The San Diego Zoo is renowned for featuring some of the most impressive animals from around the world. But from now until November 28th, the World Famous tourist attraction is partnering with Nintendo for something a little different. Guests will findPikminhave invaded the Zoo’s Wilderness Explorers Basecamp, offering a mini-scavenger hunt throughout the kid-friendly area.
Nintendo and the San Diego Zoo were kind enough to invite me out to see the new Pikmin partnership this past weekend to see if I could spot them all. While there are already plenty of reasons to visit the Zoo, including the recent return of the popular Panda exhibit, thePikmincollaborationoffers younger visitors a fun distraction while they explore the Basecamp.
The Wilderness Explorers Basecamp is a relatively new addition to the San Diego Zoo, a replacement for what was commonly referred to as the Kids Zoo or the Petting Zoo. Now, guests of any age can see some cute animals like Fennec Foxes or be creeped out in the Spineless Marvels area. However, the real highlight of the Basecamp, in my opinion, is the climbing and exploration areas. While you’ll do plenty of walking around the San Diego Zoo, sometimes kids just want to mimic the animals they see and climb around their environment. The Wilderness Explorers Basecamp offers just that.
Pikmin Collab Makes Wilderness Explorers Basecamp More Fun For Nintendo Fans
And now, with the Pikmin tie-in, guests can find a slight detour by trying to spot Pikmin hidden in five areas around the Wilderness Explorers Basecamp. I’m not going to give away exactly where all the Pikmin are, but there is a helpful map that points out the general area where the Pikmin might be.
It’s also worth mentioning that, even though they are colorful and tend to stand out among the amber rock formations and green foliage, the Pikmin are quite small. It might take you a little bit to spot all of them (hint: there are more than five Pikmin to find, but they are grouped together in only five areas), but it’s a fun little adventure for the family.
The Pikmin Collaboration is a fun surprise and a great move to encourage more kids to visit the San Diego Zoo!
My son had a great time trying to spot each Pikmin and then remembering what theirabilities were inPikmin 4.To be honest, he was hungry to look for more Pikmin when we found all five groups, but I understand the limitations of putting in something that might disrupt the animals or be distracting to non-Nintendo-fan guests.
Can You Spot the Pikmin in this Picture?
Partnering with Nintendomight not be something you would expect from the San Diego Zoo, but it was a pleasant surprise. It fits in well with the idea of seeing wild animals; it’s completely optional, and hopefully, it encourages more kids to visit the San Diego Zoo, which is an awesome place to begin with. And if you happen to have a kid under 11, they get free admission during October as a bonus.
The Pikmin collaboration will remain in the San Diego Zoo until November 28th. Our thanks to Nintendo and the Zoo for having us out.
