The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...

, is a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

focusing on the animals and plants of

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. The Santa Ana Zoo hosts more than 270,000 people annually. The zoo opened in 1952 and is owned and operated by the City of Santa Ana. Joseph Prentice donated land for the zoo with the stipulation that the city must keep at least 50 monkeys at all times. The zoo maintains an extensive primate collection with over a dozen species from around the world. The focus of the Santa Ana Zoo is

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

, and

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

. It was previously accredited by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

(AZA).

History

Joseph Edward Prentice bought the site. He donated to the city of Santa Ana in 1949 and stipulated that the zoo have at least fifty monkeys at all times. Construction of the zoo began that year, and it opened on March 8, 1952. A children's zoo was soon built and the Flight Aviary, now known as the Jack Lynch Aviary, was completed in 1962. In 1983, the amphitheater was completed and the zoo gained

AZA Aza or AZA may refer to: Places *Aza, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality *Azadkənd, Nakhchivan or Lower Aza, Azerbaijan *Aza, medieval name of Haza, Province of Burgos, Spain *Aźa, a Tibetan name for the Tuyuhun kingdom *Aza, a Hebrew roman ...

accreditation. The 1990s had three major events: in 1990, the Flight Aviary was upgraded and renamed the Jack Lynch Aviary; Amazon's Edge opened in 1992; and Colors of the Amazon Aviary opened in 1996. In the 2000s, the Zoofari Express Train Ride opened in 2000, Crean Family Farm opened in 2004, and Tierra de las Pampas opened in 2010. With its outdated monkey habitats, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums declined to accredit the zoo in 2017.

Exhibits

Tierra De Las Pampas

In April 2010, Santa Ana Zoo opened a new exhibit, ''Tierra de las Pampas'' or "Land of the Grasses." It is the first in a series of new exhibits. Covering , Tierra de las Pampas houses

giant anteaters The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which it is the largest member. The only extant member of the genus ''Myrmecophag ...

in one exhibit, and greater rheas and

guanacos The guanaco (; ''Lama guanicoe'') is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids, the other being the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations. Etymology The guanaco g ...

in the larger one, with a footpath between them.

Rainforest Exhibit

The Rainforest Exhibit is a small exhibit that represents the Amazon, home to white-faced saki monkeys and green iguanas.

Amazon's Edge

This exhibit, opened on September 1, 1993, replicates a section of the Brazilian rainforest. The exhibit consists of a water moat and a forested riverbank set against a cliff face, with a wooden deck for visitors to see the animals. The species on exhibit include howler monkeys, black-necked swans and crested screamers. Ibis-on-branch

Colors of the Amazon Aviary

The Colors of the Amazon Aviary opened on August 1, 1996. This walk-through aviary displays a variety of South American birds in a lushly planted habitat with meandering streams.

Crean Family Farm

Crean Family Farm opened in July 2004 and focuses on rare breeds of domestic and farm animals. The centerpiece of the complex is a two-story red barn which houses pigs and an education space.

Ocelot Habitat and Education Center

''Ocelot Habitat'' is home to a breeding pair of Brazilian Ocelots located in 2 linked habitats. Interactive picnic tables let guests discover the special adaptations unique to ocelots.

List of animals

Species formerly kept

Primates

Black lemur, Greater bushbaby,

Golden-bellied mangabey The golden-bellied mangabey (''Cercocebus chrysogaster'') is a social Old World monkey found in swampy, humid forests south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was previously considered a subspecies of the agile manga ...

Lion tailed macaque The lion-tailed macaque (''Macaca silenus''), also known as the wanderoo, is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. Characteristics Lion-tailed macaques are covered in black fur, and have a striking gray or silve ...

Celebes crested macaque The Celebes crested macaque (''Macaca nigra''), also known as the crested black macaque, Sulawesi crested macaque, or the black ape, is an Old World monkey that lives in the Tangkoko reserve in the northeastern tip of the Indonesian island of Su ...

, Lesser spot-nosed guenon,

Stump-tailed macaque The stump-tailed macaque (''Macaca arctoides''), also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. In India, it occurs south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country. Its range ...

Rhesus macaque The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally b ...

Other Mammals

Günther's dik-dik Günther's dik-dik (''Madoqua guentheri'') is a small antelope found in arid zones of East Africa. Description Günther's dik-dik is one of the smallest ungulates in Africa, weighing when fully grown. It has a yellowish-gray to reddish-brown co ...

