Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens Los Angeles Zoo News 2024

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The Rüppell's sand fox is visible again in the same roundhouse as before near the Grevy's zebra exhibit, but on the opposite side where the yellow-footed rock wallaby had most recently been and prior to that the bat-eyed fox. No sign was up for it when I visited today.

Minor edit to the above: That should be *bat-eared fox*.

The Elephants of Asia Cambodia yard is currently closed as they're installing a new shade structure in that area. They previously installed similar shade structures in the Elephant Circle and waterfall yards.
 
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Elephant death sparks protests of LA Zoo exhibit | KCRW Features

I don't get how LA Zoo is *still* able to persist after being constantly barraged by ARAs, hopefully they're able to pull through what is a legitimate PR nightmare.
Unfortunately, there are a few members of the City Council that are bound and determined to appease these activists. At the end of 2022, the council closed the pony rides and petting zoo in Griffith Park (where the L.A. Zoo is also located) by not renewing the contract. The pony rides had operated for more than 70 years and now the area is vacant. Also, one particular council member is set on banning rodeos, which just narrowly escaped this fate at the last vote (not that Los Angeles has many rodeos in the first place).

I really wish the critics would take a moment to reflect on how much the space has improved for elephants in the last few decades. When I was a kid in the '80s, there were elephant rides in the zoo and the exhibit area was less than ideal. Now there is a very large space with a pool, waterfall, and lots of enrichment. I personally have never seen Billy look stressed or bob his head. Every time I have seen him, he has seemed calm while wagging his tail and enjoying his food enrichment. The only thing I would like to see different is the removal of the electric fencing, which I find to be annoying with the clicking noises.
 
That is sad news about the black-handed spider monkey passing away last month. I have only ever seen one in the exhibit and last saw the monkey on January 12. Does anyone know if the zoo has any others?
 
That is sad news about the black-handed spider monkey passing away last month. I have only ever seen one in the exhibit and last saw the monkey on January 12. Does anyone know if the zoo has any others?

Zuni was the female. They should still have Poquito the male.

The male desert bighorn sheep that passed away as noted in the Animal Transactions was the baby born on Christmas. I last saw him on January 14, and I subsequently confirmed with a zoo employee that he had passed away.
 
This weekend I visited the zoo for the Lunar New Year celebration and the Chinese dragon dance was fantastic! The flamingo exhibit is still closed and a lot of the ground has been dug up, but there were a few birds visible in the back area behind the gate. However, no work appears to have been done to renovate the old swan pond across from the flamingos despite the zoo having announced the planned refurbishment last summer.

In the South America section there was a sign indicating the Aldabra tortoises were off-exhibit due to the cool weather. Also, the southern pudu is no longer in the roundhouse with the crested caracara. It has been quite a while since I was at that exhibit so I don't know how long the pudu has been gone or where in the zoo it is now. The former squirrel monkey exhibit is also still empty.

Although much of the elephant yard is closed for construction, Billy was visible from the China section. He seemed very well and was peacefully grazing on all the grass the recent rain has brought!
 
glad you enjoyed your visit, Lori. Do you have any photos of Billy?
I haven't uploaded any of my photos from my latest visit yet. I did take a couple of Billy, but the viewing location in the China section is not very good for pictures. There is an exhibit for sarus cranes in the foreground where there is a marshy habitat and bamboo-like sticks obscuring the view to the elephant yard in the background. However, the elephants may like it because they have more privacy. Here is a photo of Billy from 2022 that I took with my cell phone. This is at the Cambodian Pavilion viewing area, which is currently closed. It offers up-close viewing, but is somewhat marred by the electric fencing. Billy is a beautiful elephant with gorgeous tusks.

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I haven't uploaded any of my photos from my latest visit yet. I did take a couple of Billy, but the viewing location in the China section is not very good for pictures. There is an exhibit for sarus cranes in the foreground where there is a marshy habitat and bamboo-like sticks obscuring the view to the elephant yard in the background. However, the elephants may like it because they have more privacy. Here is a photo of Billy from 2022 that I took with my cell phone. This is at the Cambodian Pavilion viewing area, which is currently closed. It offers up-close viewing, but is somewhat marred by the electric fencing. Billy is a beautiful elephant with gorgeous tusks.

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Thanks for posting. I don’t tend to have favourite animals but I do make an exception for Billy, who as you say is a very impressive animal. Whenever I make it over to the LA zoo I do make an effort to spend plenty of time watching him.

I might have missed it in this thread but what is the reason the other viewing areas are closed? Is this due to the recent death?
 
Thanks for posting. I don’t tend to have favourite animals but I do make an exception for Billy, who as you say is a very impressive animal. Whenever I make it over to the LA zoo I do make an effort to spend plenty of time watching him.

