Retiring director Ken Redman, a fixture at Honolulu Zoo for 17 years, plans to continue sharing his vast knowledge of the animal kingdom when he leaves his current post June 30.

Redman, 66, is headed to Tanzania later this year, which will be his 12th trip to Africa, after an earlier cultural trip with his wife, Evelyn, to the Kingdom of Bhutan in South Asia. The lure of having time for traveling to "broaden horizons" convinced Redman to finalize his decision three weeks ago.

"This profession is one of the greatest in the world and I would have liked to see our next project done but I know there'll just be another one after that," Redman said in confirming his retirement plans.

Redman escorts groups to Africa, which he says "calls out to me."

Redman, who came from Wichita, Kan., to Hawai'i in 1991 as assistant zoo director, served as director for 15 years.

"In his time, he brought education to the forefront," Sidney A. Quintal, city Enterprise Services director, said of Redman.

Quintal cited the two-year-old Keiki Zoo, a $5.1 million interactive complex that lets visitors get up close to appreciate a wide range of animals from fish and guinea pigs to horses and cows; the construction of the zoo's veterinary clinic, and improved relationship with the Honolulu Zoological Society as some of Redman's accomplishments as director.

"We are reaching out to residents and visitors with our education programs such as vacation adventures, snooze-in-the-zoo and outreach to schools and I'm very proud of that," said Redman, who began his 34-year career at Dakota Zoo in Bismark, N.D., his hometown, as a zookeeper.

Quintal said the city will shortly begin a nationwide search for Redman's successor. "I think we've worked hard to get the zoo to wear it is now and want it to continue," Quintal said.