SANTA ANA – Zoo director Kent Yamaguchi insists the institution remains committed to saving its animals from extinction, despite losing its accreditation earlier this year and recently having its appeal of that ruling denied.

“What we do and who we are is the same,” said Yamaguchi, who said he was not surprised the Association of Zoos & Aquariums denied the appeal in June. “I knew that the standards the AZA holds are very high. It may not be what the AZA is looking for, but we know that we’re caring for our animals and we’re doing a good job with it.”

The national association’s independent accreditation commission in the spring reviewed applications from 20 zoos and aquariums – up for re-accreditation every five years – and denied only the Santa Ana Zoo, according to a press release issued by the AZA in July.

A confidential letter from the association to the zoo in April denied Santa Ana Zoo’s accreditation on the grounds, “monkey habitats outdated and not consistent with modern zoological practices,” Yamaguchi said.

A golden lion tamarin washes from a fenced exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cynthia Silva carries daughter Emma Villagrana, 1, as they watch the crested capuchin exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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A howler monkey finds lots to do in the Amazon’s Edge exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. This is newest primate exhibit built in 1993 and is now showing some infrastructure issues. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ariel, a golden lion tamarin, left, watches a Ingio, a sloth, get his dinner inside one of the aging money exhibits at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Black howler monkeys groom in the Amazon’s Edge exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017 . Amazon’s Edge exhibit is the newest primate exhibit built in 1993 and is now having infrastructure issues. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Santa Ana Zoo Registrar Ethan Fisher walks past one of the original structures in the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. It is the back of a fenced primate exhibit. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A pygmy marmoset sits in one of the smallest primate exhibits in the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017 . The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Zoo registrar Ethan Fisher watches Ariel, a golden lion tamarin, in an exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A golden lion tamarin hangs on a fence in an exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017 . The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A lack howler monkey watches the world go by in the open Amazon’s Edge exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Zookeeper Dina Orbison feeds Ingio, a sloth, inside one of the aging money exhibits at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/

Black howler monkeys relax in the open Amazon’s Edge exhibit at the Santa Ana Zoo on Thursday June 9, 2017. Amazon’s Edge exhibit is the newest primate exhibit built in 1993 and is now having infrastructure issues. The zoo recently lost its Association of Zoos & Aquariums accreditation because its monkey exhibits are not up to par. The zoo is working on a new overall design which would address issues of aging exhibits. The zoo’s goal is more open, airy, naturalistic exhibits with lost of stimulation and social opportunities for the primates. The zoo was opened in 1952. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Ana Zoo has been known since it opened in 1952 as the “monkey zoo” after the local businessman who donated land for it stipulated the city must maintain at least 50 monkeys, or the property could be reverted to his heirs. As of Tuesday, Aug. 8, the zoo had 57 monkeys of 14 species housed across 16 exhibits.

In a June 16 letter responding to Santa Ana’s appeal, the AZA stated “the necessary work to meet AZA’s accreditation standards has not yet been completed” and that its denial was effective immediately. The association also issued an order for the zoo to cease use of the AZA name and logo.

Since the denial, Santa Ana has taken steps to address the commission’s concerns, measures that are “heartening to see,” AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe stated in the July press release.

“We are hopeful, given time and attention toward improving the monkey habitats and other items identified during the inspection, that the Santa Ana Zoo will once again meet the standards necessary to rejoin the ranks of AZA members,” Ashe said.

Santa Ana Zoo can apply again for accreditation as soon as March.

Gerardo Mouet, director of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency, said the plan is to reapply in the spring, but that summer 2018 might be more realistic.

Meanwhile, which exhibits should be redesigned, how that should happen and the timeline for the work remain unclear, as the city awaits an upgrade of the zoo master plan, expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Before the zoo’s accreditation was denied, the city made a $1.4 million investment to revamp the Amazon’s Edge exhibit, which houses black howler monkeys and will include new giant river otters. Asked whether the zoo’s priorities moving forward will be on Amazon’s Edge or other monkey exhibits, Mouet said they would be dealt with “almost in parallel.”

While future funding from the city is uncertain, the Friends of Santa Ana Zoo earlier this month began construction of its 50 Monkey Ferris Wheel that, together with an existing train and carousel, is expected to generate close to $1 million annually for the zoo.

“All of that will go directly back into helping the zoo and monkey habitats,” said Friends of Santa Ana Zoo Executive Director Cathi Decker.

Santa Ana Zoo was first accredited by the AZA in 1985 and lost that standing one other time, for a year in 2001, due to low staffing numbers.