Tag archives: zoo

Black Swans: Chaos Surrounds Discovery and Ultimate Capture of Black Swans in SB Harbor
By Gretchen Lieff and Nick Masuda   |   May 13, 2021

The phones at both the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network and Santa Barbara Zoo were quite busy over the weekend and into Tuesday — there were a handful of Australian Black Swans hanging out in the Santa Barbara Harbor, a sight never seen on the South Coast. That ended abruptly on Tuesday afternoon when Julia […]

The Wildest Place In Town
By Lynda Millner   |   June 18, 2020

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 […]

Santa Barbara Zoo Hosts “Drive By, Wave Hi” Donation Parade
By Nick Schou   |   April 30, 2020

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, […]

Zoofari Ball XXXIV
By Lynda Millner   |   September 12, 2019

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 […]

A Wild Night
By Richard Mineards   |   May 16, 2019

It was clearly a mane event when Santa Barbara Zoo hosted its fifth annual Roar & Pour, a sell-out attracting 1,500 oenophiles and gourmands, raising around $100,000 for the popular menagerie. Some 300 of the party animals splashed out for VIP tickets, allowing them early entrance to the fun fête, avoiding the crowds and giving […]

Autumn of 42: Cirque’s Ring Pay Tribute
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 11, 2018

Man and his machines form the basic elements of Cirque Mechanics, the modern company founded 14 years ago by former BMX bike champion Chris Lashua, who began by creating an innovative aerial apparatus. In his and his team’s vision, circus certainly has acrobatics and clowning around, but also is rooted in realism achieved by the […]

Zoofari Ball XXXIII
By Lynda Millner   |   September 13, 2018

The wildest place in town, the Santa Barbara Zoo, gets a little wilder every August with the Zoofari Ball, this year the 33rd. Co-chairs Lisa Carter and Nancy McTolbridge and honorary chair Kathy Jensen deemed it the “Summer of Love” a la 1967. Remember when bell bottoms were de rigueur along with tie-dye anything – […]

Zoo’s News
By Richard Mineards   |   August 30, 2018

Flower power reigned supreme when Santa Barbara Zoo held its 33rd annual Zoofari gala with a Summer of Love theme, the 1967 phenomenon that put the San Francisco neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury into the global spotlight and singer Scott McKenzie immortalized the heady moment in his homage to the City by the Bay. Pucci, Gucci, and […]

All the World’s a Cage
By Richard Mineards   |   May 17, 2018

The party animals were out in force when Visit Santa Barbara held its annual general meeting and tourist celebration to recognize the local travel industry at Santa Barbara Zoo. The very in-tents occasion, with more than 200 guests, coincided with National Travel and Tourism Week, as well as California Tourist Month. Kathy Janega-Dykes, president, said […]

Leopard Festival at the Zoo
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 23, 2017

On Sunday, December 3, 80 tons of snow will be delivered for the Santa Barbara Zoo’s annual “Snow Leopard Festival,” which will take place from 10 am to  3 pm. The snow will be shaped into sledding runs for kids (sleds provided), deposited in a snow play area, and provided as enrichment to many of […]