Lori Patton
Well-Known Member
This week I visited the Santa Ana Zoo for the first time and was quite impressed with the quality of this small 20-acre facility. It was a beautiful, sunny day with a perfect temperature of 73 degrees (Fahrenheit) and the 45-mile drive from where I live in Los Angeles wasn't as congested as I was expecting. The zoo is located adjacent to the freeway so is very easy to find and there is an ample lot with free parking right in front of the entrance. Since it was a weekday, attendance was low offering a pleasant, uncrowded experience. There is a large, grassy park with picnic tables in front of the ticket counter and the whole entrance area seemed welcoming and relaxing with mature trees and lush plantings. The ticket price is extremely reasonable and with my 50% discount as a member of the Los Angeles Zoo, the cost was only $6.50.
I spent two hours at the zoo, but unfortunately didn't see everything so will need to make a return visit. I took well over 100 photos and spent quite a bit of time at the exhibits I did see, however. I went with my mother, who is a senior citizen with mobility issues, so had to keep a slower pace than I would have otherwise. The Santa Ana Zoo is very good for older people or those with physical challenges as it is small and level with no hills to navigate. There are also benches placed along the pathways where one can stop to rest if needed.
The first exhibit I toured was the butterfly aviary called "Flight -- A Live Butterfly Experience," which only opened within the past week. I have been to a couple other similar butterfly houses previously, but I actually liked this one the best! Unlike those other facilities, the Santa Ana Zoo doesn't charge an additional fee to see the butterflies and there is no time limit on how long one can spend inside. There was a multitude of beautiful butterflies fluttering around and alighting on flowers and feeding dishes placed at eye-level for visitors to observe. Unfortunately, there was no signage as to the specific species exhibited and neither of the two staff members inside seemed to know the names of the butterflies. However, there were many orange, blue, and dark specimens, including the blue morpho (Morpho peleides), polymnia tigerwing (Mechanitis polymnia), and painted lady (Vanessa cardui).
Next, I went into the Colors of the Amazon aviary, which is small but beautifully designed and planted. There is a little stream than winds its way throughout and a bridge to walk across. However, as with the butterfly exhibit, there was no signage for the birds on display although there were many attractive signs describing the plants and turtles (which I didn't see). While the quantity of birds seemed small as I only saw about nine, it was still exciting to view specimens that the L.A. Zoo doesn't keep. My favorite was the green peafowl (Pavo muticus) as I've never seen that variety before, but the common peafowl (Pavo cristatus) was also present. There were also scarlet ibises (Eudocimus ruber), an Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata), a Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis), two white-bellied caiques (Pionites leucogaster), a sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis), and a sunbittern (Eurypyga helias).
Between the bird and butterfly aviaries is the Tierra de la Pampas exhibit featuring a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) on one side and a guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and two rheas (Rhea americana) on the other. It was nice seeing the anteater on a level footing compared to peering down at the pit exhibit at the L.A. Zoo. The guanaco and rheas are also not kept in L.A. so observing them in a multi-species exhibit was interesting.
Finally, I went over to the Crean Family Farm, which is probably the best farm exhibit I've ever seen! Upon entering this section of the zoo, it feels as though one has entered an old-time county fair. There is a Ferris wheel, carousel, and train ride (which only operates Friday through Sunday) along with a big red barn and other farm-style buildings. The barn houses two Kunekune pigs (Sus domesticus), which may be viewed from indoors or outside in their pens. The new Goat Encounter exhibit was also outstanding! Over half a dozen Nubian goats (Capra hircus) are kept in a yard with a tractor they can climb upon to access an elevated walkway that allows them to walk over the visitor path to the other side. I was also able to pet the goats, which were in an assortment of dark and light colors. In addition to the pigs and goats, there was another barnyard holding a Dexter cow (Bos taurus), an Exmoor pony (Equus ferus caballus), and two donkeys (Equus asinus).
Between the goats and the cow/pony/donkey yard was a building with several aviary-style enclosures. The animals in these exhibits seemed out of place with the farm theme, but were still fun to see. These were a prehensile-tailed porcupine (Coendou prehensilis), a violet turaco (Tauraco violaceus), a spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata), a blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), a yellow-headed amazon parrot (Amazona oratrix), and a green-cheeked amazon (Amazona viridigenalis).
