San Diego Zoo & Safari Park Reviews
Reviews
4.9 out of 5 rating
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4.9 out of 5 rating
77 Reviews
99% recommend it
Awards
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![Marisa]()
Marisa P. Sent on 04/07/2024Amazing Venue
I highly recommend the Safari Park for your wedding!! They made planning a wedding such an easy and stress free experience. I was provided with a list of recommended vendors which made planning so easy because I already a narrowed down list. We loved every single vendor we ended up hiring! Since catering was provided through the park, that also made it easy and delicious! We got so many rave reviews about the food after our wedding which was no surprise because the Safari Park has yummy food to start with.
Tommy Gomez was our vendor coordinator and he was TOP NOTCH!! He was super communicative the entire process, always making sure we did not have any questions and answering any we had. He made working with the park a dream and I could request him if you can. He made sure all the vendors had what they needed for the day of and things seemed to run super smoothly for them. He was there for rehearsal and our wedding day too! Working with Tommy gave me full confidence and that resulted is having no stress at all. It was supposed to rain the day of our wedding but Tommy doubled down with me and we set up the ceremony for outside rather than him pushing me to move it inside. Which I am so glad because it did not rain! He was the best cheerleader along the way.
The park has so many beautiful views for wedding photos as well which is a huge plus. If you are having a wedding of 60 or less, I highly recommend the Woolshed venue area. -
![Mindy]()
Mindy D. Sent on 03/22/2024All Inclusive, Always Accommodating, Amazing Food
We held our reception at the Sambutan Longhouse, which is nestled at the end of the bamboo forest known as the Tiger Trail. When opting for a package with the Safari Park, you're met with exceptional inclusivity. The venue itself is decorated as you see on a typical day at the park, requiring minimal additions aside from table centerpieces. This is ideal for those seeking a hassle-free experience without compromising on style.
Our guests had the opportunity to explore the Safari Park prior to our reception, which comes included in any reception package. Once the reception began, we had the venue till late allowing our guests the unique experience of seeing the Safari Park at night and being treated to the majestic sight of the tiger lounging throughout the evening.
The Safari Park's venue coordinator exceeded our expectations, ensuring seamless coordination with our day-of coordinators and accommodating our requests. One special request of mine was to have the horticultural team showcase plants native to our parents' home countries, they even passed around a carnivorous plant for everyone to see up close.
The reception package includes many food services to select from. We decided on appetizers during cocktail hour, followed by a buffet-style arrangement for the main course. The efforts of the culinary staff at the Safari Park received the highest praise from our family and friends as they unanimously voted it the best wedding food they have ever had. It was heartwarming to witness the kids, and even a few adults sneak in for seconds, possibly even thirds, a true testament to the quality of food the Safari Park has to offer.
The Sambutan Longhouse at the Safari Park provided an unforgettable backdrop for our celebration, and we are so glad to have had a wonderful communicative venue coordinator from the park as well as an upbeat staff during our wedding reception.
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Alyssa K. Sent on 02/06/2024
A Dream Wedding
The SD Safari Park was truly a dream venue for me. The team there made every step of the process so easy and Delanie in particular was fantastic to work with.
My husband and I knew we wanted to have as cool a venue as possible and what is cooler than having your ceremony in front of a herd of giraffes or your reception in front of the tiger enclosure?
Every single person we invited raved about our venue. Your guests get a free day pass to visit the zoo before the wedding so we got so many pictures of our friends and family having a great time with the animals in the morning.
Everything about the wedding was perfect, from the physical space to the food. We got so many comments on how good our food was, and everyone's biggest regret was that they were too stuffed to eat more of it! (As a side note, everyone who had the short ribs would not stop talking about how good they were.)
I think the best part about the Safari Park is that it isn't astronomically more expensive than any other vendor available in San Diego. If I'm being honest, I would argue that it's either on par if not cheaper than most venues we looked at. It's also an all-inclusive rental/catering/bartending service so really the only outside vendors I needed to hire were cake, florals, music, and my coordinator. It made wedding planning incredibly easy.
