We’re thrilled to provide a safe home for Mel in Santa Barbara and look forward to strengthening the future of this endangered species.

The white-handed gibbon is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, and is threatened by habitat loss and poaching in their tropical rainforest homes in Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

We excitedly welcomed Mel, a 24-year-old male white-handed gibbon from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas, to our Zoo family last week! Mel joins Chanee, the 19-year-old female white-handed gibbon, at Gibbon Island on a breeding recommendation from the AZA’s Species Survival Program (SSP).

We’re always pleased to take home any award, but to be recognized for excellence by our local community is particularly meaningful. We love you, Santa Barbara, and we are grateful to have your continued support!

Your Santa Barbara Zoo won in the categories of Best Family Fun Spot AND Best Kids’ Summer Camp, and was honored as a runner-up in the categories of Best Place to Work AND Best After School Program.

We had the privilege of hosting Dr. Goodall at the Zoo in 2001 as she promoted her Roots & Shoots program. Meeting with staff and local school children, her trip to the Zoo left an impression on our community, and her life will forever be a source of inspiration for the Santa Barbara Zoo family.

Found only on the Fiji islands, they are also talented swimmers who are not shy to make a splash to escape predators.

Fiji banded iguanas (like the one pictured here in its Tropical Wonders habitat) are arboreal and prefer to spend their time in the trees. There, these endangered lizards forage for fruit, leaves, and flowers.

When temperatures are warm, these blood vessels expand to release body heat. When it gets chilly, the blood vessels contract to hold onto warmth.

Their spots help them thermoregulate too. Giraffe don’t sweat – instead, they have concentrated arrangements of blood vessels underneath their spots to stay cool.

To help them stick to smooth branches and vertical surfaces, they have specialized toe pads. Taking a closer look, their toe pads have folds with millions of microscopic “hairs” called setae to create a sticking effect.