There’s new leadership at the Honolulu Zoo. The city bid aloha to Linda Santos, who retired last year after serving as director for seven years.
She started her nearly four-decade-long career at the zoo as a caretaker. John Berry is stepping into her shoes. He served as the former director of the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. Berry has also held senior-level positions in conservation and government, and has a mountain in Antarctica named after him.
HPR caught up with Berry on his first day at work to know: Why Hawaiʻi?
“My partner of 30 years is a local boy, my husband Curtis Yee,” Berry shared. “And he followed me around everywhere, and it got to be time for thinking about, ‘Well, maybe we're going to be near retirement, but let's go home,’ and so we did, and this is home.”
He told HPR that he has had two passions in life: wildlife conservation, inspired by childhood visits to the Smithsonian National Zoo, and civil rights advocacy, working with LGBTQ+, Native Hawaiian, disabled, and veteran communities.
“When I heard from a friend that, ‘Well, they're hiring for the director of the Honolulu Zoo,’ and I thought, ‘Gee, this could be great when your passion and your job come together.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, wow, I am putting retirement off,’” Berry said.
Berry said that the staff at the Honolulu Zoo brings great energy to its work and is actively involved in the conservation of endangered species.
“There are a lot of things online can give you, but looking into the eye of a tiger or an elephant or a giraffe, or having a giraffe take a carrot out of your hand are life-changing experiences for our keiki, and it was for me,” Berry said. “I'm still involved with it here; I'm 67, so you know it's amazing, it's incredible to be able to see that again.”
The zoo is working with partners such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Nature Conservancy, and the state Department of Natural Land and Resources on conservation work. Berry hopes to create a new generation of conservation lovers through teamwork, curiosity, and aloha.
“I think what my dream would be is to make the Honolulu Zoo such a magical place that you don't just come once, you come 100 times, because you'll find it a place that refreshes your soul and refreshes your heart and reminds you what it is to be human again,” Berry said. “If I can tick that box, when I know I've ticked it, will be the time to pass the torch to my successor.”
Berry encouraged the public to volunteer and get involved with the zoo.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 10, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻiulani Coburn adapted this story for the web.
