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In Pictures: Communing with giraffes and jaguars in California’s desert
By Tom Adkinson
March 8, 2024
PALM DESERT, Calif. – Southern California’s Coachella Valley is known for its winter warmth, movie star history, golf courses, posh resorts, big tennis tournaments and an even bigger music festival. However, it’s also known for giraffes, rhinos, Mexican wolves, camels, warthogs, jaguars and ostriches. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is the reason that exotic animals from desert environments around the world, including North America’s Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Colorado deserts, live here. Farsighted residents launched the attraction in 1970 after recognizing the long-term impact of commercial and residential development in the region.
Gateway to desert learning
The Living Desert, a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, has 500 animals representing 150 species and attracts approximately 500,000 human visitors a year. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Feed me, feed me
The ridges of the Santa Rosa Mountains and a pure blue desert sky provide the backdrop for a curious and hungry giraffe. The spindly-legged animals are fond of romaine lettuce and willingly take leaves from visitors’ hands. Image by Tom Adkinson
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A mountain lion, not a kitty
A resting mountain lion and a curious youngster engage with each other – safely – at a display about the agile predators, whose range covers much of the American West. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Around and around
The zoo’s Endangered Species Carousel is a revolving menagerie of rhinos, raptors, jaguars, zebras, hummingbirds, swans, frogs and other animals. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Miles of hiking trails
The zoo’s animal population lives on a small portion of its sprawling 1,200-acre expanse, which is laced with hiking trails open to zoo visitors. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Prickly, but still sort of cute
This cape porcupine, a native of sub-Saharan Africa, counts lions as one of its few concerns in the wild. Another concern is being hunted by humans for food and its barbed quills. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Trip-planning resources: LivingDesert.org and VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com. |
