San Diego Zoo Safari Park, opened in 1972 in the San Pasqual Valley as a sister site to the San Diego Zoo, was developed to house large animals in broad, naturalistic settings and to focus on species from arid environments. Planned from 1964 by the San Diego Zoological Society, it grew into a major conservation center with more than 3,000 animals, over 400 species, and more than one million plants. Its expansive open-range habitats, especially Asian Savanna and African Plains, are central to its identity, as is its renowned ungulate collection. The park has also seen notable breeding achievements, controversy, wildfire damage, a 2010 renaming, and major public prominence.

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