I might have missed it in this thread but what is the reason the other viewing areas are closed? Is this due to the recent death?

They're doing construction. They've been putting in shades and things like that.

I think the yellow-roofed structure here is the one they did last month, and what they're doing more of? This was my first visit, 2 weeks ago.

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These Shade Structures would provide shade during the hot summer days and replicate the shady canopy of the Rainforests the Asian Elephants live in.

I have Big News for Next Month around Late March around the annual Spring Fling with the opening of the Pink's Hot Dog building (formerly Gorilla Grill) and the Cape Vulture Habitat.
 
These Shade Structures would provide shade during the hot summer days and replicate the shady canopy of the Rainforests the Asian Elephants live in.

I have Big News for Next Month around Late March around the annual Spring Fling with the opening of the Pink's Hot Dog building (formerly Gorilla Grill) and the Cape Vulture Habitat.

It's pretty mean to tease stuff like that :(
 
These Shade Structures would provide shade during the hot summer days and replicate the shady canopy of the Rainforests the Asian Elephants live in.

I have Big News for Next Month around Late March around the annual Spring Fling with the opening of the Pink's Hot Dog building (formerly Gorilla Grill) and the Cape Vulture Habitat.
Do you know if the Trumpeter swan exhibit renovation is still happening?
 
The new male snow leopard, Kailash (from Albuquerque), has been introduced to the longtime resident female, Malaya (donor name: "Georgina"). They had access to the exhibit and their indoor holding area over the weekend during regular zoo hours.

Marshall the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros now has access to his third exhibit space. This is the space closest to where the play park is if you're unfamiliar with the zoo.

There is a sign posted that notes the Steller's Sea Eagles are nesting.
 
Notes:

Upper aviary being renovated, some of the birds have moved into the bird habitats temporarily that contain the marsh birds like scarlet ibis and greater roadrunners. It’s located near the desert bighorn sheep habitat.

Addax, I believe have been moved up to where the ostrich and lesser kudus live.

A Von der decken’s hornbill has been spotted in the lower aviary either one of the breeding pair or one of their offspring.

It seems there might be a Mice problem in the Wombat House.

Signs and plants of the North American Bird Garden removed except Bird House.

Ring-tailed Lemurs in the former fossa habitat temporarily while renovations happen in the African Primate habitats.

Muriel’s Ranch will no longer allow visitors to pet the animals due to health and safety concerns like human and animal disease transmissions.

Old Prairie Dog Habitat is now a California Native Garden.

Construction:
Before the swan habitat can start construction, there are other constructions going around the zoo and delays due to the rain lately.
Following:
-Flamingo fencing and habitat
-Pink’s Hot Dog restaurant
-The Roundhouse with a mural and conservation sign fenced off to visitors close to the roundhouse with african birds like the weaver birds, mouse birds, and white-cheeked turacos.
-african primate roundhouse renovations
-Elephants of Asia shade structures one currently building in the Cambodia yard.
-Upper Aviary renovations.
-Opening of the Cape Vulture Habitat.
 
Notes:

Upper aviary being renovated, some of the birds have moved into the bird habitats temporarily that contain the marsh birds like scarlet ibis and greater roadrunners. It’s located near the desert bighorn sheep habitat.

Addax, I believe have been moved up to where the ostrich and lesser kudus live.

A Von der decken’s hornbill has been spotted in the lower aviary either one of the breeding pair or one of their offspring.

It seems there might be a Mice problem in the Wombat House.

Signs and plants of the North American Bird Garden removed except Bird House.

Ring-tailed Lemurs in the former fossa habitat temporarily while renovations happen in the African Primate habitats.

Muriel’s Ranch will no longer allow visitors to pet the animals due to health and safety concerns like human and animal disease transmissions.

Old Prairie Dog Habitat is now a California Native Garden.

Construction:
Before the swan habitat can start construction, there are other constructions going around the zoo and delays due to the rain lately.
Following:
-Flamingo fencing and habitat
-Pink’s Hot Dog restaurant
-The Roundhouse with a mural and conservation sign fenced off to visitors close to the roundhouse with african birds like the weaver birds, mouse birds, and white-cheeked turacos.
-african primate roundhouse renovations
-Elephants of Asia shade structures one currently building in the Cambodia yard.
-Upper Aviary renovations.
-Opening of the Cape Vulture Habitat.

I guess I should get around to uploading my photos, as I saw all of this a few weeks ago but didn't know they were new things :) Addax are definitely up top. Do they even have bongo, like the signs say? I never saw any. Definitely saw a von der decken's, as well, and noticed mice in the wombat building (love that there's a whole wombat building!) There weren't any domestics in the children's zoo on my visit, the ranch area was empty and there was just one pig in the nursery yard that's signed for a bunch of much better species.
 
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