The Honolulu Zoo won fourth place in the 2024 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for the “Best Zoo in America” category.
For the competition, a panel of experts and editors selected 20 zoos, including the Honolulu Zoo, because they excel in animal care while developing meaningful interactions between animals and humans. A public voting period took place over 28 days, which determined the top ten for the “Best Zoo” in the country.
“We extend a huge and heartfelt mahalo to the people of Hawaii and zoo supporters around the world for their tremendous outpouring of aloha for our beloved Honolulu Zoo,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “This wonderful accomplishment was made possible by the outstanding Honolulu Zoo Director Linda Santos and her hard-working and devoted crew.”
Santos described it as an honor to be included in the top five best zoos.
“We extend our warmest aloha and appreciation to everyone who took the time to spread the word, create posts and messages, set reminders, and texted friends, families and contacts to vote for our zoo,” said Santos. “We also want to congratulate our fellow ‘Best Zoo’ winners and nominees. We are all critical pieces of the conservation puzzle, doing our very best together to care for and ensure the survival of our precious animal species, worldwide.”
The top ten winners for the “Best Zoo” category:
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- North Carolina Zoo
- Honolulu Zoo
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
- Brevard Zoo
- Audubon Zoo
- San Diego Zoo
- Saint Louis Zoo
- ZooMontana
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.
