San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

San Diego, California, USA · Founded December 11, 1916 · Operates San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Founded December 11, 1916 (as Zoological Society of San Diego)

Type International nonprofit conservation organization · 501(c)(3)

President and CEO Shawn Dixon (since October 2025; interim from March 2025)

Board Chair Steven Simpson

Facilities San Diego Zoo (Balboa Park) · San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Escondido)

Visitors ~5.5–6 million annually across both facilities

Total assets $870.9 million (2022) · surpassed $1 billion under Baribault era

Conservation reach 44+ endangered species reintroduced to native habitats · 170 countries reached

Accreditation Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)

Websitesandiegozoowildlifealliance.org

Overview

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) is a conservation organization that operates the San Diego Zoo and the Zoo Safari Park. Its work spans wildlife care, conservation science, and education across six continents. It has reintroduced more than 44 endangered species to their native habitats, draws approximately 5.5 to 6 million visitors annually across its two facilities, and holds assets exceeding one billion dollars. Its research infrastructure includes the Frozen Zoo — the world's largest cryogenic wildlife biobank — and the Institute for Conservation Research, based at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Escondido. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Steven Simpson.

Institutional History and Name Changes

The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded on December 11, 1916, by physician Harry M. Wegeforth and four others — Fred Baker, Frank Stephens, Joseph Cheesman Thompson, and Paul Wegeforth — motivated in part by the presence of animals left over from the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. A research committee was established as early as 1925. In 1929 the organization became one of the first zoos to employ a full-time staff veterinarian. The Zoological Hospital and Biological Research Institute opened in 1927. The San Diego Wild Animal Park (later renamed San Diego Zoo Safari Park) opened in 1972 in Escondido, and the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES) was established in 1975 by Kurt Benirschke, M.D., along with the Frozen Zoo. The California condor recovery program, one of the organization's most documented conservation efforts, began in 1982.

The organization rebranded as San Diego Zoo Global in 2010–11, concurrently renaming the Wild Animal Park to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. In March 2021 it adopted its current name, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, to emphasize conservation mission over zoo operations. The previous president and CEO, Paul Baribault — who came from a senior executive role at Walt Disney Studios — stepped down in March 2025 after five years. Chief Operating Officer Shawn Dixon served as interim president and CEO from March 2025 and was named to the permanent role in October 2025 following an international search. Dixon had served as COO for nearly a decade prior to his interim appointment.

Conservation Research Programs

Frozen Zoo®

Founded 1975 by Kurt Benirschke, M.D. World's largest cryogenic wildlife biobank: 11,500+ individual cell lines from 1,300+ species. Cells, embryos, and gametes stored in liquid nitrogen at −320°F. SDZWA has committed to banking all endangered species globally by 2075.

Tissue and DNA Bank

Non-living biomaterials collection used for disease investigations, genetic research, and conservation genetics.

Native Plant Gene Bank

Seeds and plant material from rare and threatened California and regional plant species.

Conservation Genetics

Sustaining and restoring genetic diversity through bioresource banking and research; supports species recovery and genetic rescue.

Reproductive Sciences

Applying reproductive technology to enhance breeding of endangered species, including assisted reproduction and embryo transfer.

Recovery Ecology

Adaptive management and reintroduction programs including California condor, Pacific pocket mouse, San Clemente Island loggerhead shrike, and Hawaiian forest birds.

Disease Investigations

Pathology archive and clinical repository; wildlife disease research supporting conservation outcomes.

Plant Conservation

Cross-disciplinary program to save rare plants, particularly in Southern California and Baja California.

Biodiversity Banking

Global leadership goal: banking biological material from all endangered species by 2075, in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Facilities

San Diego Zoo — Located in Balboa Park, San Diego. Home to more than 3,500 animals representing 650-plus species and subspecies. Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks opened 2017. Giant pandas returned in 2024 — the first pandas in the United States in 21 years, a signature achievement of the Baribault era. Accredited by the AZA.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park — Located in Escondido, approximately 30 miles north of San Diego. Open habitat park covering 1,800 acres. Known for African and Asian wildlife in large enclosures, and for its role in California condor recovery. The Denny Sanford Elephant Valley, the largest project in SDZWA's history, was in development under Dixon's leadership as COO and opened in early 2026.

Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Conservation Research — Headquarters of the Institute for Conservation Research, opened 2004 in Escondido. Houses the Frozen Zoo and other biobanking collections.

Location and Contact

Headquarters: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112
San Diego Zoo: 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027
Website: sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112
Website: sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org