Santa Barbara Zoo

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Why don’t you ever see a tortoise wearing a scarf? 🧣❓🐢Because they’ve already got a turtleneck! 📸: Keeper ArielAlt-text:...
01/24/2025

Why don’t you ever see a tortoise wearing a scarf? 🧣❓🐢

Because they’ve already got a turtleneck!

📸: Keeper Ariel

Alt-text: Three African spurred tortoises gather around a plate holding an array of bright leafy greens.

ATTENTION ZOO FRIENDS: Our annual Snow Leopard Festival has been POSTPONED!The Snow Leopard Festival is rescheduled from...
01/23/2025

ATTENTION ZOO FRIENDS: Our annual Snow Leopard Festival has been POSTPONED!

The Snow Leopard Festival is rescheduled from January 26 to February 2 due to the inclement weather forecast. Guest safety is our top priority.

If you would like to transfer your existing reservation to the new date, please contact the Zoo. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding!

Alt-text: A portrait of Kisa the snow leopard. Kisa calmly looks around her habitat as her long, fluffy tail whips behind her.

Not only do they look like Einstein, but they’re pretty smart too! 💡🧠🐒Cotton-top tamarins use approximately 38 different...
01/23/2025

Not only do they look like Einstein, but they’re pretty smart too! 💡🧠🐒

Cotton-top tamarins use approximately 38 different calls to communicate with their fellow monkey compatriots!

Alt-text: A pair of cotton-top tamarins climbing together at the Zoo. Stella (front) looks directly at us while Mini (behind) looks away while hugging an adjacent branch.

01/23/2025

My waddle >>> Your waddle 😤😤😤

(Btw chat: “Waddle” is the collective noun for a group of penguins gathered together on land. A group of penguins in the water is called a “raft!”)

Alt-text: A short and sweet reel featuring the Humboldt penguins! We see the penguins in their habitat, on a walk around the Zoo, and pecking at our camera.

Putting the “social” in social media! 🪶🤝🪶California condors are highly social birds. They often get together and express...
01/22/2025

Putting the “social” in social media! 🪶🤝🪶

California condors are highly social birds. They often get together and express their curiosity and playful nature by preening each other, exploring novel objects in groups, and play fighting.

Alt-text: A California condor spreads its wings atop a tree in its habitat at the Zoo. The pink-headed bird looks back over its right wing after having its curiosity piqued by something out of frame.

Brightening your feed with a smiley Coahuila box turtle! ☺️🐢(You can thank us later!)Alt-text: Pictures of a Coahuila bo...
01/21/2025

Brightening your feed with a smiley Coahuila box turtle! ☺️🐢

(You can thank us later!)

Alt-text: Pictures of a Coahuila box turtle in its Rainforest Passage habitat at the Zoo. In the first picture, the little green turtle looks at us with its permanently smiling mouth pointed in our direction. In the second, it turns its head to the side as if to get a better look at us out of its left eye while still wearing a smirk.

Don’t worry, be CAPY! 🤗You can visit Antonio and Poppy the capybaras every day this week! The Zoo is open daily from 9:3...
01/21/2025

Don’t worry, be CAPY! 🤗

You can visit Antonio and Poppy the capybaras every day this week! The Zoo is open daily from 9:30 AM to 5 PM.

Alt-text: Pictures of the Santa Barbara capybaras! In the first, Antonio stands with the side of his face in the sunlight in his habitat. In the second, Poppy takes a stroll through the foliage alongside her habitat’s pool.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”Happy ! 🇺🇸Alt-text: Avalon the American bald eagle...
01/20/2025

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Happy ! 🇺🇸

Alt-text: Avalon the American bald eagle lets out a proud eagle shriek while perched on a tree branch in her habitat.

Hope you’re having a grape day like this toco toucan! 🍇😋Alt-text: Santa Barbara’s resident toco toucan proudly pauses as...
01/19/2025

Hope you’re having a grape day like this toco toucan! 🍇😋

Alt-text: Santa Barbara’s resident toco toucan proudly pauses as he hops from branch to branch to pose with the grape prize he holds at the tip of his beak.

There’s always time to stop and smell the browse at the Zoo! 😌🍃Alt-text: Aspen the Western grey kangaroo stretches to ge...
01/18/2025

There’s always time to stop and smell the browse at the Zoo! 😌🍃

Alt-text: Aspen the Western grey kangaroo stretches to get a sniff of the bright green leaves that hang from a tree in front of him.

