“Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources…do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”
–Theodore Roosevelt
Cecile and I are at the Westin Desert Willow Villas in Palm Desert kicking back, doing a little yoga, walking the trails, reading by the pool and enjoying the 80 degrees temperate climate at this welcoming retreat style setting just past Frank Sinatra Drive.
We decided to revisit The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens five miles away during its 50th anniversary golden jubilee. We fell in love with this animal and garden sanctuary three years ago. Fifty years ago a leading band of visionary conservationists set aside some land to develop The Living Desert Nature Trail. The gardens came first, then the animals and then the crowds. The first year they opened they had a few thousand people visit their nature trail park. Last year they had more than 500,000 guests visit their park. They have achieved some incredible milestones since their humble beginnings. They developed eagle canyon which created the setting for more large animals like mountain lions and bobcats to village Watufu that capped off the African section of the park and the giraffe habitat that has grown within the last year. So much about this place reminds me of my trips to East Africa, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa.
There are so many exotic birds and animals, many of them I have photographed for this post. The most popular, accessible and beloved by children and adults alike are the giraffes. For seven dollars you get to feed these very social gentle giants. Some interesting trivia about giraffes. Their spots may look the same from a distance, but the truth is that every giraffe’s spots are different and unique. What looks like little horns on their head (they're not) are really temperature regulators. Like a martial artist, they can give off powerful kicks to each other. They have the longest tongues. They don’t require much sleep. They only sleep ten minutes to two hours daily. They have two speeds: fast and scary fast. Females like to go back to where they were
born to give birth. They have big hearts that weigh 25 lbs. Contrary to what you may think, giraffes do not rub
necks out of affection. The necking they do is actually males testing who is stronger. They drink water with their front legs splayed out, making them easy prey, so in order to survive they have learned to adapt without drinking water for a couple of days, and satisfying their thirst from the water contained in leaves.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens was excited to report that all eleven critically endangered African wild dog puppies, born January 8, 2020, are healthy and thriving. The yet to be named puppies are the second litter for parents, Beatrix and Kiraka (ker-ah-kuhe). The pair’s first litter of six, born April 24, 2019, are eagerly awaiting their chance to meet the newest additions. All the puppies are healthy and absolutely adorable (see photo). Currently on the endangered species list, African wild dog populations number fewer than 5,000. Reason: decline due to human-wildlife conflict, habitat destruction and canine diseases, life distemper and rabies.
Kudos to the Living Desert who has taken on the important work of preserving, conserving and interpreting the desert and all its varied plant and animal life. The early pioneers foresaw the impact that resort development would have on their local desert ecosystem and residents and visitors alike have been the beneficiaries of their compassionate stewardship.
Photo credit: African wild dogs from Living Desert website
