The old LA Zoo had polar, American black, and grizzly bears.
This information comes from an interview with former LA Zoo curator Michael Dee who worked in the old zoo area when it was a quarantine area for the current LA Zoo built in 1966 approximately a mile from this site.
I reviewed the Griffith Park Zoo and recounted my visit with Mike here:
http://www.zoochat.com/22/put-me-zoo-review-old-los-314434/
These grottos are sometimes used for movies. They were used in the bear scenes in the movie "Anchorman" with Will Ferrell.
