Pikmin sightings at the San Diego Zoo (2024)

Nintendo’s affinity with the natural world runs deep in both imaginative and surprisingly realistic. Whether it’s establishing a new life with a whole host of animal neighbors or diving into a never ending sea, it’s easy to see the ecological influences. Perhaps no series embodies that more than Pikmin, which melds fantastic organisms with sometimes unnervingly realistic settings.

That identity is what made Pikmin the perfect franchise to partner with a world-leading nonprofit in the fields of conservation and animal care: the San Diego Zoo. Recently it was announced that the zoo would be welcoming the plucky critters to its Wildlife Explorers Base Camp area, giving fans of all ages an opportunity to find them as a small-scale scavenger hunt — the perfect size for Pikmin.

Nintendo was kind enough to invite me to visit the zoo to locate these little guys while they were hosting a small giveaway tent to celebrate both the kick-off of the event and coincide with the San Diego Zoo’s month-long promotion allowing kids 11 and under to visit for free throughout October.

For series veterans, only the first five colors of Pikmin were present for the promo. I thought it was a little odd that Ice Pikmin, the marquee addition from Pikmin 4, weren’t included, but it does tend to get hot around San Diego this time of year. Even with the omission of some species, I’m always happy to see Purple Pikmin and White Pikmin get their due. No other creatures or characters from the series were included, but honestly I think that’s fine. Focusing on the Pikmin themselves is more true to the spirit of the zoo and the area itself.

The Wildlife Explorers Base Camp area is all about encouraging both play and education, all while spotlighting some unique animals and installations. Five Pikmin sighting spots are dotted around the area, and while it’s tempting to hone in on finding them all I’d encourage anyone there to take in the area as well. Rope bridges, a small rock climbing slope, fountains and more are interspersed around the habitats and for younger visitors it’s the perfect kind of environment to emulate Olimar’s own adventurers. Having visited the San Diego Zoo plenty throughout my life, I genuinely wish this sort of space had been there when I was a kid.

Finding all the Pikmin (while taking my time and enjoying the company of a pair of fennec foxes) took about an hour, making this a perfect activity to fit into your day. Best of all, for finding the little guys I was given a Pikmin goodie bag! This had a printed out map of scavenger hunt spots, a Pikmin Field Guide (a small booklet meant to introduce people to the series with info and activities), a bookmark with a four-panel Pikmin comic, and a pin.

After that I enjoyed an afternoon at the zoo, including the recently opened Panda Ridge and its two new occupants. As a reminder, kids 11 and younger are able to visit the zoo for free throughout October, and while that means things might be a bit crowded on the weekends it’s still a trip worth taking.

The Pikmin will be a part of Wildlife Explorers Base Camp at the San Diego Zoo until November 28th.

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