All in all, I highly recommend considering the Safari Park as a wedding venue and if I'm being honest I would throw another wedding there in a heartbeat. -
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![Kirsten]()
Kirsten T. Sent on 02/20/2024Tommy and the SD Safari Park Team were AMAZING!
We recently got married at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at the Kijamii Overlook venue at it was incredibly. Our coordinator, Tommy, and the entire team went above and beyond to make our day so special. We loved the wedding package options and the tastings that they offered helped us to be confident in what the food would look and taste like.
The communication prior to our wedding was excellent and Tommy was there for us every step of the way to answer questions and help us make decisions. We were able to have our rehearsal and the SD Safari Park team were amazing in wrangling our wedding party and helping us get our wedding decor to the location.
We did our first look at the park and Tommy helped to make sure we were able to get around the park with ease and our photographer had everything she needed. Shuttles helped get our guests to the venue and they were able to come early and enjoy the park prior to the wedding.
The location was spectacular and the Safari Park team runs like a well-oiled machine. There was a huge group of people helping to make sure our day got off without a hitch.
Once our ceremony was finished, we had the animal ambassadors at our cocktail hour and it was a highlight for us and our guests. The staff who shared the animals with us were informative and fun! The food exceeded our expectations and we were told by so many of our guests that it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding.
The SD Safari Park service team were amazing and all of our guests were looked after and cared for the whole night. I cannot recommend this venue enough!! We were exceedingly happy with everything, our photos were spectacular because of the amazing surroundings, and we had a blast!
Tommy was such an amazing help and so professional the entire time. He was a spectacular coordinator, no question or concern was too silly, and he looked after us with such care throughout the whole process. Communication exceeded my expectations and he made the whole process a dream! Highly, highly recommend him as a coordinator.
We had the wedding of our dreams and are so thankful to all who helped make it possible!
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![Nikki]()
Nikki H. Sent on 10/31/2023Safari Park Rave Wedding
Alyssa was our venue coordinator and was so amazing throughout the entire process. We booked the venue early (over a year) for our date of 10/28/2023 to make sure we could lock in the Saturday of halloween weekend. She provided so many options of available vendors and pre set time line for the day and even when I wanted to scratch out a bunch of traditional items to create my own timeline she was always supportive and accommodating to change requests throughout the process. Even when having to deny my outrageous requests for aerial dancers she was sweet about trying to see if it was a possibility. She made sure that we were able to enjoy our appetizers and drinks through out the night even while entertaining our guests. An extra nice touch. The perks of day access to the park for our guests and annual membership for bride and groom were a steal with the wedding package. Our guests had constant wow moments with so many photo ops with baby tigers, rhinos, giraffes and so many more exotic animals! They had comments like it felt like a million dollar wedding without the million dollar price tag. We didn’t even need to dig into our budget for flowers or furniture rentals because the venue itself was wow enough but if you want to be extra extra you can! Furniture rentals on the turf would add extra wow. Its really cool how you can stay as close to the food and bevy min that youd like or go all out even more if ya want! 10/10 recommend. If you are an animal lover this is def the venue for you. They have the events dialed in well. We would absolutely consider having an event at the safari park again. -
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![Leanna]()
Leanna B. Sent on 08/06/2023Absolutely perfect!
The San Diego Zoo & Safari Park, staff and our site coordinator Delanie were amazing in helping to make our wedding weekend absolutely perfect! Delanie did a great job guiding us through the whole process and was very pleasant to work with through the last couple of years of planning. The safari park (Kijamii Overlook) was breathtaking and our guests continue to tell us that it was the most unique wedding they've ever been too and that the wildlife encounter was one of the highlights of the night. -
Sue E. Sent on 08/03/2023
Extremely helpful
Wonderful unique venue at the Woolshed in beautiful gardens at the Safari Park. Staff on the day were great, Nikki the coordinator extremely helpful. Would highly recommend this venue for weddings. -
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Sabrina S. Sent on 08/02/2023
Amazing Venue
We had our wedding in July at the Mombosa lagoon/pavilion at the Safari Park and it was a dream day! From the beginning, our coordinator Tommy was the best help we could have ever wished for. The wedding is completely customizable and you can add in or not have what you want. We recommend doing the tasting, which is where we decided on our menu and met our coordinator. Tommy kept in touch with us regularly in the year leading up to our wedding and always answered my many-questioned emails within 24 hours. He was always so helpful and provided any insight that he had, along with experienced recommendations.
