Research

Where Curiosity Leads to Conservation

What we learn helps us care for animals, protect species, and guide our work.

About the Safari West Research Department

The Safari West Research Department initiates, approves, and supports research studies conducted on the Safari West preserve. It provides a platform for focused research that advances scientific knowledge in a zoological setting, improves animal welfare in our collection, and strengthens understanding of the native wildlife that shares our preserve.

The department ensures that research goals are consistently met and that knowledge gained is shared to promote conservation. This work is carried out through on-site studies and in collaboration with partner facilities and universities.

Research Department Purpose

The Safari West Research Department develops and drives innovative scientific studies on our property and shares findings with the wider scientific and zoological communities. These efforts have already led to meaningful improvements in the management and care of the species that inhabit Safari West.

Safari West is a 400-acre wildlife preserve home to approximately 80 species and 1,000 animals. Many animals are housed in large, mixed-species habitats, creating a unique, naturalistic environment. This setting provides excellent opportunities to better understand our residents, enrich their lives, and support progressive animal welfare. Research conducted here can inform management of exotic species under human care, offering insight into social patterns, health and medical care, social and reproductive behaviors, and habitat design.

Collaboration and Student Opportunities

Safari West participates in and collaborates on a wide variety of research projects. One key way collaboration is encouraged is through student involvement. The Research Committee has developed several projects that have served as the basis for master’s theses, and new opportunities for students continue to emerge.

A team of mentors works with both graduate and undergraduate students to help them execute on-site projects. Student projects are student-driven but require oversight and involvement from advisors. Through collaboration between universities and Safari West research staff, our committee helps shape novel research questions and studies.

In addition to our studies, Safari West collaborates with numerous zoological facilities and organizations, enabling more robust studies with larger sample sizes and greater relevance. New project proposals related to species in our collection, as well as native species on the property, are always welcome. Undergraduate and graduate students, professors, university departments, and other facilities or organizations interested in research opportunities or collaboration are encouraged to contact Erika Defer, Director of Research at research@safariwest.com

Research Focus

Research at Safari West focuses on increasing understanding of the behavior, biology, and conservation of both exotic species in our care and native species that naturally inhabit the area.

Key themes include:

Reproduction, health, and medical care
Animal welfare and enrichment
Animal management under human care
Behavior, including intra- and interspecies interactions
Conservation of native species (flora and fauna) and habitat restoration

Current Research Projects

Representative projects include:

Thermography for determining and monitoring pregnancy in the southern white rhinoceros
Thermography of giraffe gait and locomotion
Western pond turtle demographics and habitat restoration
Blue oak recruitment
De Brazza’s monkey behavior and sound
Exhibition of natural behaviors in multi-species habitats (in development)

Current and Past Collaborations

Safari West has collaborated with a wide range of institutions, including:
Sonoma State University (SSU), AIRS, UC Berkeley, Southern Ground Hornbill SSP, Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), Binder Park Zoo, San Diego Zoo Global, Duke Lemur Center, and Pepperwood Preserve.