The staff of the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens will be working to spruce up the zoo next year.
Beginning Jan. 5, the zoo will be closed on the first Thursday of each month for its “ReZOOvenation Days.”
A day without visitors will allow zoo staff to undertake larger projects to enhance the zoo grounds, facilities and animal areas. It also will give time for the staff to undergo more training.
“Having a day each month without visitors will allow a larger chunk of time for things that we can’t really do with people at the zoo,” said Mindy Runnells, Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex administrator. “This will give staff more time to complete things that need to be done, like pressure-washing, landscaping and updating habitats.”
Additionally, the zoo will extend its hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily starting on Jan. 2.
Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo is fundraising for a couple of habitat expansions, although the specifics are set in stone.
“One of the first priorities we’ll be focusing on is the visibility of the primates and sloths, which can use some freshening up,” Runnells said. “I think it would be great to have more glass paneling and to design more habitats similarly to the tigers, which is much more open.”
The Pana‘ewa zoo reopened in July 2021 after closing for 16 months due to a $10 million renovation to bring the zoo in compliance with standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Since reopening, the zoo has welcomed families, tours and field trips back to the grounds with updated sidewalks, benches, playgrounds and habitats.
“We’ve had wonderful attendance. Everyone is so happy it’s open regularly,” Runnells said. “Kids especially love visiting, playing on the playground and seeing the animals, which is part of the reason why we’re extending hours until 4 p.m. It’ll give families more time after school to enjoy the afternoon here.”
Runnells is new to the administrative position and is working on projects that were sidelined due to COVID-19.
“We’re really excited for everything new coming to the zoo,” Runnells said. “We’re developing educational resources for kids that are visiting with their classes and working on getting more education programs up and running again. COVID closed so much, and we’re going to restart all these things slowly, but surely.”
The Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens currently is open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The zoo will be closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.