Santa Ana Approves $594,000 to Build an Aviary at Zoo
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SANTA ANA — he newest addition to the city’s zoo will be an aviary valued at almost $600,000, although the birds will come later.
The City Council on Monday voted to spend $594,000 for a 9,000-square-foot, walk-through aviary, which is expected to open next spring.
The $594,000, however, does not include money for the birds. That will come from other sources, such as the support group Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo, said Kent Yamaguchi, the zoo’s curator for education.
Yamaguchi said birds cost up to $400 each, a small amount compared to construction costs. The Santa Ana Zoo also may acquire the birds through trades or as gifts from other zoos.
“Whenever you build an exhibit,” Yamaguchi said, “the animals are the cheapest thing.”
The proposed aviary would include tropical plants, streams, waterfalls, large rock formations and dozens of South American birds.
The last addition to the Santa Ana Zoo, the Amazon’s Edge plant and animal exhibit, opened two years ago.
Elizabeth Campos, the visitor services coordinator, said the aviary could boost yearly attendance from 250,000 to 310,000.
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