The Living Desert in Palm Springs

African Village Animal Interactions Discover and Play

Most images of deserts call to mind a hot, dry, hostile place void of anything living, except perhaps a cactus or two. In reality, deserts are far from nonliving environments. They are, in fact, fragile, complicated ecosystems. The Living Desert is a zoo, endangered species conservation center, natural history museum, nature preserve, botanical garden, and wilderness park, all rolled into one. Located in the center of the Coachella Valley, the Living Desert is just 13 miles from Palm Springs in Southern California.

Animal Interactions. There are two animal exhibits at the Living Desert, “Africa from A to Z” and “North America: Our Own Backyard.” Visitors will see some of the most unique and fascinating fauna found in what most people think as the “wasteland” of the world: the African desert. Animals such as Arabian oryx, several species of gazelle, sand cats and fennec foxes, all call the desert home. Almost all are critically endangered, largely because of modern hunting equipment like jeeps and helicopters. The North America exhibit showcases small nocturnal or night-active desert animals. Bats, scorpions, screech owls, mice, lizards and snakes all seek the coolness of the evening temperatures to hunt for food. Also, visitors will encounter many birds of prey such as hawks, falcons, eagles and vultures. Creatures such as coyotes, badgers, wolves, mountain lions and bobcats all make for an interesting education.  [Top]

Discover and Play. In the Discovery Room, visitors of all ages can examine, touch, compare and sleuth out many of the interesting things about deserts. How does a tortoise store water? What does an owl eat? Why do cacti have spines? What good is a rattlesnake? Who needs sharp eyes? How did the native people get food? What kind of bird weaves a nest in the palm fronds? There are skins and plant pods, feathers and fibers, horns and barbs, bones and stems, insects and live animals and other natural paraphernalia in the Discovery Room. Puzzles, puppets, books, games, drawings, models and sculptures all help tell the story of the desert. This interactive room, staffed by Docents and Junior Volunteers to answer your questions, is open daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  [Top]