Fun family RV Short Stops begin with live animal cams

By Julianne G. Crane
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many wildlife parks and zoos are turning to online technology, such as live animal cams, to swing open their doors to visitors. It is also an amazing way to get the whole family involved in researching your next RV road trip.

San Diego Zoo & Safari Park

The exceedingly popular San Diego Zoo and Safari Park reopened the last weekend in January using Covid guidelines including measures designed to ensure safe and healthy guest experiences. However, if you are not planning on visiting San Diego anytime soon, don’t despair. Enjoy live viewing of giraffes, rhinos, and other large animals that populate the African Plains habitat by clicking on the live cam from the Kijamii Overlook.

Other San Diego Zoo live cams (click here) feature smaller creatures such as the koalas. These popular marsupials adapt to living “way up in eucalyptus trees, rear end firmly planted in the fork of branches, so they can chew leaves and nap all they want to without feeling threatened.” To view all 12 of the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park live cams click here.

If you think you might go:

In anticipation of high demand, all visitors ages 3 and up will require a ticket and reservation. Purchase tickets online by clicking: Zoo or Safari Park. For information about the Zoo’s hours of operation, directions, and RV parking, click here.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo – Live Cams

Effective Nov. 23: As a public health precaution due to COVID-19, all Smithsonian museums are temporarily closed. However, you can still see giant pandas, elephants, lions and naked mole-rats on live animal cams streaming 24/7 from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

The National Zoo has two panda cams for the full “panda-riffic” experience. Click here to watch the National’s Zoo’s giant pandas. Then there are the two “naked mole-rat” cameras – just click here for information.

Then there are the National Zoo’s Asian elephants – Spike, Bozie, Kamala, Swarna and Maharani – both inside the Elephant Community Center and outside in their yards.

For those of you who are home schooling grades K-5, be sure to download the Animal Cam Educational Activities. “This packet is designed to engage students in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning.”

Animal Adventure Park’s Giraffe Cam

Three years after April the Giraffe gave birth to Tajiri on live TV, Animal Adventure Park is preparing to “possibly” welcome another baby giraffe. The Harpursville, NY, animal park is monitoring and testing Johari as “she’s been showing signs of pregnancy.” You can stay current, 24/7, with the Johari Giraffe Cam.

For more about the Animal Adventure Park, click here for an updated article I previously wrote for RV Short Stops.

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are highlighting places that can be safely experienced from the road, in a COVID-safe environment or an outdoor public space such as a park or college campus. If you know of unique places, please let me know so we can feature them. Thank you.

— Julianne G. Crane
Read more of Julianne’s RV Short Stops posts here.
Read more about the RV Lifestyle by clicking on RVWheelLife.com

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