Columbian mammoth
Imagine walking through Southern California 12,000 years ago. Believe it or not, the surrounding plants and landscape wouldn’t be much different than the natural surroundings you see today. However, the diversity of animals would rival that of modern-day African savannas. It might be difficult to visualize a family of Columbian mammoths traversing across the local terrain or a teratorn (relative of the modern-day condor) gliding along the air currents of the foothills with its 12-foot wingspan.
Giant ground sloth
Elephant Odyssey is named so because it will literally be an odyssey through time as you enjoy the bioclimatic zone of Southern California, 12,000 year ago. During the Pleistocene epoch, North America was alive with a vast wealth of animals that is unmatched on this continent today. Herbivores like the large-headed llama, dwarf pronghorn, ground sloth, and Columbian mammoth, once roamed with many other grazers and browsers of the time. Saber-toothed cats and American lions were both carnivores that dominated their territories as they raised their young and hunted their prey. Daggett’s eagles and Merriam’s teratorns were giant birds that soared, scavenged, and hunted throughout the area.
Elephant Odyssey brings you back to this time of mammoths by exploring what has been discovered through fossil finds across Southern California. You will first experience an active mock tar pit and fossil dig that will be staffed with interpretive volunteers. This will bring forward the concept of what once lived here and will also establish their extinction and what may have happened to these animals.
As you move from the fossils toward the animals of today, you will get to come into contact with life-size replicas of some of the species that lived during the Pleistocene. Life-size statues of a mammoth family, a ground sloth, and many more will be situated to allow your natural line of sight to pick up the living counterpart in the distance, visually bridging time.
Merriam's teratorn
Wandering through Elephant Odyssey, you will experience today’s living counterparts with the animals of 12,000 years ago. The diversity of species will span the globe and also bring to the forefront what is happening to these animals in their current environments. Some may be in danger of going the way of their Pleistocene ancestors while others might have stable populations at this time. Still others, like the California condor, may even have been on the brink of extinction recently but are making a comeback.
Of course, there are other elements and aspects to Elephant Odyssey, but hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect as we start our odyssey on May 23.
Rick Schwartz is the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey Ambassador.
Read Rick’s previous blog, Elephant Odyssey Opens In Two Months.
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March 30th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Rick do you know the square footage of the new jaguar exhibit?
March 30th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Rick, thanks so much for the description of the new exhibit. It sounds very groundbreaking in the zoo industry – to focus so much on the animals that once roamed the area. It should be very compelling to contrast the living descendents with their extinct ancestors. Looking forward to visiting the zoo and seeing all the changes after the exhibit opens…
March 30th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
elephant odyssey sounds like it is going to be soooo interesting. I bet alot of school groups will love this in addition to all the other wonderful things to see at th zoo. I wish I could see it for myself! will you have videos and a virtual tour for us to view? hope so!!! no doubt you will have all kinds of info. on this and everything else of interest at the zoo and animal park! you always do! that is what makes your zoo so special. you try to share everything with anyone who is interested. it is especially wonderful when you can’t see everything for yourself! thank you, thank you, thank you!!
March 31st, 2009 at 10:42 am
Rick,
This sounds like it is going to be an ‘Awesome Elephant Odyssey’! I can’t wait–can’t believe that it is almost here! The mammoth family is sure to take the breath away. Have you moved the elephants from the park yet? I hope the move will go well and that they adapt to the new environment with no problems. So many things that the Zoo and WAP have done in the past such as ‘Heart of Africa’ and the ‘Great Rift Lift’ and ‘Absolutely Apes’ added new wonderful experiences to each visit I just know this will be amazing too!! Thank you Rick for your info and I wish you great success with ‘Elephant Odyssey’!!
Blessed Be All of Thee with Love, judy j
April 20th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
I have been getting the news letter in my e-mail for a while now, and wonder if they will put elephant odessey in there, just for a mention of opening and a little look at it. I sure hope so, I will be waiting for my next couple of news letters. Thanks for all you are doing Rick and also keepers and people in charge, for a job well done. I can just imagine walking in there and seeing these giant animals from the past, especially the Huge Mammoth and Ground Sloth, next to their counter parts. I wonder if they will put any cavemen with the mammoth, that would be nice too. Whoever came up with the idea of elephant odessy, they really have truly great ideas. Thanks again!