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A one-of-a-kind elephant-themed drone show lit up the skies of San Diego after the Padres’ season opener on Thursday.

After 45,673 fans packed into Petco Park for Opening Day, enjoying fireworks and a helicopter flyover, a second spectacle unfolded when the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance turned the skyline into a living, breathing savanna. 

Seven hundred synchronized drones took to the air to form images of pachyderms in celebration of Elephant Valley at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, located a few miles north of the ballpark in Escondido.

During the drone show, the sky was painted with renderings of elephants, their watering holes, herds in motion and the phrase “This is Huge!”  

Elephant Valley is a 13-acre expanse built to bridge the gap between humans and the world’s largest land mammal. Guests don’t just observe the elephants, but walk alongside the giants — getting close enough to notice the quiet poetry of wrinkled skin and impossibly long lashes.

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Drone light show spelling out "THIS IS HUGE" in red and blue lights over a marina at night.
Ken Bohn
Ken Bohn
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Ken Bohn
An elephant made of bright blue lights in the night sky, created by drones, hovering over a marina with boats and city lights.
Ken Bohn
Ken Bohn
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