See Butterfly Jungle As San Diego Zoo Safari Park Looks to Spring

Spring hasn’t quite sprung yet, but look to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to enjoy one of its prettiest gifts – butterflies – beginning Saturday.

The Escondido park’s Spring Safari, featuring the Butterfly Jungle, gives visitors the opportunity to wander through the Hidden Jungle aviary. They will see hundreds of butterflies and have a chance to feed them, while learning about their critical role in the ecosystem.

The goal of the event also is to shine a spotlight on local wildlife in the Southwest. San Diego County is a biodiversity hotspot, home to a variety of native plants and animals, including two of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s focal species, the burrowing owl and the desert tortoise.

The Safari Park’s Native Nectar Garden and Baja Gardens also will offer narrated information on plant life.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park will have springtime treats and festivities as well, including live entertainment from the dance crew the Bee Boyz, the musical duo the Bluebirds and the juggler Bee Plus.

Park menus also will feature an array of strawberry-themed food and beverages for the season.

The Spring Safari and Butterfly Jungle events continue through May 14. General admission starts at $69.

Check-in for the optional 20-minute Butterfly Jungle Safari experience is available from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, with tickets at $15 per person. 

The Safari Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.