Conservation Archives - Safari West

IUCN Announces Four Different Giraffe Species

Mark Pressler — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 20:11:09 +0000

Breaking News: on August 21, 2025, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that they now recognize four different species of giraffe, instead of just one! Wait….what’s going on? Did we just find three new types of giraffe that were hiding somewhere in Africa? Giraffes are so big and unique, shouldn’t we know how many different types there are by now? If you’re confused about what this announcement means, you are not alone. The seemingly simple question of how many types of giraffe there are can have a surprisingly complicated and confusing answer. So, please join us on a short journey through evolutionary biology and conservation politics as we try to understand what this decision means for the giraffes of the world.

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Discovering the Wonders of Bats at the Safari West Conservation Speaker Series

Nancy Anne Lang, PhD — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:25:36 +0000

I invite you to join me at Safari West on Friday or Saturday evenings for a fun and inspiring half-hour conservation presentation and a conversation with one of our speakers. The talks take place at 8 pm in our Elephant Room following the 7 pm Safari West dinner service. The calendar for the Conservation Series can be found below.

Our Conservation Speakers Series was kicked off on March 1st by Corky Quirk who hails from the Northern California Bats. She has spent the past 25 years dedicated to rescuing, caring for and rehabilitating injured and orphaned bats.

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Creating a Research Project: Oak Regeneration!

Mark Pressler — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 22:57:00 +0000

At the beginning of 2022, I was asked to join a fledgling committee at Safari West. This new committee was dedicated to starting and maintaining research projects that would advance scientific knowledge in zoological facilities, improve the wellbeing of the animals in our collection, and provide a better understanding of native wildlife that lives on Safari West property. I was asked to join to help with the last of those three goals—I had previously worked as a research technician on a few projects studying the population dynamics of endangered birds in the Western US, and our research director Erika Defer hoped I could use some of the knowledge gained on those projects to start research at Safari West that looked at the interaction between our collection animals and the native landscape.

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Being Small in a Big World

Mark Pressler — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 21:14:58 +0000

One of my favorite parts about the field of wildlife biology is that there are basically no rules! Biologists have been trying for centuries to impose order onto the beautiful mess of the natural world. Some patterns and trends have emerged over time, but whenever someone tries to proclaim that something is absolutely true, we find exceptions in the endless variation of life on our planet. The word “rule” is occasionally used in wildlife biology, but much like the pirate’s code, these “rules” are more like guidelines than actual rules.

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Conservation Success in the Sahara!

Mark Pressler — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 22:47:03 +0000

In April, Safari West welcomed two new baby scimitar-horned oryx to our herd! These births come at a time when this special antelope is in the global spotlight—recent successes in a massive conservation effort have resulted in these desert specialists successfully regaining a foothold in the wild, where they had been absent for decades.

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Lessons from Rhino Conservation

Mark Pressler — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:38:17 +0000

As we celebrate the first year of Otto’s life, I can’t help but think about young rhinos across the world. It’s no secret that rhinos are struggling in the wild—rhino conservation is one of the most publicized fights to save wildlife in the world. And with all of this publicity, I’ve really struggled with what to write about in this article. Want to know the intricate details of how the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) is working to protect rhino populations worldwide? Rhinos.org has you more than covered. Want to know the most up to date numbers on wild rhino populations? Check out the IUCN Red List pages on each rhino species, or the IRF’s 2023 State of the Rhino report. What could I possibly add to the discourse? How can I write about a painful subject in a way that is honest enough that people don’t just think everything is fine, but hopeful enough that people don’t leave feeling depressed and unwilling to interact with this topic in the future? After a bit of consternation, I ended up looking back at all of the conversations I’ve had with guests and staff at Safari West about rhino conservation over the last 12 years. In all of these conversations, what have I learned? What do I wish people knew the most? In short, I can just use rhinos themselves as an analogy—because of a mistranslation, the two African rhino species are black rhinos and white rhinos, but the actual color of both species is gray. Similarly, on the surface rhino conservation can seem black and white—good guys and bad guys, good decisions and bad decisions, but in reality the world is shades of gray.

