San Diego Zoo Safari Park Picks Up Animation Award for Rose Parade Float

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on Monday introduced property the Animation Award for its entry in the 134th Rose Parade, a float celebrating the Safari Park’s 50th anniversary.

The float topic, “Celebrating 50 Decades of Conservation,” depicted rhinos, giraffes and the park’s wildlife safari practical experience. The rhinos seemingly came to existence as they turned their heads, when the giraffes moved their lengthy necks to bend down for a amazing consume of h2o from a waterfall.

 “We are humbled and honored to get the Animation Award, but much more importantly, we are grateful the Rose Parade gave San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and our Safari Park an option to provide our conservation message to a world viewers,” reported Paul A. Baribault, president and main govt officer of the alliance. 

The Safari Park opened in 1972, and preserving species has been a vital component of its mission. The park has played a noteworthy function in the conservation of species ranging from condors and hornbills to rhinos and elephants.

The float highlighted 4-thirty day period-old Neville and his mom Livia, two southern white rhinos who symbolize the slicing-edge efforts to save the distantly similar northern white rhino – only two northern white rhinos currently continue to be in existence.

Neville is the 3rd rhino born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, becoming a member of Edward and Potential, who created historical past as the very first southern white rhinos born by means of artificial insemination in North The united states.

Also showcased was Msituni, an 11-thirty day period-outdated giraffe born at the Safari Park. In addition, a pair of African crowned cranes meandered by way of lush landscape on the float, as Msituni’s parents peeked with curiosity into an open-air safari truck stuffed with attendees.

The riders were being wildlife treatment experts, veterinarians and conservation experts from the park. They had been joined by Government Director Lisa Peterson, wildlife guides and 4 youngsters symbolizing the subsequent technology of conservationists.

The floral array on the float illustrated that both the Safari Park and San Diego Zoo are accredited botanical gardens that characteristic more than 2 million vegetation.

The wildlife alliance experienced a float in the Rose Parade for the 2nd straight 12 months. Prior to that, the alliance very last had a Rose Parade float in 1996, in celebration of the Zoo’s 80th anniversary.

A complete of 39 floats took section in this year’s parade. Some of them were being sponsored by nearby metropolitan areas, these kinds of as Torrance, Burbank and Alhambra, just about every touting local sights, while other folks ended up funded by organizations and nonprofits, this sort of as the wildlife alliance, Kaiser Permanente, Trader Joe’s and Snapchat.

– Employees and wire studies

Image, online video credits: The award-profitable Safari Park Rose Parade float, “Celebrating 50 Yrs of Conservation.” Courtesy, Safari Park