Want to go visit a baby giraffe?
After months of being closed by the COVID-19 crisis, the Santa Barbara Zoo is reopening on Tuesday.
Online reservations for visitors will be required to limit the number of people at the zoo, a 500 Niños Drive.
Visitors can expect a one-way route through the zoo, and some features will be closed, including the giraffe feeding deck, barnyard, Wings of Asia, Tropical Aviary, Eeeww! indoor area and Rattlesnake Canyon, according to the zoo.
There have been several animal arrivals since the zoo closed in March, including a pair of African lions and a baby giraffe, Twiga, born on March 27.
Since the male Masai giraffe Michael came to the zoo in 2011, there have been eight giraffe calves born at the zoo.
The lions include 4-year-old Ralph from the Indianapolis Zoo and 2-year-old Felicia from the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina.
“As part of the African Lion Species Survival Plan, these two have been matched as a breeding pair, with hopes that they’ll eventually have cubs!” zoo staff wrote on social media.
During the closure, zoo staff continued caring for the animals and posted social media videos of Monty the penguin exploring other exhibits, and meerkats (among others) experiencing bubbles for the first time.
Campgrounds, More Day-Use Areas Reopen
Santa Barbara County Parks reopened its campgrounds at Cachuma Lake Recreation Area and Jalama Beach earlier this month. Only people with reservations can stay at the campgrounds for now, with no walk-ins available, according to the county.
All parks, beaches and open spaces are open for day use, and all restrooms at day-use parks are open as well.
The Nojoqui Falls Trail is currently closed, “to limit congregation and promote social distancing,” according to the county, but all other trails and parking areas are open.
Some state campgrounds are open again, for people with reservations, including Refugio State Beach and El Capitán State Beach on the South Coast.
Day-use parking lots and facilities are open at those two parks and nearby Gaviota State Park.
Some campgrounds, day-use and picnic areas in the Santa Barbara Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest reopened in early June, but others remain closed.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
