"There's An Orange County Zoo?"

I heard that response from two different people yesterday when i brought up the subject of the Orange County Zoo. But individuals are very well informed people who know the county and follow local government and politics.

But they had know idea the County of Orange has a zoo.

I broach the subject because one of the many items on Tuesday's Board of Supervisors agenda was the Grand Jury's report on Orange County's zoos: the Santa Ana Zoo (operated by the City of Santa Ana) and the Orange County Zoo (operated by the County of Orange).

The Grand Jury recommendations (and here is the HBP Department's response:

• That Santa Ana Zoo management develops a formal written zookeepers’ training plan.

• Make the zoo grounds of the Orange County Zoo more user friendly by providing a public restroom and a drinking fountain inside the zoo.

• Develop ways to increase Orange County Zoo patronage, i.e. by providing better signs and maps to the public depicting the OCZ’s location within the park, and promoting the park’s attractions to entice more visitors.

After Sup. Campbell asked CEO Mauk to see to implementing the second recommendation, Sup. Norby was about to call a vote to receive the report and ask for any other comments. Sup. Moorlach jumped in to ask:

"Instead of putting in fountains, Mr. CEO, why don’t we just take out the animals and give them to the Santa Ana Zoo or to another facility?

I want to just be kind of direct and say that we’ve got an item in the county that is under used. I don’t know what kind of promotion we’re doing, but no one’s coming to the Zoo, and it’s not paying for itself, and I’m just wondering why we stay in the Zoo business.

Maybe the Great Park might be a better place for our zoo, but Irvine Park doesn’t seem to be doing it.

I would just like to direct staff to come back to us later in the year and tell us the efficacy of keeping the Zoo."

Norby then added:

Well, it’s a legitimate question. When people think of the Orange County Zoo, I think they do think of the Santa Ana Zoo, and if there’s any consolidation that can be done there…certainly zoos reach a certain critical mass when there are enough animals there that more people come.

The Santa Ana Zoos administration is the city of Santa Ana, so that’s something that perhaps the two district supervisors of those districts could take a look at together and see if there are any economies of scale.

But until then, we have the zoo, and we’re going to be in the business for a little bit anyway.

It is a legitimate question.

Comments

[Andy Favor]

I hope that when Frank Mickadeit gets back in town he will head out and give us a report on this zoo. I had no idea Orange County had another zoo.

[Trade a Jail for a Zoo]

Why doesn’t the County of Orange trade the O.C. Zoo to the City of Santa Ana for their City Jail? The County gets a new jail and the city of Santa Ana gets a new zoo. That way each agency can specialize in the care and feeding of just one type of animal!

[Mrs, Sharon Taylor]

We originally went to Irvine park for train ride for our grandson . Quite a walk from train area to zoo but worth it. Very well kept but does need to advertize to locals. We are from East coast & have also been to Santa Ana zoo & San Diego zoo.