Overall, the zoo was beautifully landscaped and even attracted wild animals -- I saw two green parrots flying overhead and some rabbits on the grounds. I didn't get a chance to visit the gift shop as it closed 45-minutes before the zoo itself closed. Parts of the zoo were also cordoned off for construction while a Chinese alligator exhibit is being built in the farm area and one of the zoo's main exhibits, Amazon's Edge, is being redesigned as River's Edge. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the ocelot or primate collection, but it is something to look forward to in the future. Santa Ana Zoo offers an inexpensive and pleasant way to spend a few hours enjoying the animals and old-fashioned farm atmosphere!
I spent two hours at the zoo, but unfortunately didn't see everything so will need to make a return visit. I took well over 100 photos and spent quite a bit of time at the exhibits I did see, however. I went with my mother, who is a senior citizen with mobility issues, so had to keep a slower pace than I would have otherwise. The Santa Ana Zoo is very good for older people or those with physical challenges as it is small and level with no hills to navigate. There are also benches placed along the pathways where one can stop to rest if needed.
The first exhibit I toured was the butterfly aviary called "Flight -- A Live Butterfly Experience," which only opened within the past week. I have been to a couple other similar butterfly houses previously, but I actually liked this one the best! Unlike those other facilities, the Santa Ana Zoo doesn't charge an additional fee to see the butterflies and there is no time limit on how long one can spend inside. There was a multitude of beautiful butterflies fluttering around and alighting on flowers and feeding dishes placed at eye-level for visitors to observe. Unfortunately, there was no signage as to the specific species exhibited and neither of the two staff members inside seemed to know the names of the butterflies. However, there were many orange, blue, and dark specimens, including the blue morpho (Morpho peleides), polymnia tigerwing (Mechanitis polymnia), and painted lady (Vanessa cardui).
Next, I went into the Colors of the Amazon aviary, which is small but beautifully designed and planted. There is a little stream than winds its way throughout and a bridge to walk across. However, as with the butterfly exhibit, there was no signage for the birds on display although there were many attractive signs describing the plants and turtles (which I didn't see). While the quantity of birds seemed small as I only saw about nine, it was still exciting to view specimens that the L.A. Zoo doesn't keep. My favorite was the green peafowl (Pavo muticus) as I've never seen that variety before, but the common peafowl (Pavo cristatus) was also present. There were also scarlet ibises (Eudocimus ruber), an Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata), a Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis), two white-bellied caiques (Pionites leucogaster), a sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis), and a sunbittern (Eurypyga helias).
Between the bird and butterfly aviaries is the Tierra de la Pampas exhibit featuring a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) on one side and a guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and two rheas (Rhea americana) on the other. It was nice seeing the anteater on a level footing compared to peering down at the pit exhibit at the L.A. Zoo. The guanaco and rheas are also not kept in L.A. so observing them in a multi-species exhibit was interesting.
Finally, I went over to the Crean Family Farm, which is probably the best farm exhibit I've ever seen! Upon entering this section of the zoo, it feels as though one has entered an old-time county fair. There is a Ferris wheel, carousel, and train ride (which only operates Friday through Sunday) along with a big red barn and other farm-style buildings. The barn houses two Kunekune pigs (Sus domesticus), which may be viewed from indoors or outside in their pens. The new Goat Encounter exhibit was also outstanding! Over half a dozen Nubian goats (Capra hircus) are kept in a yard with a tractor they can climb upon to access an elevated walkway that allows them to walk over the visitor path to the other side. I was also able to pet the goats, which were in an assortment of dark and light colors. In addition to the pigs and goats, there was another barnyard holding a Dexter cow (Bos taurus), an Exmoor pony (Equus ferus caballus), and two donkeys (Equus asinus).
Between the goats and the cow/pony/donkey yard was a building with several aviary-style enclosures. The animals in these exhibits seemed out of place with the farm theme, but were still fun to see. These were a prehensile-tailed porcupine (Coendou prehensilis), a violet turaco (Tauraco violaceus), a spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata), a blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), a yellow-headed amazon parrot (Amazona oratrix), and a green-cheeked amazon (Amazona viridigenalis).
Overall, the zoo was beautifully landscaped and even attracted wild animals -- I saw two green parrots flying overhead and some rabbits on the grounds. I didn't get a chance to visit the gift shop as it closed 45-minutes before the zoo itself closed. Parts of the zoo were also cordoned off for construction while a Chinese alligator exhibit is being built in the farm area and one of the zoo's main exhibits, Amazon's Edge, is being redesigned as River's Edge. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the ocelot or primate collection, but it is something to look forward to in the future. Santa Ana Zoo offers an inexpensive and pleasant way to spend a few hours enjoying the animals and old-fashioned farm atmosphere!
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