How Orange County zoo animals are adapting to no visitors around
By Orange County on August 28, 2020
It’s been about six months since Orange County’s two zoos shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic and some of the animals are clearly missing their visitors, but zookeepers said they’ve been able to use this time to improve exhibits and get the grounds ready for people to return safely.
Orange County is home to two zoos: Santa Ana’s 20-acre zoo at Prentice Park and the county’s zoo at the heart of Irvine Regional Park that has been around in some form since 1905.
Animal keeper Paul Bangs encourages Poppy, a young opossum, to spend time on ice and to engage on Monday, August 17, 2020 . The orphaned marsupial is the OC Zoo’s ambassador animal, used for educational purposes.
(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ethan Fisher, the director of the Santa Ana Zoo, points out the a distinguishing feature of Nubian goats is their long floppy ears in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. Even though the zoo is not receiving revenue from visitors it continues to be funded by local government. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Bobbie Gale enjoys ice treats, including a “bananasicle” at the OC Zoo in Orange on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Zoo workers were busy keeping the deer and other animals cool during the scorching heat wave. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parks Animal Keeper Gilda Ragsdale gives Bobbie Gale ice treats, including a “bananasicle” to keep the deer cool at the OC Zoo in Orange on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Elinor knocks over her bucket of ice at the OC Zoo in Orange on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Zoo Manager Donald Zeigler said ice treats are a good way to keep the animals cool and engaged. Misters are also scattered throughout the zoo to make scorching days more pleasant for staff, animals and the public. But it is currently closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Elinor looks for treats inside an ice bucket at the OC Zoo in Orange on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Zoo Manager Donald Zeigler said this is a way to keep the animals cool and engaged. Misters are also scattered throughout the zoo to make scorching days more pleasant for staff, animals and the public. But it is currently closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Elinor looks for treats inside an ice bucket at the OC Zoo in Orange on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Zoo Manager Donald Zeigler said this is a way to keep the animals cool and engaged. Misters are also scattered throughout the zoo to make scorching days more pleasant for staff, animals and the public. But it is currently closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
OC Zoo employees are busy tending to the animals even though the park is indefinitely closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, August 17, 2020 in Orange. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Poppy, a young opossum, is queen of the ice as she keeps cool on Monday, August 17, 2020 in Orange. The orphaned marsupial is the OC Zoo’s ambassador animal, used for educational purposes. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Animal keeper Paul Bangs encourages Poppy, a young opossum, to spend time on ice and to engage on Monday, August 17, 2020 . The orphaned marsupial is the OC Zoo’s ambassador animal, used for educational purposes.
(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
OC Zoo Manager Donald Zeigler stands under misters that are placed throughout the zoo to keep animals and people cool during scorching days on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 in Orange. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parks Animal Keeper Gilda Ragsdale gives Bobbie Gale ice treats, including a “bananasicle” to keep the deer cool at the OC Zoo in Orange on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Ana Zoo director Ethan Fisher displays a Owl Pellet Nature lab in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. The lab kit will be given out to Santa Ana residents. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Work continues on replacing a giant beam at the entrance to the Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. During the shutdown the zoo has used the time to repair, replace and maintain the buildings and grounds. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A black and white colobus monkey waits to be feed through the cage in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. Even though the zoo is not receiving revenue from visitors it continues to be funded by local government. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The 50 Monkeys ferris wheel at Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020 hasn’t been used since the zoo closed in March but crews continue to perform regular maintenance on the ride. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Nubian goats feed at the Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. Even though they are not getting revenue from visitors they getting funding from local government. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ethan Fisher, the director of the Santa Ana Zoo, walks down a trail towards the zoo’s Crean Family Farm in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. Even though the zoo is not receiving revenue from visitors it continues to be funded by local government. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Plexiglass, placed between the fencing and the monkey habitats at the Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020 was erected to protect the monkeys because they are susceptible to the coronavirus. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. Even though they are not getting revenue from visitors they getting funding from local government. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jennifer Orrison, a zookeeper at the Santa Ana Zoo feeds black and white colobus monkeys in Santa Ana on Thursday, August 13, 2020. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. The Santa Ana Zoo has been closed since March. Even though the zoo is not receiving revenue from visitors it continues to be funded by local government. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Ana Zoo Manager Ethan Fisher said the animals quickly picked up on the lack of visitors and some have adapted well to the times, while others crave the missing attention and interaction with humans.
“The animals actually watch us as much as (visitors) watch them,” Fisher said, like the personable Capuchin monkeys that are usually very active and engaging with visitors.
And the goats in the petting area are missing having the kids around to play with, he said, so the zoo’s staff has been trying to give them a little extra attention.
The staff has also taken this opportunity to take animals out into other areas of the zoo and introduce them to one another.
“It’s been fun seeing the reactions and interactions of the animals,” Fisher said.
The miniature donkeys, Sebastian and Dante, have been a hit, he said. “Some of the monkeys reacted with a lot of curiosity and were investigating the donkeys.”
Mary Creed-Booth, the OC Zoo’s curator of education, said in many ways, life at the zoo hasn’t been affected all that much by the coronavirus.
“Some of what we do hasn’t changed a whole lot in terms of the animal care, so on the side of our zookeepers they’re all still doing the same job that they have been doing,” she said. “We’re pretty used to having the animal keepers wear masks anyways in this industry so, in all honesty, it’s not a gigantic change for some of the staff.”
The zookeepers and staff are still cleaning the exhibits and feeding and providing enrichment for the 130 animals on a regular basis, she said, except staffers are now limiting their contact with each other.
Zookeepers have been using the time since closing to the public on March 15 to put more safety measures in place both to protect the visitors and the animals and make updates to the spaces.
The OC Zoo, which opened as a county facility in 1985, is looking to create a one directional path throughout the grounds so people don’t stop and crowd around popular exhibits like the black bears and mountain lions.
Visitors will not be able to pet or feed any of the animals for a while and any kind of interaction with the animals will be limited to staff only.
“Obviously some people, once we reopen, they won’t think that they’ll be able to have any of the animal interactions; that really is what is popular and what people love and gets them excited about animals and wanting to learn more if they can see it really close or touch it,” Creed-Booth said.
Some of the Santa Ana Zoo’s newest amenities include an outdoor exhibit for pygmy marmosets, two new anteaters – a personal favorite of UCI-alum Fisher – and a giant river otter habitat that will soon be ready.
Fisher said the wooden fencing recently installed around some of the animals’ exhibits to add more barriers at the 68-year-old zoo blends in nicely with the landscape. “When you stand back and look at the changes we’ve made, it actually looks quite discreet even though it’s there.”
People will still be able to see the animals through new Plexiglas screens, and while there won’t to be any physical interaction, there will be socially distanced animal presentations curated by the zoo.
Officials at both zoos said they don’t have an opening date set yet, but they have been monitoring how other zoos are operating and the reopening plans of larger institutions such as aquariums and museums.
Mandating masks upon entrance, limiting the capacity for visitors and keeping some of the exhibits closed should be expected and the Santa Ana zoo will be keeping attractions such as its playground, Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and train rides off line in the beginning.
Though their gates remain closed, both have continued to connect with the community through virtual programming, behind-the-scenes videos and educational opportunities for students.
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