Tag archives: SB Zoo

Long serving Santa Barbara Zoo President and CEO Rich Block is retiring in January after 27 years leading the 30-acre menagerie through the most transformative period in its history. Rich is the zoo’s second director succeeding the late Ted McToldridge, who retired in 1997. The zoo’s board of directors has formed a transition committee, and […]

Santa Barbara Zoo has added four new members to its board of directors – Yvette Birch Giller, Angela Sanchez, Bradley Vernon, and Karen Wintringham. Giller is president of the Mosher Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations in our Eden by the Beach within the areas of education, healthcare and the performing arts. She has also served […]

On honeymoon in March 2022 with his partner Patrick, photographer-musician Andrew Antone’s safari journey turned into a project to bring awareness to the natural world and wildlife he encountered through his camera lens. After pooling through 11,094 images, he selected 500 images for his book, and 32 photos for his exhibit at the Santa Barbara […]

The party animals were out in force when Santa Barbara Zoo held its 36th annual sold-out Zoofari gala with an Enchanted Forest theme, with the 712 guests taking the theme to heart with colorful, creative costumes more befitting Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter novels as they converged on the […]

Melissa Walker is Santa Barbara Zoo’s new Director of Advancement. With more than 15 years of fundraising experience, Melissa brings extensive expertise in nonprofit leadership to the 30-acre menagerie. “As a zoo member with a young son, my visits have been a favorite weekly activity for my family,” says Melissa. “I’m overjoyed to be part […]

The animals must have been wondering what was going on when the air filled with bubbles at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Not to worry! The Zoo had loaned part of their grounds to benefit Gwendolyn’s Playground. That is something to look forward to in the next year or two. It’s an all-inclusive playground built for […]

If you visit the Zoo and blink your eyes, you may think you’re “down under” in Australia. Our Santa Barbara Zoo has some new critters in the new Australian Walkabout Habitat: Bennett’s wallabies, western gray kangaroos, and emus. The grand opening was in January, 2022 and the exhibit is 15,000 square feet where you can […]

Click. Click. Click. My wife is normally annoyed by my obsession with my Nikon camera, but this time she was shushing me for good reason. I was in Max’s crosshairs. He knew I was taking photos of his absolute adorableness. So, he calmly turned around and seemingly posed. I was soooooo hoppy. (Listen, I live […]

Pardon the dad joke, but it’s not every day that kangaroos move into one’s backyard — but the bouncy beasts have arrived at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Three male Western grey kangaroos — Max, Aspen, and Coolibah — complete the new inhabitants of the 15,000-square-foot Australian Walkabout at the Zoo, slated to open on January […]

Ellie Cullip didn’t hide her emotions as she peeked at the nine Western snowy plovers getting acclimated to their new environment at the Coal Oil Point Reserve near UCSB’s campus. The Santa Barbara Zookeeper was just moments away from seeing this gaggle of plovers released by fellow keepers Stephen Haug and Katie Kranda, both taking […]

Lions and tigers and zebras, oh my! Yes, the Santa Barbara Zoo was back, wilder than ever for the XXXV Zoofari ball. This year’s theme was “Return to Basecamp” and all the safari clothes and animal prints came out of the closet. Rincon Events was back serving up a spread at “camp” along with sunset […]

Less than a year since the Santa Barbara Zoo welcomed a baby lion, the nonprofit has added a new member to the family, Marta, a 517-gram Amur leopard born on August 6 — the first birth for this endangered species in more than 20 years at the zoo. Much like Pauline the lion, Marta will […]

So, who’s throwing the baby shower? The Santa Barbara Zoo announced that Ajax, a female Amur leopard, is pregnant — the first time for the critically endangered species in more than 20 years for the Zoo. As the most endangered of all big cats, the conservation efforts are critical, so this news sent positive shockwaves […]

It’s not too big of a stretch to suggest that a lot of people probably felt like they might never get out from under the “new reality,” what with several surges and multiple levels of lockdown over the past 15 months. But the folks over at the Santa Barbara Zoo are emerging from the COVID […]

Five new members have joined Santa Barbara Zoo’s board of directors. The menagerie’s quintet includes attorney Jessica L. Diaz, Tracy Krainer, Bob Myman, retired veterinarian Dan Segna, and the Zoo’s former education director Betsy Turner. Montecito Bank & Trust executive George Leis chairs the board. Wedding Bells CBS morning show anchor Gayle King’s daughter, Kirby […]

The wildest place in town has to be the Santa Barbara Zoo and certainly a child’s favorite. When I moved here in the ‘70s I thought the Child estate related to children because the Zoo was there. I soon learned it had once been Lillian Child’s property. When she passed away it eventually became a […]

Ever since March 17, the Santa Barbara Zoo has been off limits to the public. That’s not surprising, given California’s stay-at-home restrictions, but it’s a disaster for the Zoo, its employees, and animals. In fact, the 57-year-old institution is facing the most dire financial crisis in its history. For that reason, on Saturday, April 25, […]

The Santa Barbara Zoo has been giving the wildest party in town for 34 years. The 500 or so animals don’t seem to mind when it’s time for the Zoofari Ball – this year’s theme was Summer Camp with the campsite being the hill at the Zoo. It was definitely glamping, not camping.   Some […]

Memories reigned supreme when Santa Barbara Zoo held its 34th annual Zoofari gala with a Summer Camp theme, billed as “more fun than jumping off a dock and more exciting than flashlight tag.” More than 600 guests, dressed in camp counselor T-shirts, cargo shorts, lifeguard outfits, safari attire, flip flops, and hiking boots, converged on […]

Karen Zacarías’ theatrical adaptation of Into the Beautiful North, which gets its area debut in six performances over 10 days beginning Friday by UCSB Theater Department, is based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist Luís Alberto Urrea – which served as the selection for UCSB Reads back in 2017. Urrea was inspired by the […]