The 26-facility county parks system includes the Irvine Ranch Open Space, comprising Limestone Canyon, Weir Canyon and Fremont Canyon nature preserves, as well as Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park.
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Description
The OC Zoo is located inside beautiful Irvine Regional Park in the city of Orange. The Zoo is nestled among the majestic 477 acre wilderness park.
The Zoo's focus is on animals and plants native to the southwestern United States. Many of our animals are injured, orphaned, confiscated, or not releasable into the wild. Animals on exhibit include black bear, mountain lion, bald eagle, kit fox, ocelot, beaver, great horned owl, porcupine, coyote, turkey vulture and more. The zoo also features a barnyard with domestic goats and sheep.
History
The OC Zoo traces its roots back to 1905 when Red Foxes were introduced in the Irvine Park Region and bred by J.A. Turner. A small collection of animals started in 1920 by Tustin rancher Sam Nau featured a pair of pet mule deer. Nau eventually built a corral for the park that held an additional male mule deer. An alligator exhibit was the chief attraction until a bird exhibit adjoining the deer pens was added in 1935. The bird exhibit structure exhibited cockatoos, quail, doves and parakeets.
The current modern zoo officially opened in 1985 as the Irvine Park Zoo and has since changed its name to the OC Zoo. The zoo is owned, staffed and operated by the County of Orange.