@Blackduiker: Do you think that the LA Zoo was a better zoo when it once had a more diverse collection even though the animals were in what would now be considered horrible enclosures, or do you think that it is better than it ever has been with the newer enclosures that feature fewer species, but much better environments for them?
I have been visiting the zoo since I move to LA in 1997 (and visited once before that in 1989). I remember seeing many animals in those visits that are no longer in LA (African elephant, polar bear, spectacled bear, Tasmanian devil, wombat, kiwi, dingo, grey wolf, sloth bear, spectacled bear, zebra duiker, etc.) I miss some of these species, but I do feel that the LA Zoo is a better zoo now than it has been in the past and I really like having it as my home zoo.
I miss the extensive collection from the early years, 1966 to, say, the late 1970s. But the zoo has definitely improved exhibit wise and has a long way still to go. But my heart will always be with my lifetime home zoo.