What’s Marta the Amur leopard gonna to do? 𝘕𝘰𝘵 have a lil' snack?! 😼🍖 Alt-text: Marta the Amur leopard turns her head ov...
01/18/2025

What’s Marta the Amur leopard gonna to do? 𝘕𝘰𝘵 have a lil' snack?! 😼🍖



Alt-text: Marta the Amur leopard turns her head over her shoulder to look at our camera with wide eyes while keeping her front paws latched onto a hunk of meat.

Why did the Asian small-clawed otter cross the pool?To get to the otter side, of course! 🦦🌴Alt-text: Gail the Asian smal...
01/18/2025

Why did the Asian small-clawed otter cross the pool?

To get to the otter side, of course! 🦦🌴

Alt-text: Gail the Asian small-clawed otter leads the troop in this picture. She and two other otters shake off and drip water after swimming across their pool at the Zoo.

Terrific talon tools! 🧰⚒️🦅Bald eagles have some of the largest talons of any bird of prey in North America. Their eight ...
01/17/2025

Terrific talon tools! 🧰⚒️🦅

Bald eagles have some of the largest talons of any bird of prey in North America. Their eight talons (four on each foot) are their primary weapon when hunting or defending themselves. They also use their talons to groom themselves, grab and transport nesting materials, and perch on tree branches.

Alt-text: Avalon the bald eagle perches atop a tree. She stares off into the distance as she digs her long, pointy talons into the tree’s bark.

Long tail, don’t care! 💁‍♀️💁‍♀️💁‍♀️Except we do care because snow leopards have really cool tails! For starters, their t...
01/16/2025

Long tail, don’t care! 💁‍♀️💁‍♀️💁‍♀️

Except we do care because snow leopards have really cool tails!

For starters, their tails are some of the longest of any big cat species (about 3 feet long). They help the cats balance as they traverse mountainous terrain. Their tails also make useful scarves or blankets and can be wrapped around the leopards to keep them warm in icy conditions.

Alt-text: Kisa the snow leopard waking up from a nap in her habitat at the Zoo. She lifts her head from a “pillow” of wood wool and her long, fluffy tail hangs off the cliff behind her.

Monkey business = Skink business 🦎💼Prehensile-tailed skinks are known by a few other names including “monkey-tailed skin...
01/15/2025

Monkey business = Skink business 🦎💼

Prehensile-tailed skinks are known by a few other names including “monkey-tailed skink” and “Solomon Islands skink.” They use their long tails to keep their balance and grasp branches.

📸: Keeper Cassie

Alt-text: Isabel the prehensile-tailed skink stretches out along a branch in her Rainforest Passage habitat. The green lizard lies on her belly and her long tail curls to counter her weight behind her.

Plump pigeon plopping! 🪹🐦Luzon bleeding-heart doves spend most of their time on forest floors where they tip-toe around ...
01/15/2025

Plump pigeon plopping! 🪹🐦

Luzon bleeding-heart doves spend most of their time on forest floors where they tip-toe around looking for fallen fruit, seeds, and insects. When they’re not down there, they’re nesting at mid-tree level!

Alt-text: A Luzon bleeding-heart dove plants its round body in a wicker basket it’s fashioned into a nest for itself. The blue-feathered fellow coos calmly in its safe spot just off the ground.

The face you make when you prove you’re taller: 😊🦒Alt-text: Theo the Masai giraffe (left) smiles at our camera as Raymie...
01/15/2025

The face you make when you prove you’re taller: 😊🦒

Alt-text: Theo the Masai giraffe (left) smiles at our camera as Raymie the Masai giraffe (right) points his lips to the sky as if trying to stretch to a taller height than Theo.

A tentative fennec fox blep for ! 🦊👅Alt-text: Flynn the fennec fox pokes out his tongue in this close-up. The petite de...
01/14/2025

A tentative fennec fox blep for ! 🦊👅

Alt-text: Flynn the fennec fox pokes out his tongue in this close-up. The petite desert fox’s tiny pink tongue tip stands out against his sand-colored fur.

