Life has never been so good for Vai Gai the elephant, Chrissie the tiger and other animals at the Honolulu Zoo.

Improvements in recent years have placed the zoo among the nation's best, according to The Intrepid Traveler, a travel publishing company. And with visitor numbers up, an increasing operating budget and higher revenues, zoo officials are optimistic that the zoo will live up to its new ranking.

Among the improvements is the Keiki Zoo, a $5.1 million complex that opened in 2006 and has been a regular hit among families, officials said.

North Shore resident Michelle Thompson said her 3-year-old son, La'akea, can't get enough of the interactive displays, including a koi pond with a tunnel that kids can climb through.

Thompson, who has been coming to the zoo for about 20 years, said she is impressed with the zoo's most recent improvements.

"Every time I come, there's something new or something I hadn't noticed before," she said.

Low prices and improved exhibits have kept visitors coming over the past few years, said Sidney Quintal, director of the city's Department of Enterprise Services, which oversees the zoo. Zoo attendance has reached 600,000 visitors per year, an increase of more than 100,000 visitors over the past five years. About half of the zoo's visitors are tourists.

"We are very pleased that people are excited about the zoo and that our values have been recognized," Quintal said.

Despite a dip in visitor numbers after Sept. 11, 2001, and accreditation problems in 2006, "the zoo is definitely on its way back," he said.

STELLAR EXHIBITS

The zoo was included in The Intrepid Traveler's "America's Best Zoos 2008," by Allen Nyhuis and Jon Wassner, which placed the zoo among the nation's top 60 zoos. The zoo's African Savanna exhibit ranked 15th in the country for African animal exhibits, and its bird collection was among the nation's 25 best.

"I was very impressed with a lot of the exhibits, especially the African Savanna," said Nyhuis, who has visited more than 200 zoos around the world.

"I really enjoyed coming around the corner, seeing the giraffes and the zebras, and right behind them is Diamond Head," he said. "It was like you've traveled from Hawai'i to Africa in less than five minutes."

Nyhuis was also impressed with the zoo's admission prices. While the average United States zoo charges $37 for a family of four, the Honolulu Zoo charges $18, Nyhuis said.

The zoo's operating budget this year is $5.3 million, compared with $3.5 million in 2004. Admission revenues have also increased from $1.3 million to $1.9 million since 2004.

HIGHER QUALITY

Recent figures and the new rankings indicate that things are looking up for the zoo, which hasn't always been considered a top-scale institution.

In 2006, maintenance and staffing problems put the zoo's accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association on hold.

"The zoo was neglected. There was no maintenance of the exhibits and that put our accreditation in jeopardy," Quintal said.

The American Zoo Association gave zoo staffers one year to turn things around before it was re-evaluated. Efforts to improve housekeeping practices and fill vacant positions paid off, Quintal said. Accreditation was granted in March 2007 and will last until March 2011.

Since then, the zoo has seen huge growth in the quality of its exhibits, according to both zoo officials and visitors.

A new veterinary hospital, an improved orangutan exhibit and a second tiger exhibit with space for a mother to raise cubs are among the zoo's recent projects.

"We've had great support from the current administration," said zoo curator Peter Luscomb. With that support, "we've tried in the last couple of years to create more natural environments for our animals and encourage a normal repertoire of behaviors."

One former sore spot, concrete and chain link cages that housed Rusti the orangutan for more than 20 years, were replaced in late 2005 with a natural setting. The zoo even got an orangutan companion for Rusti, named Violet.

"A shining moment was to observe him walk out on grass and luxuriate in its softness," he said.

MORE UPGRADES

Scott and Nadine Slade, honeymooners from Calgary, Alberta, said that naturalistic displays set the Honolulu Zoo apart from their local zoo.

"I love that we can just see these animals up close without looking through fences or gates," Scott Slade said.

As visitors and animals continue to enjoy a new and improved zoo, plans to upgrade zoo premises are still far from complete.

An incident earlier this year involving Sumatran tiger Berani, who pushed past an unlatched gate and wandered into an unsecured area, pointed toward a need for better security. The zoo made more than $50,000 in safety upgrades following the tiger's near escape, including the installation of gates with automatic latches.

IN THE FUTURE

An ongoing change is the expansion of the Indian elephant exhibit. Zookeepers are preparing to move elephants Mari and Vai Gai from their current 3,600-square-foot enclosure to a 30,000-square-foot space. Local landscapers will be contracted for the project, which will take about a year to build, Luscomb said. The zoo is searching for two more elephants — a cow and a bull — to add to the larger exhibit. About $6.8 million will go toward the project this year.

Construction is also under way on a $2 million classroom next to the Keiki Zoo, which will be completed in September. Sidewalk repairs are ongoing, and construction of a new entrance and gift shop will begin later this year, Quintal said.

In addition to changes on zoo grounds, the city is in the process of hiring a new zoo director. Ken Redman, who served as director for more than 17 years, retired from his post last month. Tommy Higashino, formerly assistant director, will serve as acting director until the position is filled.

While zoo officials seem to have their plate full, they are looking toward long-run projects as well. In particular, they hope to address a lack of parking caused in part by beachgoers who fill up spaces early in the day.

"Our biggest problem right now is probably the parking lot. We don't have any concrete plans now, but in the future we'll look at options for creating more parking," Luscomb said.