Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens Golden monkeys

As I recall from the article, the mayor of Los Angeles and a team of delegates went to China on a trade mission. (As everyone knows, L.A. is a huge port for ships with goods from Asia). One of the mayor's goals, besides the usual trade negotiations, was to try to get a pair of pandas for the zoo. They turned him down and offered golden monkeys instead, I think as a sort of consolation prize. I don't remember any specific reasons being given, but I suppose San Diego may have had something to do with it (not sure on this).

FYI, the China Pavilion that was used to house the temporary panda visit back in 1984 and then housed snow leopards for a few years has been closed to visitors for many years. It now houses red uakaris (only ones in U.S. zoo?), which apparently were suffering from stress when they were on public display.
 
Blackduiker

Not wanting to burst any bubbles, including my own, I was recently informed at a GLAZA charter members only breakfast by one of the zoo docents, that the LA city council voted to no longer support the funding for the Golden Monkeys, and that the zoo would probably be exhibiting some other species of Asian primate in that space. Possibly langurs. See my recent post on the Los Angeles Zoo news thread. Remember, this all comes on the heels of the recent elephant exhibit city council vote. I am a new ZooChat member, but a long time member of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association(40+ years).

Believe me, I'm hoping the information is incorrect, but the docent seemed pretty down about it. Maybe the zoo through private donors will still make it happen, but I can live with langurs if need be. When you've been around as long as I, you learn to roll with the flow. Another ZooChat member (Mstickmanp) is at the zoo investigating at this very moment. Hopefully he can fill us in further.
 
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Blackduiker said:
Not wanting to burst any bubbles, including my own, I was recently informed at a GLAZA charter members only breakfast by one of the zoo docents, that the LA city council voted to no longer support the funding for the Golden Monkeys, and that the zoo would probably be exhibiting some other species of Asian primate in that space. Possibly langurs. See my recent post on the Los Angeles Zoo news thread. Remember, this all comes on the heels of the recent elephant exhibit city council vote. I am a new ZooChat member, but a long time member of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association(40+ years).

Believe me, I'm hoping the information is incorrect, but the docent seemed pretty down about it. Maybe the zoo through private donors will still make it happen, but I can live with langurs if need be. When you've been around as long as I, you learn to roll with the flow. Another ZooChat member (Mstickmanp) is at the zoo investigating at this very moment. Hopefully he can fill us in further.
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Well, I asked three people from the zoo and all did not know anything, they even told me that they had not even heard what Blackduiker said, so lets hope that the monkeys will be here.
 
Blackduiker

mstickmanp said:
Well, I asked three people from the zoo and all did not know anything, they even told me that they had not even heard what Blackduiker said, so lets hope that the monkeys will be here.
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UPDATE:
Well this is the latest from someone at the zoo who would know. After leaving a message with this individual, I received a voice message on my cell phone that they didn't know where this docent received his information, which was incorrect, but they are definitely still awaiting the Golden Monkeys. There is no problem with still funding them to be here, and the delay is from the other side of the ocean and not with L.A. Everything is ready for their arrival.

It seems that China needed more of a deadline, so the zoo director (not the individual that contacted me) has informed them that he would like to see the Monkeys here by May. As to why they haven't been sent yet is baffling to everyone at the zoo.

We're still very much on track to see them here in Los Angeles! Hopefully by May.
 
Blackduiker said:
UPDATE:
Well this is the latest from someone at the zoo who would know. After leaving a message with this individual, I received a voice message on my cell phone that they didn't know where this docent received his information, which was incorrect, but they are definitely still awaiting the Golden Monkeys. There is no problem with still funding them to be here, and the delay is from the other side of the ocean and not with L.A. Everything is ready for their arrival.

It seems that China needed more of a deadline, so the zoo director (not the individual that contacted me) has informed them that he would like to see the Monkeys here by May. As to why they haven't been sent yet is baffling to everyone at the zoo.

We're still very much on track to see them here in Los Angeles! Hopefully by May.
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Great news! Hopefully this time the monkeys do arrive in time.
 
Perfect. Golden Monkeys will definitely be the highlight of my california trip. Hope they do well there.
 
Next year. San Diego Zoo and wild animal park are included in that trip as well. Who knows, if I have more time and money by then, Monterey Bay aquarium and San Francisco Zoo will be in it too. Each of those stops have a key species I want to see. Since San Diego Zoo lost their Bennett's Cassowary and their Douc Langurs are no longer on exhibit, Golden Monkey would be perfect for me to spent time and money to go to California.
 
You have to remember that Jim Hahn was the one who signed the Golden Monkey deal. Now with this economy and budget crunch, Antonio's administration is not crazy about it and nothing's happening.
 
