You’ve partied downtown during Fiesta, witnessed the Solstice parade in all its glory, and watched the Forth of July fireworks show light up the ocean from Stern’s Wharf. Think you’ve seen the wildest part of Santa Barbara? Think again.
Located across the street from East Beach, the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens houses over 500 animals comprising more than 180 different species. Visitors to the Zoo get a chance to witness the underwater antics of Humboldt penguins, feed a giraffe out of the palm of their hand, or come face-to-face with silver-backed gorillas.
Although smaller in size, it’s the intimacy of this haven for animals that allows guests to get closer to nature than other zoos. A bug and snake hall appropriately called “Ewww” allows guests to walk though a dim-lit hallway filled with creepy critters (behind glass, of course). If bugs and snakes aren’t your thing, you can stop by the Wings of Asia aviary where visitors can enter the exhibit to see the birds as they walk and fly around you. Hop on a colorful train for a narrated tour around the Zoo’s perimeter that gives guests a back-stage pass to some of the exhibits and allows for an up-close look at the African lions as they sleep in the tall grass.
And a tip for visitors? The best time to see the animals out and about in their exhibits is right after the Zoo opens or late in the day before it closes. If you want to catch the animals during feeding time you can swing by the penguin or otter exhibits at 11:30 A.M. or 2:30 P.M. to see them chow down in front of the public.
The Santa Barbara Zoo offers a chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most exotic animals, but the land has not always been what it is today. The 30-acre property, which overlooks the ocean on one side and the Andree Clark Bird Refuge on the other, was originally a private estate on which the owners allowed homeless pensioners to live. Known as “Jungleville” because of the property’s beautiful gardens, the land finally fell into the hands of the city and was converted into the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens in 1963. Today, with the help of over 500 volunteers, the Zoo operates as a nonprofit organization that aims to educate the public about the importance of keeping species alive for future generations.
Although, those who dwell on the property are different today, the piece of land still preserves its tradition of providing for those in need of a home. A participant in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) the Zoo works to support conservation of endangered and threatened animals. The critically endangered Amur leopard can be seen lounging on a tall rock or lying in the cool shady grass, while less than 35 of the species exist in the wild. Among other endangered animals found at the Zoo are the Asian elephants, lemurs, and a family of gibbons who swing through tree branches on their own island.
On its quest to keep education and awareness of endangered animals alive, the Santa Barbara Zoo will open one of its most spectacular exhibits yet in April of 2009. The dust from construction that has overwhelmed an upper portion of the Zoo for the past year will clear to reveal the new $6 million California trails exhibit, the result of the largest construction project in the Zoo’s history. Featuring the California condor, a bird that was near extinction a little over two decades ago, the exhibit will also be home to desert tortoises, Channel Island Foxes and a renovated barnyard with new animals that are related to California history.
From brand new exhibits to special events there is always something happening at the Zoo. So whether it’s your first visit, or you’ve been too many times to count, you’ll find something to explore. It’s sure to be a wild experience.