Santa Ana Zoo's 60th Birthday!

The Santa Ana Zoo is having a birthday party, and you're all invited!

 

Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11, 11am-2pm, will be two big days of fun at the Santa Ana Zoo as we celebrate the Zoo's 60th birthday.  There will be lots of games, music, dancing, and lots of other fun stuff.

 - Del Oro Pacific modular train club will have a giant model train display

 

 - Games and Crafts for the kids

 - The OC Guardettes and Images Dance Studio will perform

 - SAZOO, our monkey mascot, will be there to see all his friends

 - 50's themed music

 - Birthday cake sponsored by Knowlwoods Cafe (while it lasts!)

 - Lots of fun for all ages!

Come see just how far this little Zoo has come in the past 60 years!

Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11, 11am-2pm each day.  

Birthday Cake celebration at 12:30.

 

In 1949, J.E. Prentice donated 12 acres of his citrus ranch to Santa Ana for a park. With this donation, he stipulated that the city must keep at least 50 monkeys at all times.

In the meantime, the city had realized the need for a park in that area, and had formed the Santa Ana City Memorial Park Committee. They gladly accepted Mr. Prentice's generous gift and began preparations for the new park.

At the same time, a young man named Jack Lynch was growing up in Orange County.  Jack spent most of his teen years collecting animals and learning about trapping and training birds and other animals of prey, and studied drafting to learn to design and build different kinds of cages.  When he heard of plans for Prentice Park, he immediately went to City Hall to ask for a job designing and building the cages for the animals.  He was given a job that turn into his life's work.

On March 8 1952, The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park was born and the Zoo opened to the public.

The Zoo now receives over 270,000 visitors annually, and its staff and volunteers are committed to providing education and entertainment that makes this Zoo something that J.E. Prentice would have been proud to see.

  

 
The Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park is located at:
1801 Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701.  (conveniently located just off the 5 fwy.)
Admission is $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors and children 3-12 years. Children under three are free. 
For more information call 714-836-4000 or visit our website at: www.santaanazoo.org. 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and become a fan of the Santa Ana Zoo.

Baby Boom at the Santa Ana Zoo has Visitors ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’!

Another new baby monkey is born at the Santa Ana Zoo!

No, you’re not seeing double, the Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park is pleased to announce the birth of the second Silvery Langur (Trachypithecus cristatus) this year. Born on the 22nd of February, 2012, the baby and its parents, Ripley and Oliver, are doing fine. 

This bright orange baby monkey joins the Zoo’s other baby langur born on January 31st. Both babies share the same father but have different mothers.  Silvery Langur monkeys are born bright orange and turn silver-gray starting at about three to five months old.  Mature Silvery Langurs weigh around 15 pounds when fully grown.  In the wild, this monkey lives in the tropical forests of Indonesia and Malaysia where they are threatened by deforestation.

 photo by Ethan Fisher

Zoo attendance has increased due to the crowds of people coming to see the first new baby. “Our visitors have been flabbergasted when they see two orange babies instead of one,” says Kent Yamaguchi, Zoo Director.   The first baby born in January has already started to venture away from its mother and has been seen investigating this new addition to the family.  “Zoos are important places where people can learn about the need to conserve these amazing creatures. The color change of the baby Langur monkeys is just one example of the remarkable animals that share our earth,” says Yamaguchi. 

The new Langurs are a tremendous boost to the Silvery Langur population in North America that currently numbers approximately 50 animals.   This birth at the Santa Ana Zoo was a collaborative effort with Species Survival Plan Program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.   The mission of the AZA Species Survival Plan Programs is to manage and conserve select threatened or endangered, ex situ populations through the cooperation of AZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums.

The new baby is on view for the public daily between 10:00AM and 4:00PM at the Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park, 1801 Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Admission is $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors and children 3-12 years. Children under three are free. For more information call 714-836-4000 or visit our website at: www.santaanazoo.org. 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and become a fan of the Santa Ana Zoo.