Blackduiker

NekoMama7 said:
You have to remember that Jim Hahn was the one who signed the Golden Monkey deal. Now with this economy and budget crunch, Antonio's administration is not crazy about it and nothing's happening.
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The current mayor actually tried getting Giant Pandas for Los Angeles at a much higher cost, but was denied by the Chinese Government. I've recently spoken with someone working in GLAZA and have been assured that funding them is not an issue, and that the holdup is with China.
 
Blackduiker said:
The current mayor actually tried getting Giant Pandas for Los Angeles at a much higher cost, but was denied by the Chinese Government. I've recently spoken with someone working in GLAZA and have been assured that funding them is not an issue, and that the holdup is with China.
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I thought we were talking about Golden Monkeys...

Anyway, I think the zoo needs to finish the elephant exhibit first, then close the deal on golden monkeys, if they're ever going to go for them. And they probably need to do something about those Latin America exhibits up in the hill where some monkeys are currently housed off-exhibit.

Well, I don't ever want LA Zoo to even attempt to have Giant Pandas where most casual visitors don't know how to behave. How do you expect them to be quiet and to understand why. And I'm not going to go into how giant panda loans etc., works and stuff here, as this is a wrong thread to do so.

See, you got me off-topic too!
 
Blackduiker

NekoMama7 said:
I thought we were talking about Golden Monkeys...

Anyway, I think the zoo needs to finish the elephant exhibit first, then close the deal on golden monkeys, if they're ever going to go for them. And they probably need to do something about those Latin America exhibits up in the hill where some monkeys are currently housed off-exhibit.

Well, I don't ever want LA Zoo to even attempt to have Giant Pandas where most casual visitors don't know how to behave. How do you expect them to be quiet and to understand why. And I'm not going to go into how giant panda loans etc., works and stuff here, as this is a wrong thread to do so.

See, you got me off-topic too!
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I was hardly "off-topic.":confused:

We are talking Golden Monkeys... And I brought up Pandas because you mentioned that "Antonio's administration is not crazy about it" (the cost of funding Golden Monkeys during this economic crisis) in your prior post, which is not the case. The current mayor wanted to spend even more for the Pandas... China refused L.A's request and we had to "settle" for Golden Monkeys.

As I stated before, I have an important contact with GLAZA (who will remain nameless), definitely assuring me that funding the "Golden Monkeys" is not an issue with city Administration or GLAZA. I was refering to Golden Monkeys in my previous post. The holdup for the, let me make it perfectly clear this time, Golden Monkeys is on China's end not Los Angeles.

Fact is, we wouldn't even be talking Golden Monkeys, had the Chinese government granted us our original request for the Pandas.
 
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okapikpr said:
Finally our saga comes to an end...there will be no Golden Monkeys after all.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_12561833
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Yup, I heard about the news this past weekend, but had to wait until something official came out. I did hear that the zoo will be getting langurs (not sure of species) for that exhibit. I also did hear that they are planning in mixing in Golden Pheasants and Reeves Muntjac into that exhibit.

Everyone at the zoo is disappointed about these news, but we are happy that at least that exhibit won't be empty anymore.
 
Pheasants, muntjacs and monkeys would make a very interesting mix and good use of the space, although as a cat lover I think it would make an ideal clouded leopard exhibit!

The article also mentions the reptile house (which we knew about) and a new "Southwest Desert Building." That's the first I've heard of that. Anyone know what will go in there?
 
Arizona Docent said:
Pheasants, muntjacs and monkeys would make a very interesting mix and good use of the space, although as a cat lover I think it would make an ideal clouded leopard exhibit!
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I agree that the mix would make the exhibit very interesting, but I agree with you more that clouded leopards would make it even a better exhibit! I doubt that would happen though, since I don't think that the mesh could hold a clouded leopard. The National Zoo had the same problem with their clouded leopard exhibit when the leopard chewed through the mesh.
 
Blackduiker

mstickmanp said:
Yup, I heard about the news this past weekend, but had to wait until something official came out. I did hear that the zoo will be getting langurs (not sure of species) for that exhibit. I also did hear that they are planning in mixing in Golden Pheasants and Reeves Muntjac into that exhibit.

Everyone at the zoo is disappointed about these news, but we are happy that at least that exhibit won't be empty anymore.
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Very disappointing news indeed, I'll have to contact my source at GLAZA, they were still very optimistic just a couple of months ago.:(
 
Not quite as exciting as golden monkeys, but I would think that Douc Langurs could make a decent substitute for them. The Zoo could do a solid "Vietnam" theme to the exhibit, and even tell the story of the effect of the Vietnam War on the species. These langurs would have some special appeal, in that they are only seen in one other zoo in the nation (Philadelphia).
 
ANyhuis said:
Not quite as exciting as golden monkeys, but I would think that Douc Langurs could make a decent substitute for them. The Zoo could do a solid "Vietnam" theme to the exhibit, and even tell the story of the effect of the Vietnam War on the species. These langurs would have some special appeal, in that they are only seen in one other zoo in the nation (Philadelphia).
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That could probably be a very good plan.
 
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