Santa Barbara Zoo is reopening after coronavirus closure. Here’s what to expect

Want to go visit a baby giraffe?

After months of being closed by the COVID-19 crisis, the Santa Barbara Zoo reopened on Tuesday.

Online reservations for visitors are required to limit the number of people at the zoo at 500 Niños Drive.

Visitors can expect a one-way route through the zoo, and some features will be closed, including the giraffe feeding deck, barnyard, Wings of Asia, Tropical Aviary, Eeeww! indoor area and Rattlesnake Canyon, according to the zoo.

There have been several animal arrivals since the zoo closed in March, including a pair of African lions and a baby giraffe, Twiga, born on March 27.

Since the male Masai giraffe Michael came to the zoo in 2011, there have been eight giraffe calves born at the zoo.

The lions include 4-year-old Ralph from the Indianapolis Zoo and 2-year-old Felicia from the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina.

“As part of the African Lion Species Survival Plan, these two have been matched as a breeding pair, with hopes that they’ll eventually have cubs!” zoo staff wrote on social media.

During the closure, zoo staff continued caring for the animals and posted social media videos of Monty the penguin exploring other exhibits, and meerkats experiencing bubbles for the first time.