The venue itself was completely picturesque. The wedding was in the evening and the lagoon was a great background for all of our wedding photos and the reception. Tommy worked with all of our vendors to ensure that they knew when/where they needed to arrive and being the bride, I was able to walk up to my wedding with absolutely everything done. Tommy also allowed us to bring and store some decorations at the rehearsal and was so accommodating with our very large family at the rehearsal.
On the day of, Tommy helped ensure that everything was ready to go and gave us updates. He was even available for my parent's questions and provided them with help. Once the ceremony was over, Tommy brought up drinks so we could relax before the photos began. He also helped my mom bustle my dress, made sure we had appetizers at our table when we arrived at the reception, and kept our timeline. I cannot recommend him as a coordinator enough. At the end of the night, my family was prepared to clean up the reception and when we went to grab the boxes, Tommy had already ensured that everything was packed up and loaded on the golf cart for us. He always went the extra mile for us at every step and it truly was the most stress-free day and that was 100% because of Tommy. I highly recommend the amazing venue, (the profits go towards the animals so how much better does it get?), the process and options. We got comments on how it was the best wedding that people had been to.
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![Natasha]()
Natasha K. Sent on 06/10/2023The most magical day!
My husband and I got married here two weeks ago, and it truly was one of the most special and magical days of our lives so far. We got married at the Kijamii Overlook venue, which is an absolutely STUNNING venue that overlooks the animals roaming the savannah. When you arrive to the venue, you truly do not feel like you’re in San Diego anymore but rather on a safari vacation! There's a fun fire pit and beautiful bar built into a tree (how cool is that!). We chose the plated meal option and the food was all so delicious and cooked to perfection (we had the pan seared chicken, baseball top sirloin and shiitake mushroom risotto). We upgraded our bar and appetizers too, which I highly recommend because the Cheetah-rita signature cocktail and upgraded appetizers (we upgraded to the ahi tuna and vegan falafels, on top of the 3 standard hor d’oeuvres that you get with the package) were a hit amongst our guests! So many of my wedding guests have said that this has been the most beautiful and unique wedding location they have been to! One of the most magical things happened when we were saying our vows- a few giraffes lined up right behind me as if they were wanting to listen too! And as a bride, this location and venue was the most perfect thing I could have ever imagined! And I cannot praise the staff more. Our coordinator was Delanie Brown and she was the absolute BEST person to work with! Delanie started communicating with me months before the wedding and always made herself available to answer my many questions. She was so patient, kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. Delanie made sure we were always well informed about any upcoming deadlines and always made sure we were on track with our planning. She was there the day of the wedding as well to make sure everything went as planned. People always say how planning a wedding is stressful, but I can honestly say that Delanie was such a joy to work with that the planning process was truly seamless and easy for us because of her. Many, many thanks and appreciation to her and the rest of the staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Thank you for helping us create and celebrate the most special day of our lives, and for giving us some of the most beautiful memories that we will cherish forever! -
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![Robyn]()
Robyn L. Sent on 07/03/2023Amazing and unique wedding day!
As a San Diego native I've always loved going to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and I'm so happy we chose this venue for our wedding celebration as the whole day was so memorable and amazing! We chose Harusi Lawn and Sambutan Longhouse at Tiger Trail, we were a bit worried it would be cramped with 100 guests but there was plenty of room in the Longhouse. The ceremony area near the cheetah enclosure was very beautiful and needed minimal decoration (although we still had a florist and other decorations for the gift/guest book table). One of the highlights of the day was the Animal Encounter, I definitely recommend adding this if possible. The zoo staff presented 4 animals, which included a cheetah and kangaroo! All our guests were amazed and really enjoyed the animal presentation. The food was also amazing, we had the 24-hour braised beef which was so delicious, I could not stop eating. All the guests we talked to also said the salmon with ponzu sauce was very good, and they even said their kids who are picky eaters loved the kids' meals. We actually didn't get to try the hors d'oeuvres, but our guests said they were all very good.
