“Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation,” the float will feature rhinos, giraffes and the iconic Wildlife Safari experience on January 2, 2023
By Andreína Longoria.
San Diego, CA – On January 2, 2023, the ‘San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance,’ an international conservation organization with two “front doors,” the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Safari Park, will participate in the 134th Roses Parade Float, presented by Honda and celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Safari Park.
The Park opened in 1972 and since its inception, saving species has been a key part of its mission. Safari Park has played a huge role in conserving species ranging from condors and hornbills to rhinos and elephants. With the motto “Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation”, the float displays rhinos, giraffes and the iconic ‘Wildlife Safari‘ experience, further demonstrating the Park’s ability to connect visitors with wildlife, creating moments that change lives.
“Unlike anywhere else on Earth, the Safari Park transports guests to expansive landscapes and dynamic ecosystems teeming with incredible wildlife, offering unique experiences where stories of nature and conservation come to life,” said Paul Baribault, President and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Conservation starts with people and at Safari Park we are able to make a connection between our visitors and wildlife every day.”
The “Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation” float features 4-month-old Neville and his mother Livia, two southern white rhinos who bring tremendous hope to pioneering efforts to save their distant relative, the northern white rhino. With only 2 of these species left on the planet, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance combines innovations in conservation science with more than a century of wildlife expertise to safeguard individual species.
Firm and secure on her 4-foot-tall legs is Msituni (pronounced see-TOO-nee), an 11-month-old giraffe born at the Safari Park with a disability that prevented her from walking, a condition with which she would not have survived in its native habitat. The young giraffe required months of 24-hour critical care along with several pairs of custom-fit orthotics for her legs; with them she was able to support herself while she gained the necessary strength to walk. After making a full recovery, Msituni runs alongside dozens of giraffes, wildebeests, impalas, rhinos and Cape buffalo in the African savannahs of the Safari Park.
A pair of African crowned cranes roam through lush landscapes, while Msituni’s parents gaze curiously at the open-air safari truck full of guests. The drivers of the vehicle are wildlife care specialists, veterinarians and conservation scientists from the Safari Park who have dedicated their lives to caring for the Neville, Msituni and many other species in San Diego and around the world.
The planned flower arrangement for the float will illustrate that both the Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo are accredited botanical gardens with more than 2 million plants, as well as serve as a reminder of the dedication that the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance provides to plant conservation through his many efforts, including the Wildlife Biodiversity Bank.
