Los Angeles Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Los Angeles Zoo is a 113 acres (45.7 ha) zoo
founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles
, California
. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals. Animal care, grounds maintenance, construction, education, public information, and administrative staff are city employees.
, is home to 1,100 animals from around the world. The first zoo opened in 1912 and was about two miles (3.2 km) south of its current site until about 1965. Remnants of the zoo remain and were used in the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
. The site of the current zoo was formerly the location of Rodger Young Village
, which was itself built on the land which had been used for the Griffith Park Aerodrome.
It has been successful in its breeding program of the rare California condor
, helping to grow the number of condors in the world from a low of 22 in the 1980s to over 330 today. It is one of the few zoos worldwide to have the mountain tapir
.
In the 1971 20th Century Fox
film Escape from the Planet of the Apes
, the characters Zira and Cornelius are briefly quarantined at the Los Angeles Zoo.
In 1998, the zoo opened Chimpanzee
s of the Mahale Mountains, followed by Red Ape RainForest in 2000, the Komodo Dragon Exhibit, the Winnick Family Children Zoo in 2001, the Entry Plaza, Children's Discovery Center and Sea Lion Cliffs (now Sea Life Cliffs) in 2005, Campo Gorilla Reserve in November 2007, and Elephants of Asia in the winter of 2010.
The zoo is open from 10am–5pm every day of the year except December 25.
World of Birds Show: Birds of prey and other rare and exotic winged wonders perform. Show times: Weekends 11:30am, 2pm, and 3:30pm.
Animals & You Program: Featuring close-up creature encounters! These 15-minute long animal close-ups take place at stations in the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo.
Winnick Family Children's Zoo: Located at the top of Winnick Family Children's Zoo, this petting zoo enables visitors to get up-close and touchable with goats and sheep in an animal contact area known as Muriel’s Ranch. They have brushes available at Muriel's Ranch for visitors to help groom the domestic animals.
Neil Papiano Play Park: The Neil Papiano Play Park (located in the upper zoo along the perimeter road) incorporates animal-themed climbing sculptures, large play structures, a toddler area, water misters, grassy landscaping, and a large picnic area. It was specially designed to be accessible to all children visiting the zoo, including those with medical and physical challenges.
Note: For a short time, there were Crested Screamers on display.
Note: For a short time, there were Fennec Foxes and Vietnamese Walking Sticks on display. Usually, there used to be Tufted Deer, but now gone. Fennec Foxes are replaced by the Desert Tortoise again. Since, there were no Vietnamese Walking Sticks anymore.
Note: For a short time, there were Polar Bear
s on display, but were gone.
Category:Zoos in California
Category:Griffith Park
Category:Visitor attractions in Los Angeles, California
de:Los Angeles Zoo
fr:Zoo de Los Angeles
lt:Los Andželo zoologijos sodas
pt:Zoológico de Los Angeles
simple:Los Angeles Zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals. Animal care, grounds maintenance, construction, education, public information, and administrative staff are city employees.
History and overview
The zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith ParkGriffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
, is home to 1,100 animals from around the world. The first zoo opened in 1912 and was about two miles (3.2 km) south of its current site until about 1965. Remnants of the zoo remain and were used in the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
. The site of the current zoo was formerly the location of Rodger Young Village
Rodger Young Village
Rodger Young Village was a public housing project, set up to provide temporary housing for veterans returning to the Southern California area following the end of World War II.-History:...
, which was itself built on the land which had been used for the Griffith Park Aerodrome.
It has been successful in its breeding program of the rare California condor
California Condor
The California Condor is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. Currently, this condor inhabits only the Grand Canyon area, Zion National Park, and coastal mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California...
, helping to grow the number of condors in the world from a low of 22 in the 1980s to over 330 today. It is one of the few zoos worldwide to have the mountain tapir
Mountain Tapir
The Mountain Tapir or Woolly Tapir is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild...
.
In the 1971 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
film Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, directed by Don Taylor, is a 1971 science fiction film starring Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman and Ricardo Montalbán. It is the third of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs, the second being Beneath the...
, the characters Zira and Cornelius are briefly quarantined at the Los Angeles Zoo.
In 1998, the zoo opened Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s of the Mahale Mountains, followed by Red Ape RainForest in 2000, the Komodo Dragon Exhibit, the Winnick Family Children Zoo in 2001, the Entry Plaza, Children's Discovery Center and Sea Lion Cliffs (now Sea Life Cliffs) in 2005, Campo Gorilla Reserve in November 2007, and Elephants of Asia in the winter of 2010.
The zoo is open from 10am–5pm every day of the year except December 25.
Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association
The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) was created in 1963 and is a nonprofit corporation created to support the Los Angeles Zoo in its mission to nurture wildlife and enrich the human experience. GLAZA's primary responsibility is to seek and provide financial support for the zoo’s programs and capital projects. GLAZA also provides support through membership, organizing special events and travel programs, producing award-winning publications, coordinating one of the largest zoo volunteer programs in the country, administering the contract for visitor services concessions within the zoo, and supporting community relations, and public relations.Botanical Gardens
In 2002, the zoo became a certified Botanical Gardens and the official name of the institution was changed to the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Spread throughout zoo grounds, there are 15 different collections, highlighting over 800 different plant species, with a total of over 7,400 individual plants.Gottlieb Animal Health and Conservation Center
Named after philanthropists Robert and Suzanne Gottlieb, the Gottlieb Animal Health and Conservation Center is a 33589 square foot facility situated in a restricted area in the upper reaches of the zoo. Among other features, it includes a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, an on-site commissary, a surgical suite with observation area, and research facilities. In 2007 the facility handled 853 medical cases. The smallest patient treated was a spider tortoise (0.08 kg) and the largest was an Asian elephant (4,826 kg).Shows and activities
California Condor Rescue Zone (CCRZ): The CCRZ is a facilitated play space designed for children ages 6 and up. In an immersive environment, children can learn what it takes to protect California condors.World of Birds Show: Birds of prey and other rare and exotic winged wonders perform. Show times: Weekends 11:30am, 2pm, and 3:30pm.
