SANTA ANA : Walk-Through Aviary May Be Added to Zoo

Dozens of colorful birds in a setting reminiscent of a lush South American jungle may be the next addition to the Santa Ana Zoo.

The City Council is scheduled to vote today on whether to spend almost $600,000 for a new aviary. Proponents envision a 9,000-square-foot walk-through area filled with tropical plants, streams, waterfalls, rock formations and, of course, the birds.

The aviary probably would open by next spring, said Ron Ono, design manager for the Recreation and Community Services Agency.

To prevent the birds from escaping, visitors would enter an anteroom and then step through another set of doors into the aviary, said Kent Yamaguchi, the zoo’s curator for education.

“The birds will still be able to exhibit wild behavior,” he said.

About $170,000 of the money for the aviary would come from a fund set aside for improvements at Jerome Park. The city may scrap those improvements because Orange County had pledged to pay for part of them but could not come up with the money after declaring bankruptcy in December.

The $594,000 for the aviary would not include purchase of the birds. Zoos typically receive birds free of charge from other zoos, he said, or through swaps.

Yamaguchi said the zoo has two aviaries now, but they are not designed to allow visitors to walk through them.

Elizabeth Campos, visitor services coordinator, said about 250,000 people a year come to the zoo. The new aviary, she said, is projected to draw more than 60,000 additional visitors.