San Diego Zoo Celebrates Its Centennial with Launch of “Living Legends” Mobile Game Physics-based Puzzle Game Available Free on iOS and Android Devices
Those who know me know that I am a huge animal fan and very proud of our San Diego Zoo so it's so cool that in honor of its 100th birthday, they havepartnered with RED Games to create a mobile game to raise awareness of the threats facing endangered animal species. “Living Legends” is a physics-based puzzle that is fun yet educational, with various levels of difficulty; and each level features a different type of endangered species—African lion, giant panda, polar bear, gorilla and rhinoceros. Let's stop the debate on whether hunting big game is an actual "sport" and start educating our children so that these animals are around for their future.
And that's what's so cool about this game, San Diego Zoo’s free gift to fans and children around the world. The San Diego Zoo is working to end extinction while inspiring the next generation of animal caretakers, veterinarians, scientists, researchers and conservationists.
The species featured in Living Legends are all facing habitat loss. African lions, rhinos and gorillas are also threatened by poaching and hunting for the bushmeat trade. The rhino is often poached just for its horn, which is erroneously believed in some cultures to have medicinal value. However, the horn is made of keratin, the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails, and does not provide cures to any ailments.
Polar bears are facing habitat loss due to climate change. The reduction of sea ice in the Arctic makes it difficult for them to hunt for their primary food source, seals. Climate change has also had an adverse impact on the bamboo forests that provide the primary food source and habitat for the giant panda.
Players can learn more about each animal featured in Living Legends and its habitat as they advance through the game, as well as other finding out more about notable animals that live at the San Diego Zoo.
The game is now available for iOS mobile devices, and the Android version will roll out on March 31, 2016. The Zoo plans to add additional levels and endangered species to the game this summer.
About the San Diego Zoo Centennial
In 1916, when a lone lion left in a cage in Balboa Park after the Panama-California Exposition was heard roaring by San Diego surgeon Dr. Harry Wegeforth, he quipped to his brother, “Wouldn’t it be splendid if San Diego had a zoo?” From such simple words, a 100-year revolution was born. That singular lion roar led to the transformation of 100 acres of land in downtown San Diego into a globally renowned tourist attraction, a cultural touchstone and one of the most inspiring places on the planet.
To celebrate our 100 years, the San Diego Zoo has opened a new animal show at Wegeforth Bowl, built a Centennial Theater featuring the conservation work of San Diego Zoo Global, designed a centennial-themed Dr. Zoolittle show and planned 10 different on-grounds birthday parties for our on-grounds guests. There will also be special events at the San Diego Zoo during the centennial, including Play Days, Nighttime Zoo and Kids Free month. And in May, we’re taking the party to Balboa Park for all of San Diego to join in the celebration. To view the Zoo’s online historical timeline and get more details on centennial events, please visit sandiegozoo100.org.
Centennial Celebration for All of San Diego
On May 14, 2016, we will host a joyous celebration of the San Diego Zoo and its San Diego supporters throughout the years, with a festival that everyone will be roaring about. Starting at 6 p.m. at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, all of San Diego is invited to join the community celebration, with music, food, a Zoo-themed spectacle you’ll have to see to believe, and a group who will create a “roar” that we hope will break records.
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.