Animals & You Program: Featuring close-up creature encounters! These 15-minute long animal close-ups take place at stations in the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo.
Winnick Family Children's Zoo: Located at the top of Winnick Family Children's Zoo, this petting zoo enables visitors to get up-close and touchable with goats and sheep in an animal contact area known as Muriel’s Ranch. They have brushes available at Muriel's Ranch for visitors to help groom the domestic animals.
Neil Papiano Play Park: The Neil Papiano Play Park (located in the upper zoo along the perimeter road) incorporates animal-themed climbing sculptures, large play structures, a toddler area, water misters, grassy landscaping, and a large picnic area. It was specially designed to be accessible to all children visiting the zoo, including those with medical and physical challenges.
Sea Life Cliffs
- California Sea LionCalifornia Sea LionThe California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
- American AlligatorAmerican AlligatorThe American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
(Reggie)
Note: For a short time, there were Crested Screamers on display.
Children's Zoo
- OcelotOcelotThe ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
- African HedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
- Desert TortoiseDesert TortoiseThe desert tortoise is a species of tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. They can be located in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The species name agassizii is in honor of...
- Black Rat SnakeBlack Rat SnakeThe Western ratsnake — also called black rat snake, pilot black snake, or simply black snake — is a nonvenomous colubrid species found in North America. No subspecies are currently recognized....
- Sheep
- GoatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
- Guinea PigGuinea pigThe guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
- Black-tailed Prairie DogBlack-tailed Prairie DogThe black-tailed prairie dog , is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen aboveground in...
- Thick-billed ParrotThick-billed ParrotThe Thick-billed Parrot, Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha is an endangered, medium-sized, up to 38 cm long, bright green parrot with a large black bill and a red forecrown, shoulder and thighs...
- Yellow-billed MagpieYellow-billed MagpieThe Yellow-billed Magpie, Pica nuttalli, is a large bird in the crow family found only in California. It inhabits the Central Valley and the adjacent chaparral foothills and mountains...
- ScorpionScorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
- Vietnamese Walking StickMedauroidea extradentataMedauroidea extradentata, commonly known as the Vietnamese or Annam Walking Stick, is a species of the family Phasmatidae. They originate in Vietnam and are commonly found in tropical forests there...
- AxolotlAxolotlThe axolotl , Ambystoma mexicanum, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the Tiger Salamander. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. It is also called ajolote...
- Desert TarantulaAphonopelma chalcodesAphonopelma chalcodes, commonly known as the western desert tarantula, Arizona blond tarantula or Mexican blond tarantula is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae. It has a limited distribution in the deserts of Arizona and adjacent parts of Mexico but can be very common within...
- Inland Bearded Dragon
- California Brown Pelican
- Madagascar Hissing CockroachMadagascar hissing cockroachThe Madagascar hissing Cockroach , also known as the Hissing Cockroach or simply Hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2–4 inches at maturity. They are from the island of Madagascar off the African coast, where they can be found in rotting logs.Unlike most cockroaches, they...
- Miniature horseMiniature horseMiniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
- DonkeyDonkeyThe donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
- Black Widow SpiderBlack widow spiderLatrodectus mactans, the Southern black widow, is a highly venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. They are well known for the distinctive black and red coloring of the female of the species and for the fact that she will occasionally eat her mate after reproduction. The species is...
- Panay Cloud RatPanay CloudrunnerThe Panay Cloudrunner is the second-largest cloud rat, a squirrel-like rodent that is found on the island of Panay in the Philippines.-Discovery:...
- PorcupinePorcupinePorcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
- Slow LorisSlow lorisSlow lorises are a group of five species of strepsirrhine primates which make up the genus Nycticebus. Found in South and Southeast Asia, they range from Northeast India in the west to the Philippines in the east, and from the Yunnan province in China in the north to the island of Java in the south...
- CivetCivetThe family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....
- MeerkatMeerkatThe meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...
- GerenukGerenukThe Gerenuk , also known as the Waller's Gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry bushy scrub and steppe in East Africa, from Somalia and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania...
- DuikerDuikerA duiker is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa.Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear...
- Mexican Beaded Lizard
Note: For a short time, there were Fennec Foxes and Vietnamese Walking Sticks on display. Usually, there used to be Tufted Deer, but now gone. Fennec Foxes are replaced by the Desert Tortoise again. Since, there were no Vietnamese Walking Sticks anymore.
LAIR
- Gray Seal
Note: For a short time, there were Polar Bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s on display, but were gone.
The future
The zoo has many upcoming exhibits including the Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles [LAIR] in which opens in early 2012 and the Rainforest of the Americas in 2013.See also
- John C. HollandJohn C. HollandJohn C. Holland was one of the longest-serving Los Angeles City Council members, for 24 years from 1943 to 1967, and was known for his losing fight against bringing the Los Angeles Dodgers to Chavez Ravine and for his reputation as a watchdog over the city treasury.-Biography:Holland was born...
, Los Angeles City Council member, 1943–67, opposed turning the zoo over to a private organization
External links
Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCategory:Zoos in California
Category:Griffith Park
Category:Visitor attractions in Los Angeles, California
de:Los Angeles Zoo
fr:Zoo de Los Angeles
lt:Los Andželo zoologijos sodas
pt:Zoológico de Los Angeles
simple:Los Angeles Zoo