The great success Los Angeles has had with Cape Griffin Vultures is only part of this aviaries story. Originally this aviary was built in the late 1970s to display TopaTopa, at the time the only California Condor in captivity since 1967. I remember paying many visits to the zoo to see this extremely rare and endangered bird. But a few years later, he was taken off exhibit to become a part of the Condor breeding program. That aviary was also used for breeding Andean Condors and I believe King Vultures as well.
But back to TopaTopa, who is still alive and off exhibit in the breeding program. I've provided a link from an article written in the Los Angeles Times about this incredible bird and his remarkable story.
The great success Los Angeles has had with Cape Griffin Vultures is only part of this aviaries story. Originally this aviary was built in the late 1970s to display TopaTopa, at the time the only California Condor in captivity since 1967. I remember paying many visits to the zoo to see this extremely rare and endangered bird. But a few years later, he was taken off exhibit to become a part of the Condor breeding program. That aviary was also used for breeding Andean Condors and I believe King Vultures as well.
But back to TopaTopa, who is still alive and off exhibit in the breeding program. I've provided a link from an article written in the Los Angeles Times about this incredible bird and his remarkable story.
The 1996 Master Plan calls for an aviary for Condors, as part of a California exhibit that would also include, Grizzly Bear and Mountain Lion habitats. Hopefully that's still in the works somewhere down the road.
The 1996 Master Plan calls for an aviary for Condors, as part of a California exhibit that would also include, Grizzly Bear and Mountain Lion habitats. Hopefully that's still in the works somewhere down the road.
The Master Plan was outlined in a 1996 issue of ZooView which I still have.
I'm not sure if its online anywhere. It would be great if they would someday put back issues of ZooView online.
There were also plans for updating all perimeter hillside exhibits. An American Plains habitat next to the Discovery Center (Bison and Pronghorn), a Conservation Center that would utilize unused land; maybe somewhere near the new Health Center. And plans for an Islands habitat; Lemurs, Galapagos Tortoises, etc. I'll have to pull that issue and review it once more. It included a map with planned changes and gave us a peek at now completed projects like that for the Chimpanzees, Orangutans and Gorillas.
It would be great if a future issue would update us with a new map of planned changes soon.
