Countywide : ‘Rain Forest’ for the Trees and Animals

In the tree branches above a simulated rain forest, curious monkeys at the Santa Ana Zoo Friday jumped about and peered down on several dozen visitors who had come to see the unveiling of the zoo’s newest exhibit.

The gregarious tamarin monkeys are part of a new exhibit that simulates a South American rain forest partly damaged by human slash-and-burn land-clearing techniques.

Zoo director Ron Glazier said the display is intended to prompt visitors to think about the roles they play in their environment and to encourage conservation of the world’s natural resources.

“The exhibit shows what will happen to the rain forest if we don’t take care of it,” Glazier said. “The idea of this is to bring some focus and concern to the loss of habitat around the world.”

The $30,000 Conservation Rain Forest display includes a 54-foot-long, 16-foot-high cage filled with trees, shrubs and a small waterfall and stream. Monkeys share the enclosure with iguanas, rabbit-sized rodents of a species called golden-rumped agoutis, and bird species called elegant-crested Tinamous.

Nearby is a wood and stone building that houses two-toed sloths--hairy, slow-moving tree-dwellers who prefer to spend their days hanging upside down eating leaves. Glazier said those mammals that thrive only in more tropical climates will join the other animals in the outdoor cage once the weather warms.

Parts of the exhibit include devastated and burned trees and foliage to show what humans have done to such areas. A chain saw is embedded in one tree stump.

Visitors said they were impressed by the exhibit and its message. “I think it’s fantastic. It feels like you’re walking through a real jungle,” said Blanche Edwards, 67, who was vacationing from Plain View, N.Y.

The exhibit is a part of a continuing 10-year, $10-million zoo expansion, Glazier said.

The zoo is at 1801 E. Chestnut St. in Prentice Park and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children age 3 to 12 and senior citizens over 62. Children under 3, the disabled and zoo members are admitted free.

For more information, call (714) 953-8555.