It's been a hectic year with lots of restrictions and adjustments. Slowly but surely life goes back to normal or how many say the new normal. While we weren't allowed to do much during most of the time of the previous 12 months, we are now again allowed to explore.
You might not have noticed but one of those places which recently reopened to the public is the zoo in Santa Barbara and I thought this is a good reason to write about the place and invite people to go visit. Just remember to come with a face mask, consider the opening times as well as the fact that some areas remain closed. Also very important to know is that you have to make an online booking before going to the zoo. You can do that here.
The Zoo in Santa Barbara has many exotic and endemic animals to offer. You can tour through it within no more than two hours but you can also spend a whole day lingering in between the various cages and parks.
Especially families with children love the park due to its appealing factor for the little ones. The zoo is often named the "Audrey Hepburn of zoos - petit, charming and beautiful".
Some highlights of the park don't even involve animals directly. There is a 26-foot rock climbing wall for the adventurous among you all. From the top, you can get a bird's-eye view of the park. A mining camp lets you and your children search for treasures and if you're getting a little tired you can take a ride on the Zoo train. This train will give you a relaxed tour of the zoo while you can rest your legs.
One of the highlights in the park is always visiting the tallest animals of the Zoo. Feeding time is the most popular time to come and visit the giraffes.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is supporting several organizations in protecting wildlife. The zoo is partner with the California Condor Recovery Program which is doing its best in restoring the numbers of condors in the wild. They are also taking part in a project of recycling electronic devices such as cellphones. If you would like to support them simply throw in your old devices in the collection box at the entrance.
The zoo is also involved in the island fox recovered on the islands of California. They've helped save the animal from extinction.
FrogWatch USA is a citizen science dedicated to frogs. The zoo itself takes part in the project and you can find lots of information on how to prepare your backyard frog-friendly and many other things.
I hope this article inspired you to get active and either visit the zoo or do some saving-wildlife activities yourself!
Sources:
- Santa Barbara Zoo (https://www.sbzoo.org/)
- Santa Barbara Hompage (https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/santa-barbara-zoo/)