By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– The beloved Honolulu Zoo has a chance to be chosen as the Best Zoo in America as the final full week of voting gets underway in USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards contest.
The Honolulu Zoo was most recently ranked 4th, trailing only behind prestigious zoos including the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, and the North Carolina Zoo. The month-long contest wraps up at 7 a.m. HST, Monday, March 4. Everyone can vote once per day until then.
“Hawaiʻi has always turned out in voting to help propel some of our local people into national stardom,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi from the grounds of the Honolulu Zoo during the nomination announcement. “If there was ever anything we wanted to get behind, it’s getting behind putting our zoo into the top 10 and maybe even the best zoo in America.”
To vote for the Honolulu Zoo as America’s Best Zoo, go to: https://www.honoluluzoo.org/
This critical time in the voting process comes amid a spike in interest at the zoo; nearly 8,000 people visited the Honolulu Zoo over the recent Presidents’ Day weekend, the highest count for that holiday in six years.
“We were so excited to see the lines of people waiting to enter our zoo, which included a nice mix of residents, visitors and zoo members,” said Linda Santos, zoo director. “We are humbled to see and hear of so many people voting and extend a warm mahalo for everyone’s support. All zoos play a very important global role in conservation to keep precious animal populations healthy and thriving. As this is a shared responsibility for all zoos, we are not in this contest to say we are better than the other zoos. We are is in this so we keep trying our very best to be the best zoo we can for Honolulu.”
The Honolulu Zoo was among 20 facilities across the country that were selected by a panel of experts who focused on zoos that excel in animal care and enrichment while developing meaningful interactions between animals and humans. The USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards highlight top-notch attractions and businesses, providing readers with trusted recommendations.