Our event coordinator Tommy was so nice and fun to work with, and the Safari Park staff was extremely kind and understanding when there were delays with our wedding due to a serious illness I was going through. Tommy always answered our various questions promptly, and made sure everything went smoothly on the big day. There were a couple minor hiccups in terms of transportation (golf carts and shuttles) in between the ceremony and reception venues, but Tommy got them sorted out right away. To be fair, it seemed a bit logistically difficult to move 100 guests in between 2 venues which were somewhat far apart. He also had a great sense of humor and even busted out a few dance moves on the dance floor! All the rest of the staff were also very friendly and attentive.
We got so many compliments from guests that this was the most unique and best wedding they've ever been to. Their prices are very reasonable considering their package includes hors d'oeuvre, tables, linens, beer and wine for cocktail hour, etc. It's also awesome that the money you spend goes towards their conservation program. The day was everything I hoped it would be, it was such a wonderful venue! -
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![Richard]()
Richard H. Sent on 03/31/2023Wild Wedding could’ve been bad, but everything was perfect!
Truly a wild wedding that was made perfect with Delanie’s help. I didn’t see a lot of reviews for her but she’s amazing!
Venue: We chose Kijami overlook which is the most breath taking out of all the options. It was cozy, beautiful ( we had no decorations except for center pieces) , and spacious for our 100 guests that attended. Everything was laid out beautifully in regards to the dance floor setup , food stations and our specialized tables up front at the entrance. Even though, there was a lot of rain, Delanie was able to shift around the ceremony to accommodate our needs. The animals were out the entire time (overlooking the safari)and we were covered during the reception when it did start to rain. In fact, the rain wasn’t even noticeable. All of the staff at the venue (bartenders, bus boys, kitchen staff, etc. ) were very kind and help all the way through even after clean up , the staff was constantly checking on us and providing support.
The biggest downside of the day were the shuttles to get to the reception area. They started a bit late and took a while to get all the guests down. ADA Assistance was provided however, it took significantly a longer time to get the carts. In fact, some guests were worried about being late that they ended up taking the regular shuttle instead.
Food: When they have you go to the tasting, they only give you 1 type of entree from the 3 different options (plate vs. buffet vs. food stations). This left us worried at first because the options they showed were mediocre and not what we had intended for what we wanted at our wedding. The hors d’oeuvres
We’re good then, and even better at the actual wedding. So we came to the terms that the food wasn’t going to be amazing however, we’re blown out of the water with surprise that the food was much better than anticipated. Our guest kept complimenting us on the food. It was so good that if it was a restaurant that served the food, we would be going back for more. We had a taco station with Mahi-mahi (catch of the day) and chicken, we also had pasta station with penne and cheese tortellini with choice of 3 sauces and lastly, the carving station with tri-tip and New York strip.
Zoo provided wedding coordinator:
The zoo coordinator helps you manage everything on your day and is there to assist you with any questions you have whether it be it be in regards to the ceremony, the costs or what DJ to pick etc. communication was a key to a successful wedding that really ramped 2 months prior to the wedding.
Delanie was very nice, informative, and always quick to respond. At times, I sent her several emails at once each about a different subject and she always replied to every concern. Prior to the wedding day, she was a big help figuring out the logistics of the day. During the wedding day, she was more than we could have asked for and expected. She was constantly checking in on us, starting from the morning of when we had to rearrange the ceremony due to the weather and the lawn being flooded. Prior to the ceremony, she was at the venue making sure every vendor knew where to go and what to do and that everything looked good. During the wedding, she was always floating throughout and providing assistance whenever and wherever she could. This varied from saving us a plate of hors d’oeuvres to gathering our keepsakes after the ceremony.