Almost every conversation I start about rhino conservation includes somebody making a sweeping statement damning all poachers, wondering how anybody could do such a horrible thing. It’s a fair first assessment—killing a rhino for its horn seems like a senseless act of violence. But we live in a place of extreme privilege. There are people living in poverty where wild rhinos roam, who have exhausted other options to provide for themselves and their families and turn to poaching a part of an animal that is worth more than its weight in gold. There are certainly poachers who are part of multinational crime organizations coming into Africa in helicopters with high caliber rifles that are less deserving of our empathy. But once conservationists understood that a lot of poaching was a result of desperation, they started hiring former poachers who used their tracking knowledge to become extremely effective anti-poaching rangers. Recognizing the shades of gray allowed for both people and rhinos to be helped more effectively.

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Honoring Earth Day and Otto’s Inaugural Spring at Safari West!

Safari West Staff — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 16:02:22 +0000

Spring has finally sprung at Safari West, painting our landscape with vibrant hues and lively energy! As rain showers come and go, and greenery erupts across our hills, we eagerly anticipate the sunny season ahead. This time of renewal is marked not only by the budding of flowers and the chirping of birds but also by the arrival of new life.

Amongst the array of newborns, one special addition stole the spotlight last year: Otto, our beloved rhino born on April 2, 2023. Otto represents the hope and promise of the future, embodying the spirit of resilience and wonder that Earth Day stands for. Named in honor of Safari West founder Peter Lang’s father, Otto’s journey symbolizes the interconnectedness of all life on our planet.

As our animal population flourishes and Otto celebrates his first spring, Safari West becomes a sanctuary of joy and celebration. We should commemorate Earth Day during this time of growth and birth. Earth Day serves as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance of nature and the responsibility we bear to protect it.

Spring is a season of transformation, where the earth awakens from its slumber and teems with life. From the emergence of new shoots to the return of migrating birds, each moment is a testament to the resilience and beauty of our planet. At Safari West, Earth Day holds special significance as we reflect on our role as stewards of this precious ecosystem.

Join us in honoring Earth Day and celebrating Otto’s inaugural spring at Safari West. Together, let’s pledge to cherish and protect our planet for generations to come. As guests of Safari West, you’re not just visitors; you’re partners in our mission to preserve the wonders of nature.

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The Incredible Story of the Laysan Duck

Mark Pressler — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:08:03 +0000

People usually come to Safari West to see the showstoppers—giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, or zebras. While these are all incredible animals, one lesson we try to teach on our tours is that the size and charisma of an animal is not always matched with the depth of that animal’s story. This lesson is perhaps best taught by a nondescript, chestnut-brown bird that our visitors rarely see, and even more rarely ask about, and yet has one of the most incredible stories of resilience and survival in the world—the Laysan duck.

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Nonprofit veterinary dentists visit Safari West!

Mark Pressler — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 20:46:26 +0000

Learn about the team of veterinary dentists that visited Safari West to provide dental care for our male Patas Monkey Maurice, as well as a few other animals!

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Community Shoutout: International Bird Rescue

Mark Pressler — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:59:47 +0000

We stand in a loose half-circle around the open door of a carrier crate that was probably designed for a large dog. It is a beautiful, sunny day in the wetlands of the East Bay, and strong winds whip the grass around our feet as we prepare to watch an animal return to its home. A massive orange beak appears at the crate’s entrance, followed by a 15 pound white-feathered body. An adult American White Pelican takes a few steps out into the wetland, stops and regards us for a few seconds, and then pushes itself into the sky, taking a long flight above the body of water in front of us. The staff and volunteers from International Bird Rescue that contributed to this pelican’s return to good health all have smiles on their faces as they watch it disappear into the distance.

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