San Diego, California - San Diego Zoo Global is pleased to announce that San Diego County Toyota Dealers are expanding their partnership and support of San Diego Zoo Global. Toyota is donating a brand-new, custom-designed Toyota Tundra to the Horticulture department, for use by the “browse team.” Browse—vegetation including shoots, twigs and leaves harvested for animals to eat—is an important part of the diet for wildlife at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
“This generous donation of a Toyota Tundra is going to help the browse team immensely,” said Adam Graves, browse and arborist supervisor. “It will allow our staff to go throughout San Diego County to collect browse from private citizens and deliver to animals at both the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
“This vehicle will also help us educate the public on our commitment to providing the highest quality of care for our animals through the supply of natural plant material,” Graves added. “Browse is a key component in helping our animals thrive, and we’re proud to partner with Toyota to offer unparalleled animal care.”
In May, Toyota marked its inaugural collaboration with San Diego Zoo Global by becoming the presenting sponsor of both the San Diego Zoo’s popular Nighttime Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Summer Safari.
To show their support for the community and San Diego Zoo Global, Toyota will have on-site booths set up at both the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park the weekend of Sept. 2 and 3. A Toyota Tundra truck similar to the one being donated will be on display both days, at both parks. Guests can stop by, check out the truck and talk with representatives from Toyota about the work they are doing in the San Diego community every day. As an added highlight, at 11 a.m. Sept. 3 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, guests can stop by the Toyota booth and meet one of our cheetah ambassadors—up close and personal. Booths will be open at the following times:
- Sept. 2, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the San Diego Zoo, just past Front Street Café. The San Diego Zoo is located at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92108.
- Sept. 3, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, in the plaza area near Thorntree Terrace restaurant. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is located at 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027
- Sept. 3 is International Vulture Awareness Day, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego County Toyota Dealers will mark the day by highlighting the important role that vultures play in maintaining balanced ecosystems in the U.S., and throughout the world.
- The Safari Park will be celebrating Vulture Awareness for three days—September 2, 3 and 4. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors at the park can stop by various interactive booths and listen to keepers talk about vultures, meet one of the park’s black vulture ambassadors on the Ambassador Stage or see them up close at the Frequent Flyers bird show.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, Toyota has produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where it operates 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employs more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Its 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.6 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016—and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. Toyota shares company resources and extensive know-how to support nonprofits, to help expand their ability to assist more people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit toyotanewsroom.com.
About San Diego Zoo Global
Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is inspiring children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the internet and in children’s hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.
