Santa Ana Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Santa Ana Zoo

Date opened	1952
Location	Santa Ana, California, United States
Land area	20 acres (8.1 ha)
Coordinates	33°44′38.094″N 117°50′33.11″W / 33.74391500°N 117.8425306°W / 33.74391500; -117.8425306
No. of animals	250
Annual visitors	270,000
Major exhibits	Amazon's Edge, Colors of the Amazon Aviary, Crean Family Farm, Monkey Row, Tierra de las Pampas

The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park in Santa Ana, California, is a fun place to visit! It's a 20-acre (8.1 ha) zoo that focuses on animals and plants from Central and South America.

Every year, over 270,000 people visit the Santa Ana Zoo. It first opened in 1952. The City of Santa Ana owns and runs the zoo. Joseph Prentice donated the land for the zoo. He had one special rule: the city had to always keep at least 50 monkeys there! Because of this, the zoo has a large collection of monkeys and other primates from all over the world.

The Santa Ana Zoo helps people learn about animals. It also works to protect animals and their homes. The zoo used to be approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

History of the Zoo

Joseph Edward Prentice bought the land for the zoo. In 1949, he gave 16 acres (6.5 ha) to the city of Santa Ana. He made sure the zoo would always have at least 50 monkeys.

Building the zoo started that same year. It officially opened on March 8, 1952. A special children's zoo was built soon after. The Flight Aviary, which is now called the Jack Lynch Aviary, was finished in 1962.

In 1983, an amphitheater was added. The zoo also became approved by the AZA that year. The 1990s brought many new things. The Flight Aviary was updated in 1990. It was renamed the Jack Lynch Aviary. The "Amazon's Edge" exhibit opened in 1992. The "Colors of the Amazon Aviary" opened in 1996.

In the 2000s, more new attractions arrived. The Zoofari Express Train Ride started in 2000. The Crean Family Farm opened in 2004. "Tierra de las Pampas" opened in 2010. In 2017, the zoo lost its AZA approval. This happened because some of the monkey habitats needed to be updated.

Amazing Exhibits

The Santa Ana Zoo has many cool exhibits where you can see animals from different parts of the world.

Tierra De Las Pampas

In April 2010, the zoo opened a new exhibit called Tierra de las Pampas. This means "Land of the Grasses." It's a big area, about 2 acres (8,100 m²). Here, you can see giant anteaters. In a larger area, you'll find greater rheas and guanacos. A path lets you walk between their homes.

Rainforest Exhibit

The Rainforest Exhibit is a smaller area. It looks like the Amazon rainforest. This is where you can find white-faced saki monkeys and green iguanas.

Amazon's Edge

This exhibit opened in 1993. It looks like a part of the Brazilian rainforest. You can see a water area and a riverbank with trees. Visitors can stand on a wooden deck to watch the animals. Here, you might spot howler monkeys, black-necked swans, and crested screamers.

A scarlet ibis on a branch in the aviary

Colors of the Amazon Aviary

The Colors of the Amazon Aviary opened in 1996. It's a huge 9,000-square-foot (840 m²) walk-through birdhouse. You can walk right inside! It has lots of plants and small streams. Many different kinds of South American birds fly freely around you.

Crean Family Farm

The Crean Family Farm opened in 2004. This area focuses on rare types of farm animals. The main building is a two-story red barn. It's home to pigs and has a special room for learning activities.

Ocelot Habitat and Education Center

The Ocelot Habitat is home to a pair of Brazilian ocelots. They live in two connected areas. There are special picnic tables where you can learn about how ocelots are unique.

List of Animals

Other Fun Attractions

Besides the animal exhibits, the Santa Ana Zoo has other exciting things to do!

Zoofari Express Train Ride

One of the most popular attractions is the Zoofari Express children's train. There are two train engines, named 1030 and 1036. Both are special 4-4-4 locomotives.

The original engine, 1030, was built in 1954. It first ran at Santa's Village in Sky Forest, California, for 44 years. When Santa's Village closed, a group called "Friends of Santa Ana Zoo" bought the train. Volunteers helped fix it up. The restored train started running at the Santa Ana Zoo in 1999. Engine 1030 used to run on gas, but in 2006, it was changed to run on electricity.

Engine 1036 is a newer electric train. It was added in 2005, along with new passenger cars.

Conservation Carousel

The zoo also has a Conservation Carousel. This carousel has 33 different animal figures to ride! You can choose from animals like a giraffe, giant panda, African elephant, cheetah, hummingbird, gorilla, bald eagle, jaguar, zebra, and even a custom-made anteater. There's also a special chariot that can be used by people in wheelchairs.

Past Incidents

In July 2018, a person named Aquinas Kasbar broke into the zoo. He went into the area where lemurs and capuchin monkeys live. He took Isaac, who was the oldest ring-tailed lemur living in a zoo at that time. Kasbar wanted to keep Isaac as a pet.

The next day, he left Isaac unharmed outside a hotel. He left notes saying who he was and asking for Isaac to be returned to the zoo. In July 2019, Kasbar admitted in court that he had illegally taken an endangered animal. He faced consequences for his actions.

Visitor Information

The Santa Ana Zoo is located at 1801 East Chestnut Avenue in Santa Ana, California.

The zoo is open every day of the year. It is only closed on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Thanksgiving Day. The zoo is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. Guests can stay inside the zoo until 5:00 pm all year round.

See also

In Spanish: Zoológico de Santa Ana para niños

• Orange County Zoo, Orange, California