Ryla ManalangClusters of colors beyond the rainbow illuminate an enclosed aviary surrounded by lots of greenery. With too many to keep track, a vibrant blue insect flutters out of sight as a new flash of orange occupies the space. As they feed on apples and oranges, rest on leaves and fly around aimlessly, the butterflies mesmerize attendees.
For the third consecutive year, about 300 colorful butterflies belonging to 30 species are living in a custom aviary in the Santa Ana Zoo until Sept. 30. “Flight! A Live Butterfly Experience,” is a 2,000-plus-square-foot habitat exclusive to the local zoo.
“I feel like we have a strong connection and impact to the community,” said Lauren Bergh, the zoo’s curator of education. “Santa Ana is dense and diverse which brings people to our habitat and connects them to nature.”
Since the first week of opening in June, the Santa Ana Zoo has obtained weekly shipments of chrysalis containing butterflies from Central, South and North America. They are sourced sustainably from farms. Each one is unpacked by hand and hung on dowels in the emerging room where they are transferred and released into the habitat once they fully surface from the chrysalis.
Depending on the species, their life spans typically last a maximum of four weeks, which means that each butterfly will spend their entire existence in the zoo. When it nears winter, the aviary that the butterflies reside in remains dormant until next year when they are naturally active again.
Unlike the exhibits at the county fairs that compress these insects into a small pop-up tent and allow groups to touch them, the Santa Ana Zoo has created an environment for butterflies to live while attendees can harmlessly admire their beauty. Because the zoo promotes the safety of the butterflies, they can not be touched.
“The butterflies are very delicate and not meant to be touched,” said Bergh. “Butterflies have teeny tiny scales and if you are constantly touching them and rubbing them off you are degrading the surface of the butterfly.”
The funding for this youth educational program is collected from the taxes of the legal side of cannabis. The cost of running the habitat is covered in the entrance fee so there are no additional charges to enjoy the exhibit unlike other butterfly experiences.
A regular $13 adult ticket, includes the live experience. Near the entrance, there is a QR code that guests can scan to join the waitlist. Without having to remain stagnant like the lines at Disneyland, waiting attendees can explore the zoo’s monkeys, camels and sloths while anticipating their turn to enter the habitat.
“Flight! Is an experience for the whole family,” said Bergh.