We begged Delanie to let us speak with her supervisor to give her the praise (and raise) that she deserved for making our day perfect. However, the best we can do instead is how much a wonder she was to work with.
P.s. if you are her supervisor reading this, please give her the shoutout that she deserves.
Overall: this was an amazing venue with an amazing menu even better coordinator. We truly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day and would recommend to anyone looking for a wild wedding ! -
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Ashleigh A. Sent on 12/29/2022
Safari Park
The Venue was superb in every category. We had Alyssa Good as our venue coordinator and she was amazing! Excellent communication and quick responses. It was better than we could’ve imagined! -
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![Christina]()
Christina B. Sent on 12/15/2022Our Guests Voted Us Best Wedding Ever
Our wedding was wonderful! The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park made our wedding day so special. We had a great time and all of our guests were raving about the giraffes and rhinos! Our guests were able to stand by the fire and watch the animals late into the night.
We also had many people complimenting the food. Everyone loved the Mini Treat Table, the S’mores Station and the late night snacks. It was all delicious!
Nikki and the rest of the staff at the Safari Park were so friendly, professional and kind. Nikki was always available to help us and all our family members throughout the wedding rehearsal, ceremony and reception.
I highly recommend the Kijamii Overlook site for a wedding along with the Wildlife Animal Encounter experience! -
Sara M. Sent on 02/13/2023
Everything I could have dreamed of and more
I had such an amazing, unforgettable wedding experience at the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park! I held both my ceremony and reception at the Kijamii Overlook at the Safari Park. Working with Nikki made the whole experience low stress and organized. I had such an amazing time, I truly had everything I could have imagined and more. The venue was gorgeous and the food was outstanding, I really don't think I can top this experience. I've been hearing from relatives ever since the wedding that this was one of the best weddings they've ever attended! Thanks again to the event coordinators for giving me the most memorable day of my life. -
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![Kara]()
Kara C. Sent on 03/07/2023The Absolute Best Venue in Southern California
I cannot say enough about how amazing the San Diego Safari Park was. The venue, the food, the staff, the service was 100% phenomenal. Our coordinator Nikki was so kind and helpful; I truly wish she was my friend in real life because her energy is just so positive and lovely. The staff were all helpful and friendly. The food - oh goodness gracious was it delicious! We had so many compliments about the food. Definitely pick the braised short ribs, and their house vegetables were gorgeously presented and perfectly cooked. We also had the wildlife experience, which was insanely cool! We received so many compliments and no joke people commented that it was the best wedding they went to. When you math out the cost compared to other venues, and the added value of the venue being a nonprofit dedicated to conservation, there is no better choice. If you are even remotely thinking about this venue, please give Nikki a call, because you wont regret it!!! -
![Stacey]()
Stacey J. Sent on 11/28/2022Best wedding ever! (according to our guests and us)
Our wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park was absolutely incredible! We had a small guest count - only about 60 guests, and so chose the Harusi Lawn/Longhouse at Tiger Trail venue combination. These locations were perfect, absolutely stunning, and so very us. We added the animal encounter to our cocktail hour and did not regret it! Our guests were raving about it and the animals we got to learn about were incredible! We highly recommend adding this encounter if it is in your budget, because really, where else will you get to have this amazing private animal encounter as entertainment for your wedding? It was a beautiful educational experience and so special for everyone.
We had the amazing opportunity to work with Alyssa as our point of contact for the venue and could not have been happier. She was extremely detailed in her answers and always prompt in her responses. We appreciated her working with us to have our dream of a boba vendor at our wedding as well - also another aspect our guests seemed to love! We had a bit of a kerfuffle at the very start of our inquiry into having our wedding at the Safari Park, as the original coordinator we had been in contact with suddenly stopped working there right as we were trying to finalize our wedding date. Luckily we were swiftly taken care of - we were contacted by the Safari Park with a call and then promptly by email and got everything straightened out. Alyssa was placed as our venue coordinator and immediately got the ball rolling again. We are very grateful for her!