Sika deer The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the Northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to ...

Mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

Collared peccary The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly referred to as ' ...

Rock hyrax The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the das ...

Cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

Oncilla The oncilla (''Leopardus tigrinus''), also known as the northern tiger cat, little spotted cat, and tigrillo, is a small spotted cat ranging from Central America to central Brazil. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and the popul ...

Mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...

Serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...

Tayra The tayra (''Eira barbara'') is an omnivorous animal from the weasel family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus ''Eira''. Tayras are also known as the ''tolomuco'' or ''perico ligero'' in Central America, ''motete'' in ...

Swamp wallaby The swamp wallaby (''Wallabia bicolor'') is a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia. This wallaby is also commonly known as the black wallaby, with other names including black-tailed wallaby, fern wallaby, black pademelon, stinker (in Qu ...

Birds

Ocellated turkey The ocellated turkey (''Meleagris ocellata'') is a species of turkey residing primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, as well as in parts of Belize and Guatemala. A relative of the North American wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo''), it was ...

Channel-billed toucan The channel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos vitellinus'') is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae found on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and in tropical South America as far south as southern Brazil and central Bolivia. Taxonomy an ...

, Chestnut-mandibled toucan,

Burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...

Red junglefowl The red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus'') is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It ranges across much of Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It was formerly known as the Bankiva or Bankiva Fowl. It is the species that gave rise to the ...

Emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

Magpie goose The magpie goose (''Anseranas semipalmata'') is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This common waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. As the species is prone to wandering, especially wh ...

Other attractions

One of the most popular attractions at the Santa Ana Zoo is the Zoofari Express children's train. There are two engines: 1030 and 1036. Both are 14 gauge, 4-4-4 configuration

locomotives A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the u ...

. The original 1030 engine was constructed in 1954 by the

Hurlbut Amusement Company Hurlbut can refer to: * Hurlbut Township, Logan County, Illinois, US * Hurlbut Hall, a Harvard College dormitory * Hurlbut Glacier, Greenland People with the surname Hurlbut: * Chauncey Hurlbut (1803–1885), American philanthropist whose will fu ...

Buena Park Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 m ...

. Engine 1030 was originally installed at Santa's Village in Sky Forest, California. It operated there continuously for 44 years. When Santa's Village closed in 1998, the Friends of Santa Ana Zoo purchased the entire train and of original track. The train was then restored by volunteers from Mater Dei High School with the help of

Bud Hurlbut In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specia ...

. The restored train opened at the Santa Ana Zoo in the spring of 1999. The track length was expanded to . Engine 1030 was gas-powered, but in 2006 it was converted to electric power."Zoofari Express Engine #1036," Flickr Web site (https://www.flickr.com/photos/imagineeringmyway/5382073623/), Retrieved 8-13-2011. Engine 1036 is a new electric-powered locomotive that was installed in 2005, along with new passenger cars. The zoo also features a Conservation Carousel with a 33 animal line-up including the giraffe, giant panda, African elephant, cheetah, hummingbird, gorilla, bald eagle, jaguar, zebra, Bengal tiger, otter, panther, seal, sea dragon and a custom-made anteater. The carousel also features a wheelchair-accessible Studded Leather Swan Chariot.

Incidents

In July 2018, Aquinas Kasbar broke into the enclosure for lemurs and capuchin monkeys and stole Isaac, the oldest living

ring-tailed lemur The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the ''Lemur'' ge ...

in captivity at the time, to keep as a pet. He left the animal, unharmed, outside a

Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

hotel the next day with notes identifying him & instructing he be returned to the zoo. In July 2019 Kasbar pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawfully taking an endangered species and U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford sentenced him to three months in prison, run concurrently with a state sentence for a series of residential burglaries.

Visitor information

The Santa Ana Zoo is located at 1801 East Chestnut Avenue in Santa Ana, California. The zoo is open daily, except for

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

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and

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. The hours of operation are 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily but guests may remain in the zoo until 5:00 pm year round.

References

External links

* {{authority control Zoos in California Tourist attractions in Orange County, California Buildings and structures in Santa Ana, California Culture of Santa Ana, California Organizations based in Santa Ana, California Parks in Orange County, California Zoos established in 1952