The gardens of the Low Desert – Colorado Desert were established in 1970 as a 360-acre (150 ha) wilderness preserve by several trustees of the Palm Springs Desert Museum. By 1974, the gardens housed a kit fox, tortoises, lizards, and two bighorn sheep. In 1974–75 the Mojave Garden was built, a replica of the High Desert – Mojave Desert. Additional facilities have gradually been constructed, including greenhouses, model trains, and designed landscape gardens. New animal introductions include rhim gazelles (1981); mountain lions, bobcats and badgers (1993); meerkats; cheetahs and warthogs (1995); striped hyenas (1998); giraffes and ostriches (2002). The 'Amphibians on the Edge' exhibit shows a variety of different species of frogs, toads, and salamanders (2007). The Endangered Species Carousel was constructed in fall 2009, and the Peninsular Pronghorn Exhibit was constructed in fall 2010. The exhibit, Monarch of the Desert, was constructed on the North America Trail and featured the majestic jaguar. In 2020, Australian Adventures opened as an immersive habitat featuring Bennett's Wallaby, Yellow-footed rock wallaby, kookaburra and more. The Living Desert opened the Rhino Savanna in Fall 2021.[5] The Living Desert is one of six accredited (AZA) private zoos in the United States and operates as a non-profit.
In 2023, the Animal Care Department voted to unionize.[6]
Goals and Mission
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens' mission is desert conservation through preservation, education, and appreciation. It is a zoo and botanic garden combination dedicated solely to the deserts of the world. The programs provide environmental education, native wildlife rehabilitation, plant propagation, and habitat restoration, and breeding of African, Australian, and North America species, including the area's iconic desert bighorn sheep.
Animal habitats
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is divided into regions, each housing animals from three continents.[7]
Australian Adventures is an immersive, walk-through habitat, where guests pass through an aviary featuring parakeets, reptiles and wallabies. Other animals include:
East African Garden – large collection of native East African plants, shrubs and trees; one of the larger collections of African plants in North America.
Mallow Garden – small collection of desert mallows.
McDonald Butterfly and Wildflower Garden – nectar (adults) and 'grazing' (larvae) plants that attract migrating butterflies, such as milkweeds (genus Asclepias) and butterfly-bush (Buddleja).
Mexican Columnar Cactus Garden – tall, columnar and sculptural cactus specimens, such as Mexican fencepost (Lophocereus marginatus).
Ocotillo Garden – nine of twelve known ocotillo species.
Yucca Garden – Yucca and Joshua tree species in a replicated native foliage garden.
Other features
The Zoo and Gardens featured one of the world's largest LGB model railroad layouts, with 3,115 feet (949 m) of the track. The world's longest wooden G-scale model trestle, at 201.8 ft (61.5 m), lets trains travel between the upper and lower portions of the wash in which it was built – an almost 2-foot (0.61 m) drop. The trains started in 1998 as part of the annual WildLights holiday program and ran only in the evenings. In 2000 the trains started running throughout the year and during the day and at present there are 18 separate train lines that can run simultaneously. The trains and track are managed by an all-volunteer team.[9][10]
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens features nature and hiking trails accessible only to members and visitors of the Park.
Wildlife Wonders Show is seasonally offered and features free-flight birds, animal demonstrations, and encounters.
