The Living Desert

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The Living Desert 🦏 600+ Desert Animals
🌱 1,200+ Desert Plant Species
🏜️ 100+ Local and Global Conservation Initiatives
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The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is a nonprofit, accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, ensuring the highest standards of all aspects of animal care, education, conservation, public service, and operations. The Zoo is active in conservation research, habitat protection, breeding programs and education initiatives around the world, as well as in its own community. The Zoo has been a top destination in the Palm Springs area for 50 years. The Living Desert is located at 47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260. Follow us on our other social media channels:

Home
http://www.livingdesert.org

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http://twitter.com/livingdesert

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https://www.instagram.com/thelivingdesert/

For more information about The Living Desert, please visit our website at www.livingdesert.org

10/10/2026

October plans? We’ve got a few ideas🍂🐾

From hiking our trails to seasonal events, there’s plenty happening at the Zoo this month. 🌿🎃

10/05/2026

When there’s a trend and you have to Post-it. 📝🦡🐢

10/03/2026

Come behind the scenes with Animal Care Keeper Rose as she prepares everything for Fireball’s 8th birthday celebration! 🦔🎉

A special cake, a little birthday setup, and lots of love for Fireball on her big day💚

We’re always trying to give our guests the Best Day Ever at the Zoo. But sometimes, our guests give us the Best Day Ever...
09/30/2026

We’re always trying to give our guests the Best Day Ever at the Zoo. But sometimes, our guests give us the Best Day Ever right back💚

That’s exactly what 13-year-old Imogen did.

Imogen painted this beautiful Mexican wolf portrait and donated it to our Animal Care team. (Here, Delany and Cryslyn, two of the team members who care for our Mexican wolves, are showing it off!)

But this wasn’t the only painting Imogen created. She started selling her artwork and donated $500 to support our animal care and conservation programs!

We absolutely love having her artwork here at the Zoo, and we love the story behind it even more. Thank you, Imogen, for sharing your talent and helping support The Living Desert! 🐺🎨

09/26/2026

We’re zookeepers, of course this all makes perfect sense to us 🦒

Happy World Rhino Day! 🦏💚Today, we’re celebrating Jaali and Nia with some encouraging news for black rhinos.According to...
09/22/2026

Happy World Rhino Day! 🦏💚

Today, we’re celebrating Jaali and Nia with some encouraging news for black rhinos.

According to the International Rhino Foundation’s 2026 State of the Rhino report, black rhino numbers increased from 6,195 in 2022 to 6,788 at the end of 2024. While the species remains critically endangered, their growing numbers are a hopeful sign for black rhino conservation.

Here at The Living Desert, Jaali and Nia are part of that bigger conservation story. Both arrived in 2021 as part of a Species Survival Plan recommendation, which helps support healthy, genetically diverse populations in human care.

Our work also extends to South Africa, where for nearly a decade, we’ve supported the Black Mambas, the country’s first all-female anti-poaching unit, through financial support, research, evaluation, and social science training as they work to protect rhinos and other wildlife. 🌿

Such a wonderful visit! 🐾 We loved having Animal Samaritans join us and seeing all the joy these special guests brought ...
09/17/2026

Such a wonderful visit! 🐾 We loved having Animal Samaritans join us and seeing all the joy these special guests brought along. 💚

09/11/2026

Join The Living Desert’s conservation team LIVE from Mongolia’s Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, where they’re working alongside our local partners at the Mongolian Conservation Initiative to study three of Mongolia’s large mammals: Siberian ibex, goitered gazelles, and argali sheep, a relative of our local bighorn sheep!

This is the third installment of our LIVE from the Field series, giving you an inside look at fieldwork in action. Tune in to see how our team safely fits these animals with satellite telemetry collars, allowing us to track their movements across the landscape and gather valuable information to help inform conservation efforts.

09/08/2026

Anyone else feeling a little like Bramble on his ice block after the long weekend? 😅.

Address

47900 Portola Avenue
Palm Desert, CA
92260

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+17603465694

Website

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