We also want to shout out the venue staff - from the waitstaff, to the bartenders, to the shuttle drivers. Everyone was so lovely and nice - our guests had a great time interacting with them. During dinner service, the staff were all so kind of quick - we really are so grateful for every one of them!
Overall, we highly recommend having your wedding at the Safari Park! It is such a unique and amazing experience - plus profits will go back towards animal conservation. So not only are guests having a good time, but every guest invited is also helping the park and the animals. The gorgeous venue locations and the fact that we could include an animal encounter during our cocktail hour was so extremely special. Because the whole park is already so gorgeous, minimal decor was needed - really, if you wanted to save money and you were at the Harusi Lawn venue for your ceremony, you could probably pass on florals with how gorgeous it is! We opted to enhance with some gorgeous florals, but I can definitely see it working without any as well. We also were very lucky in that the tigers remained out of their covered homes the entire night! So our guests got to see them up close all night long (the tigers chose to chill right next to the windows by the dinner tables). We love what the SDZ Wildlife Alliance stands for and does, and what a fun way to be a part of that! -
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![AJ]()
Andrew Sent on 06/16/2022Perfection Completed
Utilizing this wedding venue, we achieved the wedding of our dreams with photos and a guest experience we would not have been able to replicate at any other place. Having both of us being born and raised throughout Southern California, this was a home away from home for both of us, and met every expectation we had.
Nikki, our wedding correspondent for the venue worked with our every need and was able to quickly navigate our issues. She expertly handled our constantly changing guest situation, as several wedding party members canceled on us within a week of the wedding. She was able to put off the final food bid until after we attending a local tasting in the area although it was well over two weeks into when the document was due. She knew we were out-of-state completing tasks that we couldn't get a break from, and was the crucial piece of the puzzle for our wedding. Without her, the wedding would've collapsed on the spot. Because we do not currently live in the state, she was able to work out a deal with regards to the season passes, and we were granted two tickets for a safari ride the day prior to the wedding. My wife and I had a concern with regards to the food selection because two of our guests were vegan, and she helped us through the menu to make sure each and every person was able to eat to their heart's desire at the wedding. She stayed for the entire wedding and was able to assist us with a couple individuals that were irresponsible at the wedding with regards to their drinking. We were able to coordinate rides for them and able to keep their vehicles on site after listing them with the parent company that handled security. When it came to the event, Nikki knew our every want, and made sure to personally save certain appetizers that we specifically ordered and paid more for because of the taste and quality of the dish. She had four ready for us right after we walked off from the wedding during the cocktail hour and collected all of the extras from cocktail hour and had them at our table as we arrived to the reception area.
During cocktail hour, after our little meet and greet with guests that flew in from all over the country, we had a personal escort with a golf cart to several spots within the park so that our photographer could take pictures of us with several different species in the background. We were even able to coordinate some of that help prior to the service, which is typically not done because of scheduling, but because of this, we were able to complete all of the bridal party photos prior to the wedding.
We used vendors from their list in the local area for the flowers, cake and DJ. The photographer was someone we outsourced that I am hoping will be added to their list, as I believe her portfolio and price is beneficial for most of the guests paying for weddings at this venue. We are so pleased with this space, that we are going to renew our 5 or 10 year vows at the same location. This was our dream come true! -
![Katrina]()
Katrina Sent on 05/13/2020A Unique Experience
A unique experience! The venue coordinators were very responsive and helpful from beginning to end. My husband and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so having the wedding here was a bit of a "destination" wedding. It was nice having the bar, catering, tables, chairs and linens included with the venue package. The animal encounter is a must! It was awesome! The venue coordinator provided us with a preferred vendors list which made choosing vendors much simpler and made the planning process smooth. We had a wedding coordinator as well, which was also a must for this venue. Our guests told us it was the best wedding they've been to--including their own. (Photos posted in this review taken by Bob Hoffman Photography: www.hoffmanphotovideo.com). -
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