care Team will introduce you to The Living Desert's critically endangered black rhino, while offering fascinating insights into the species’ natural biology, what it takes to care for these massive mammals, and an insider’s perspective about their individual personalities. You’ll walk away with life-long memories and insights into how we can collectively work to protect rhinos from extinction.

Every encounter will vary, but participants may have the opportunity to feed a rhino, watch a rhino training session, or brush a rhino. Each session accommodates up to 10 guests.

Rhino Encounters are offered:

April 1-30: 8:30 am and 2:30 pm

May 1-31: 8:30 am

June 1-Sept 30: 8:00 am

Advance reservations are recommended, as these experiences sell out. Book your spot today and learn more at LivingDesert.org/RhinoEncounter. This experience is reserved for guests over 5 years of age.

Members: $45 per person | Non-members: $50 per person

This is How We Zoo It

Join us for an inside look into how we zoo things here at The Living Desert! On this new 30-minute shuttle tour, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at several animal care service areas while your guide gives you the scoop on what it takes to care for the 600+ animals at the Zoo. You'll also hear how The Living Desert is working to preserve, protect, and restore natural desert environments here and around the world and how you can help!

Tours are offered throughout the day. Visit Guest Services on your next visit to book this totally zoo-nique experience!

Members: $13 | Non-members: $15 Children 3-12 years old: $10 Children under 3 are free

Private Safari Tours

Jump on board a private safari tour and see The Living Desert in an entirely new way. Your knowledgeable guide will escort your group around the Zoo while sharing more about animals and gardens you’ll see along the way. Visit LivingDesert.org/tours or call 760-346-5694 to book.

Giraffe Feeding

Don’t miss your chance to get nose to nose with the world’s tallest animal. Offered daily from 9:00am-3:00pm through May 31.