The Living Desert is a zoo that is dedicated on educating the public of the importance of preserving plant and animal life of the deserts that are located throughout the world. The park is located in the Palm Springs area and presents various mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, as well as various plants.
The zoo is a perfect place to take the family since wild animal exhibits include a variety of animals from Africa to North America. At the African animal exhibits, one will have a chance to see camels, slender-horned gazelles, meerkats, zebras, and African wild hunting dogs. Learn how some of these animals survive in the desert and how some are barely off the endangered species list. It's typical for most zoos to carry animals from other parts of the globe, but at the Living Desert, animals from North American deserts have made there way into the park. A well rounded collection of North American animals are exhibited such as eagles, hawks, mountain lions, badgers, coyotes, road runners, quails and orioles. The After Sundown Exhibit presents active nighttime animals like screech owls, bats, scorpions and snakes, basically the animals that come out at night to hunt when the temperature is cool.
There are wonderful group tours and tour packages available at the Living Desert. On the walking tour, a professional guide will lead a 3-hour long tour through the botanical gardens and animal exhibits, plus the tour can be modified depending on the group's request. The Living Desert University is also available at the park. The University offers students a chance to become desert gardeners, artists or habitat creators. A professional staff is at hand to teach a variety of courses that include gardening, natural history, landscape design, geology and more.
With its wild animal exhibits, plant gardens, and educational programs, the Living Desert is not only a zoo but a way that one can learn the importance of animal and plant habitats from deserts located all over the world.