Today, in celebration of World Elephant Day, San Diego Zoo Safari Park announces Denny Sanford Elephant Valley will open in early 2026. The largest and most transformative project in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history is 80% complete. This first-of-its-kind experience will offer new insight into the role San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance pursues as a leader in wildlife conservation, highlighting its global partners and celebrating the vibrant cultures and local communities in Kenya where people and elephants coexist. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is grateful for the more than 4,100 donors who made Elephant Valley possible, including a lead gift from Denny Sanford.
“Denny Sanford Elephant Valley’s innovative design celebrates the world’s largest land mammal and the communities that coexist with them,” said Shawn Dixon, interim president and chief executive officer at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Every detail of this habitat has been purposefully designed to reflect the elephants’ natural environment, supporting their well-being while inspiring meaningful connections. We’re eager to welcome guests in early 2026 to experience a place unlike any other—where wildlife and people come together in powerful new ways.”
Elephant Valley is an immersive journey for guests to learn about the crucial role elephants serve as ecosystem engineers, and better understand the nuances of the herd’s rich social structure. Surrounded by elephants on multiple sides, guests will encounter what it feels like to walk beside the herd. The dynamic savanna at the heart of the Safari Park aims to generate greater empathy, understanding and appreciation for elephants, encouraging guests to protect them for generations to come.
Each facet of Elephant Valley is meticulously designed to reflect the seasonal variations of the African savanna year-round. The rich plant life in Elephant Valley has been curated by a team of expert horticulturists and arborists to authentically replicate the sights, sounds and smells of Africa’s diverse ecosystems, specifically the vast savanna and grasslands. More than 350 individual plants have been grown for Elephant Valley, representing rare and endangered African plants. Guests will venture through pathways lined with African thorn trees, a common source of food for elephants. Other African trees including the vulnerable kokerboom and endangered Nubian dragon tree, some of which have been growing at the Safari Park since it opened 53 years ago, have new homes in Elephant Valley. Several African plants, including the vulnerable Mulanje and Gorongo cycads, were originally seized by authorities from illegal trafficking before finding refuge in Elephant Valley.
Mkutano House is a unique dining destination positioned directly alongside one of Elephant Valley’s two expansive watering holes, a 240,000-gallon oasis where the herd wades, swims and plays—a profound experience for those who pay witness to their natural bonding behavior. The two-story restaurant at the center of the Elephant Valley experience is inspired by the locations frequented by travelers while on safari in Africa. The Swahili word Mkutano refers to gathering with purpose. Nearby, Mkutano Park will serve as a gathering place to learn from educators about the awe-inspiring wildlife of the region.
Elephant Valley will bridge the vital work happening in San Diego to the collaborative elephant conservation initiatives San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports in the African savanna. Elephants across Africa are facing immense threats that are taking a toll on their populations, including habitat loss, poaching and challenges to human-wildlife coexistence. African savanna elephants are currently listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Research conducted in Africa and with the Safari Park’s elephant herd provide an opportunity to advance technologies and approaches to monitor and protect elephants in the wild, and support coexistence. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works closely with Save the Elephants, The Nature Conservancy, Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya Wildlife Service and Reteti Elephant Sanctuary for conservation of African savanna elephants. Increasing knowledge of elephant health needs and the complexity of their social behaviors has equipped the organization and its partners with valuable insight into what successful conservation outcomes look like for the species.
Guests are invited to journey into Elephant Valley in early 2026. For more information, visit sdzsafaripark.org/elephantvalley.