Address

500 Ninos Drive
Santa Barbara, CA
93103

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+18059625339

Website

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Videos

My waddle >>> Your waddle 😤😤😤 (Btw chat: “Waddle” is the collective noun for a group of penguins gathered together on land. A group of penguins in the water is called a “raft!”) Alt-text: A short and sweet reel featuring the Humboldt penguins! We see the penguins in their habitat, on a walk around the Zoo, and pecking at our camera.

What do you mean meerkats don’t drink water? 🫨 It’s true! In the wild, slender-tailed meerkats can survive without drinking water. Instead, they get all the hydration they need by eating roots and fruits. 📸: Keeper Ariel Alt-text: A short video of a pair of slender-tailed meerkats playing. They pause briefly and make silly faces as they look up at keeper Ariel.

Annual Appeal 2024
Annual Appeal 2024

As 2024 comes to an end, we’d like to celebrate another year of excellence in conservation, education, and animal care! Because of your support, the Santa Barbara Zoo is able to make an impact in our local community and the wide world of wildlife! Our goal is to keep growing, evolving, and reaching for excellence and our need for support continues to grow as well. As we enter 2025, please consider making a gift today for our animals, our community, and our planet because a great Zoo starts with you! To make a donation: https://www.sbzoo.org/donate Alt-text: A video highlighting our 2024. We see clips of animals around the Zoo, our conservation team working in the field, our educators teaching the next generation, and guests enjoying their time at the Zoo.

An apple a day keeps the vet away! 🍎🩺 📸: Keeper Cassie Alt-text: Miles the prehensile-tailed porcupine chows down on a slice of a red apple as keeper Cassie gives us the zookeeper’s-eye view.

Season’s greetings from fennec foxes Phineas and Flynn! 👋🦊 Alt-text: Phineas and Flynn the fennec fox brothers enjoy some Christmas enrichment. The two explore a cardboard “gingerbread” house as they lap up healthy snacks scattered inside.

Merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us here at the Santa Barbara Zoo! 🎄🎁🦍 The elves (read: gorilla keepers) confirmed it with Santa himself, Western lowland gorillas Bangori and Nzinga made the nice list this year! Alt-text: Bangori the Western lowland gorilla wakes up to a surprise in his habitat! The big, burly gorilla excitedly unwraps gifts of puzzle feeders and munches on vegetables as part of the elaborate Christmas enrichment left for him by the gorilla keepers.

Kisa says, “Hi!” 👋❄️🐆 Alt-text: Kisa the snow leopard whimsically wanders over to greet us at her habitat’s observation window. She sits down, scratches an itch, and then carries on her way.

Being a meerkat can be a dirty job, but our mob doesn’t mind it! 🪱⛏️💪 #MeerkatMonday Alt-text: Our three slender-tailed meerkats dig furiously through a mound of mud as they work to uncover their wormy lunch in this video.

Christmas came early for Marta the Amur leopard! 🎄🐆 Marta received an enrichment fir tree with some meat treats to find within its branches to stimulate her problem-solving skills! #Caturday 📸: Director of Advancement Liz Alt-text: Marta the Amur leopard climbs about her enrichment fir tree in this video. She bobs and weaves around the tree until she finds her meaty mark and pulls it out of the tree’s clutches.

What’s your favorite interactive light fixture at ZooLights this year? The glowing seesaws? The spectacular swings? Haven’t seen for yourself yet? Check the link for tickets and more information: https://www.sbzoo.org/zoolights Alt-text: A video showcasing the all-new ZooLights! We see amazing animal lanterns lighting up the Santa Barbara night and families enjoying interactive light displays!

All-New! ZooLights 2024
All-New! ZooLights 2024

Have you seen the all-new ZooLights yet?! ⚡🦖🦒🦩 Feast your eyes on thousands of new handcrafted silk-covered lanterns and have a blast playing with the interactive displays at Santa Barbara’s favorite holiday tradition: ZooLights! Tickets are available for dates throughout December. For more information and to get your tickets today: https://www.sbzoo.org/zoolights Alt-text: A video showcasing the all-new ZooLights! We see amazing animal lanterns lighting up the Santa Barbara night and families enjoying interactive light displays!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the Santa Barbara Zoo! 🦃🍾🍁 Our slender-tailed meerkats are feasting on worms and crickets today! What’s your favorite Turkey Day dish? Alt-text: Our slender-tailed meerkat mob munches on crickets and worms in this reel. They climb over a pumpkin and each other as they feast together happily.

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