The San Diego Traveler

It’s Butterfly Season at the Wild Animal Park

by Carole A. Lane on April 4th, 2007

At this time every year, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park converts half of Hidden Jungle, a walk-through aviary, into a neo-tropical paradise for approximately 10,000  butterflies.  If you go to the  Wild Animal Park any time from now until April 22 (or longer, depending upon park attendance, interest, and how many butterflies are still living), you’ll have the opportunity to witness a breathtaking assortment of butterfly species, flittering  from flower to feeder, sometimes landing on the brightly colored clothing of  visitors. 

Although it’s tempting, guests are reminded to please resist the urge to touch the butterflies, as their wings are easily damaged by the oils on fingers.

Orchids, bromeliads and lantanas are just a few of the  beautiful flowers grown to attract the butterflies in this enclosure.  The trees and plants, along with a few tropical birds, help to create the illusion of an indoor rainforest for the butterflies as well as the humans fascinated by them.

Where do these butterflies come from?

The Wild Animal Park is dedicated to conservation.  As such, they purchase butterfly pupae from countries like Costa Rica and El Salvador, encouraging “butterfly farming” in regions where people would otherwise earn their incomes by clearing virgin tropical forests.  By providing an alternative industry, they hope to help save the rainforests and preserve these habitats for future generations of butterflies, animals, and humankind.

A butterfly blog?

An additional feature recently added is a blog written by Larkin Chases, one of the park’s butterfly keepers.  In it, she provides the #1 piece of advice requested by the majority of visitors,

How can I get a butterfly to land on me?

 Be sure to read her blog for the answer before leaving for the Wild Animal Park, so that you’ll know both what to wear and how to behave.

April events

The Butterfly exhibit is just one reason to attend the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park this month.  This is also the time to see the Orchid Show, and the new Journey to Africa tour is definitely worth a visit.  I’ll write more about these attractions soon, but in the meantime, be sure to check the Wild Animal Park/San Diego Zoo Calendar for all of the events happening in April.  

Your annual pass gets you into both parks, but if you don’t visit by April 22, you may have to wait a whole year to find out what it’s like to walk among the butterflies.

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POSTED IN: Attractions, Events