San Diego's Zoo and Wild Animal Park are world-class sites for the conservation of animals, many of which are endangered and/or only found outside of North America in the wild. Some entire orders of mammals have no representatives living in North America north of Mexico. Examples include prototherians (egg-laying mammals) like echidnas, orders of marsupials other than opposums, Macroscelidea (elephant shrews), Tubulidentata (aardvarks), Hyracoidea (hyraxes), Proboscidea (elephants), hippos, camels, Dermoptera (flying lemurs)(?), Scandentia (tree shrews)(?) and primates. There are also many exotic species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc. If any of these animals are to be "experienced" in North America, it must be at a zoo.

Some species naturally exotic to North America or difficult to experience in the wild:

• Pleurodira: Side-Necked Turtles (Chelodina spp.) - San Diego
• Trionychoidea: Soft-Shelled Turtles (various) - San Diego
• Sphenodontia: Tuatara (Sphenodon guntheri) - San Diego
• Iguania: Iguanas (Iguana spp.) - San Diego
• Gekkota: Geckos (Gekko spp.) - San Diego, WAP

• Apterygiformes: Kiwis (Apteryx sp.) - San Diego, WAP
• Casuariiformes: Emu (Dromaius sp.) - San Diego
• Tinamiformes: Elegant Crested Tinamou (Eudromia elegans) - WAP
• Coliiformes: Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) - WAP
• Psittaciformes: Cockatoos (Cacatua spp.) - San Diego
• Psittaciformes: Lories (Lorius spp.) - San Diego
• Psittaciformes: Parrots (various) - San Diego
• Bucerotiformes: Hornbills (Tockus spp.) - WAP
• Musophagiformes: Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) - San Diego, WAP
• Musophagiformes: Go-Away-Birds (Corythaixoides spp.) - San Diego, WAP
• Turniciformes: Madagascar Button Quail (Turnix nigricollis) - San Diego
• Upupiformes: Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) - WAP

• Prototheria: Echidna (Tachyglossus sp.) - San Diego
• Dasyuromorphia: Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus laniarius) - San Diego
• Didelphimorphia: Opposums (Didelphis spp.) - San Diego, WAP
• Diprotodontia: Kangaroos/Wallabys (Macropus spp.) - San Diego
• Diprotodontia: Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) - San Diego
• Diprotodontia: Lesser Gliding Possums (Petaurus spp.) - San Diego
• Insectivora: Hedgehogs (Atelerix sp.) - San Diego
• Tubulidentata: Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) - WAP
• Hyracoidea: Hyraxes (Procavia spp.) - San Diego
• Proboscidea: Elephants (Loxodonta & Elephas spp.) - San Diego
• Viverridae: Civets (various) - San Diego
• Strepsirhini: Lemurs (Lemur sp.) - San Diego
• Strepsirhini: Lorises (Loris sp.) - San Diego