Carousels get a conservation bent

As quaint and charming as they may be, those antique carousels featuring wooden horses are going out of style. And if you live in Southern California, you (or your children) can take a ride on the new generation of the whimsical rides. The Santa Ana Zoo's new Conservation Carousel debuted a few months ago.

Aside from the Bengal tiger, seal and zebra pictured here, the merry-go-round's lineup of 33 animals includes a giant panda, African elephant, cheetah, hummingbird, jaguar, sea otter, custom-made anteater and even a wheelchair accessible swan.

Although not all new carousels feature endangered species, non-traditional merry-go-rounds have been sprouting up at zoos across the country, including Denver and Atlanta, since the mid-1990s. That bit of news comes from Bette Largent, president of the National Carousel Assn.

So why are these new rides so popular? Are children sick of giddying-up atop the traditional equines?

Zoos, Largent said, are "a perfect atmosphere for a carousel as children can see the various real animals, often without being able to interact with them, and they can then take their imagination one step further by actually riding the wild, exotic or cuddly animals on a carousel."

For more information on Santa Ana's Conservation Carousel, call (714) 835-7484.

-- Tony Barboza

Photo: Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo