I used to volunteer there in high school, which was quite some time ago. I think they've repeatedly been screwed over by city budgeting- there have been big plans to basically overhaul EVERYTHING for over ten years now, but they've only been able to get bits and pieces done. I know at the time, they weren't replacing animals that died of old age because a lot of those exhibits need to be redone, and it's possible that it's still the case where they don't want to put new animals in subpar exhibits.
THIS is the info I was looking for- that totally checks all the boxes. It’s a shame because it could be fantastic but you can tell they’d need to put a lot into it. I volunteered at Oakland zoo as a teenager and loved it!
>I know at the time, they weren't replacing animals that died of old age because a lot of those exhibits need to be redone, and it's possible that it's still the case where they don't want to put new animals in subpar exhibits.
They've also stopped acquiring new animals in the traditional sense, with most new acquisitions either being on loan from other zoos, members of captive breeding programs, or animals rescued from the black market.
> Mysuru India that was all black market rescue animals.
Countries are getting better about policing their own ports and transportation. I have no doubt that a lot of those animals were being trafficked from India (or the region) in the first place. I wouldn't expect to see something like a [timber/canebrake rattlensake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_rattlesnake), but would expect something like a [monocled cobra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocled_cobra).
Crazy thing, they have about 20 or more species of cobras. A boggling amount of caiman and crocs. Also a vast amount of bird species and ungulates. The grounds are beautiful.
I recently visited and noticed the same thing. From what I heard from staff, they’ve had animals naturally pass away over the years, but the zoo can’t just buy another one for the exhibit. Places like San Diego Zoo get priority for rescues or trades while LA doesn’t.
I believe the zoo is run by the city. Any budget constraints leading to a lack of animals come from there.
Yes, the LA Zoo is run by the city for the people living in LA. And yes, the Zoo is suffering from budget restraints, but the only way of raising revenue would be to raise prices.
Care to compare prices at San Diego Zoo (prime tourist attraction) and Los Angeles Zoo (accessible for the people living there)?
Los Angeles - $22.00
San Diego - $ 72.00
These are day passes for an adult. Yes, I know that one can get membership etc., but that is not the point here. The point is that the LA Zoo is operated on a different level; would it go private and become as "attractive" as San Diego - see prices above.
Yes, and a lot of the really good museums too.
In case you (or someone else) aren’t aware, the library will also loan out
Tools : if you need any tool from a hammer all the way up to power tools, you can get it from the library.
Instruments : always wanted to learn how to play something? The library has instruments you can borrow to see if you actually like playing the instrument before you purchase an expensive item you will never use.
Fully stocked hiking backpacks : going for a more adventurous hike? They come with maps, hiking guides, compasses, flashlights and poles.
Chromebooks : you can keep a computer for 6 months.
Free admission to state parks : every single one of them.
Don't forget the Octavia Lab downtown too, that is an amazing resource for cool expensive maker tech that's all free to use.
The only downside is the hours, they're not very friendly to those with 9-5 jobs.
LAPL. Check availability at branches as not all of them have them. But if you need a sander, it may be worth going to San Fernando branch instead of buying one.
No problem! I'm not a saint by any means, just a librarian spreading the word about all the free stuff you can get with a library card. I'm forever grateful for the LAMCA security guard who pulled me aside when my kids were little and told me about the free museum membership for kids. Up until they turned 18 we all got museum tickets for free!
I’ve been an LA Zoo member on/off the past several years. I think it’s one of the best values you can get in LA for kids entertainment. It’s nothing compared to the SD Zoo, but LA isn’t even trying to be a tourist destination. That said, I was pretty underwhelmed by my last visit to the SD Zoo and didn’t think it’s worth the cost. What I like most about the LA Zoo is that it’s also a botanical garden so all the “empty” space is actually curated landscaping.
I agree with you, we've been members for several years and it's a local zoo with great value for local families. Saying LA doesn't compare to San Diego is like saying the Queens Zoo doesn't compare to the Bronx. People *come to San Diego* for the zoo.
In addition to being a really nice place to take kids locally, LA also has solid reciprocal membership for other local gem zoos, including San Francisco (my favorite) Santa Barbara and Alpine Zoo in Big Bear. Our state is blessed with some of the coolest zoos, aquariums, theme parks, national parks and recreation areas in the US. And also plenty that are just kinda normal.
I agree. I was visiting the Zoo yesterday with my grandson and my sons. I use to have membership before. I loved to take photos of animals but yesterday I was very disappointed. The Zoo looked neglected. Very few animals, no hippo, no bear, no lions, no tigers. The Gorilla looked very bored also the chimps. I took a close up photo and see that they have problems. They looked bored and neglected. Before Zoo workers always was there talk to them, giving them treats. Not now. The cages and exhibits are also neglected over grown with weeds and many of them empty, closed. Only one elephant was out. In the front was a very loud demonstration. I wanted to pay cash for the train and they do not except it only credit card even if I did not required cash back. He was repeating he does not have cash to give me back. I think they hired a lot of unqualified workers. It was not as I remembered. It seems that after Betty White passing no other celebrity sponsors the Zoo. Or very bad management! That is how I feel.
Public bonds are loans that need to be repaid eventually though. Leveraging a bunch of bonds is how public institutions get to a point where they're paying significant amounts of their budget to interest.
Bullshit. Chicago, where we are from, has a free, private/public zoo that is the pride of the city, and has been for over 120 years. When I found out you have to pay for the zoo here and it’s half assed we just skipped it. Lincoln Park Zoo has us spoiled and we’ll visit it next time we’re in the Chi.
It’s an embarrassment that Los Angeles doesn’t have the nerve to pry the revenue out of its legions of wealthy people to fund something the city could be proud of.
That makes a little sense but LA is one of the largest cities in America. It’s weird that even the children’s zoo is closed. Anyhow, it was kind of a weird morning. We went because we were going to go to a museum due to the rain, but then saw that it wouldn’t be raining.
They've built bigger things very piecemeal. I think the most recent big renovation was the reptile and amphibian house. Before that was the massive elephant complex, and the Amazon enclosures.
They're bogged down in bureaucracy. For real. There are people with very good ideas that can't get anything done. The Leslie Knopes with great motivation either get burned out or move on somewhere where they can actually make a difference. Projects move very slowly or not at all. At one point after Covid I was told they were behind 30,000 work orders. Like just throw it all out and start over at that point. What are we even doing?
Source: used to work there. Some of it was very cool, some of it very frustrating. But that's why the empty exhibits. Animals get moved to other facilities or die of natural causes or whatever, which is normal, but plans cannot get going when they need to so stuff is constantly in limbo. Lot of waiting around to get what you need and it either takes years or never happens.
It's a city facility, I dunno if that's essentially how the rest of the city operates or not. It has a special place in my heart but man that place can't get anything done.
This is exactly what I thought was going on- it’s a shame because it’s clearly a great place with great keepers- and some of the enclosures are rad. I can see how it must have been really frustrating.
Modern zoos are more about conservation and education than entertainment, so there’s no need to be “anti-zoo” these days.
That said, I haven’t actually been to our zoo in decades, so I can’t answer for its conditions. Pretty sure there’s been talk of upgrading and revamping it in recent years, since even though it’s the zoo’s second iteration, it’s still old and outdated. Maybe you just caught it on a bad day? We have had poor weather lately (from an outdoor activities perspective).
There are tons of anti zoo folk protesting daily at the LA zoo. It's very much a thing. Specifically they want Billy the elephant to retire to a sanctuary. Which is pretty crazy because Billy has pretty severe medical needs and the LA zoo has more money, bigger habitats and better doctors than any sanctuary.
But haven't you heard? Billy has gone psychotic. Pretty sure we should tell that to all the tiny children coming to the zoo through a megaphone, especially because I totally know what I'm talking about
I agree with you- I volunteered at the Oakland zoo and what they do with conservation is fantastic, often the animals there are rescues, etc. I just as staving off anyone who wanted to debate that point as opposed to talking about why our zoo is so shitty. It’s a huge space, but it really feels half empty, and some of the spaces are too small- the gibbons in particular have a pretty depressing space.
The LA zoo has very successful conservation programs. Their California Condor program Was key to removing the CCs from the endangered species list.
https://lazoo.org/save-wildlife/actions-we-take/at-the-zoo/endangered-species/
No further from the truth, a renegade group has been going to the zoo causing chaos. Chants of "there rapping Billy the elephant" in front of a group of children, parents fighting with them to stop them, autistic children crying due to the noise, a protestor hitting a zoo worker with a club, DA getting involved.
Like Peta and other groups give warning of when they are coming, their zones, context ext and are civilized
I saw the same bill raping group at the LA hiring fair protesting with mega phones. Wild!
No further from the truth, a renegade group has been going to the zoo causing chaos. Chants of "there rapping Billy the elephant" in front of a group of children, parents fighting with them to stop them, autistic children crying due to the noise, a protestor hitting a zoo worker with a club, DA getting involved.
Like Peta and other groups give warning of when they are coming, their zones, context ext and are civilized
I saw the same bill raping group at the LA hiring fair protesting with mega phones. Wild!
> half the exhibits are closed with no animals
Honestly, welcome to most Zoos. Even San Diego which is in a different category altogether, often have a lot of empty exhibits.
That's interesting. I grew up going to the Oakland/SF Zoos and have been pleasantly surprised at the LA Zoo's exhibits, layout, etc. In some ways, I think it's superior to the above. Took my mom (lives in the bay) there last year (big zoo fan/member at SF Zoo), and she thought the same thing.
Maybe it's an off time? I will say I was there not super long ago and there was definitely construction on a decent number of the exhibits. But then again, I was at SF Zoo 1.5 years ago and it felt like a ghost town - exactly as you describe the LA Zoo experience. My family's been since and assured me it's different now.
Who knows? Maybe zoos just have off days, heh.
I think the sf zoo is also quite sad. Oakland has done a lot of work in the past ten years and I think they’re a fantastic zoo. Honestly like 25% of the exhibits were completely empty. It felt a bit like Jurassic park. The layout is great and it’s a really big zoo- the landscaping is really cool as well, and the chimp and gorilla areas were lovely and big. It just felt kinda weird and I was curious. Someone mentioned that the animals have been slowly dying off and they’ve had a hard time acquiring new ones because other larger zoos get preference- and that makes sense.
Good to hear about the Oakland Zoo! My sister lives in Oakland and has said it's great, though tbh I haven't been in at least 5 years. I've done some hikes on the backside in the open space there, where you can see the wolves (?) if I recall. I'll have to make another visit. Very fond memories of riding the gondola above all the animals as a kid. I hope that's still in place (unless people were throwing food or w/e on animals...)? I do remember the Oakland Zoo being kind of small but really fun and wonderful.
I adore the landscaping at the LA Zoo and agree the chimp/gorilla exhibits are impressive/some of my favorite parts about it. It's also really fun to see things like tapirs and servals, which feel atypical. That's really interesting re: animals dying off and bigger zoos getting preference - absolutely makes sense! Name of the game unfortunately. I think zoos must go in waves. SF Zoo certainly didn't used to be sad, though maybe I'm putting on my rose-tinted glasses.
Oakland zoo is much better than SF. Haven’t been in a while but i also hear they’ve done many revamps. And that gondola alone with amazing views just makes it that much better than sf
Oakland Zoo is shabby, but in a charming way and they do their best with limited space/resources. They’re especially great at including the community via schools, camps, etc. LA Zoo feels like it’s in the process of closing, perpetually, and has very low awareness/attendance from locals. Neither is really in the same class as the SD Zoo.
I visited the zoo a couple years ago for the first time in decades, fully expecting it to be significantly different from the last time I was there, and was shocked that it was almost exactly how I remembered it, and not in a good way. It’s really run down, IMO. It’s not a big attraction for tourists. I think interstate or international visitors all end up at San Diego Zoo, which is obviously way nicer. There are some plans to renovate the zoo, but I don’t know what stage they’re in.
The Lair, refurbished elephant enclosure, and the new rain forest exhibit are nice. The Lair in LA Zoo is nicer than the reptile house in San Diego Zoo.
Alpine Zoo in Big Bear has got to be the coolest zoo per sq foot in California. It's quite small but they have wolves and bald eagles and owls and bears, and they reciprocate with other zoo membership
I know it’s probably not as amazing as other zoos, but we have a family pass and still make an effort to go every year. Especially if it helps fund, and help the zoo.
I'm going for the first time next week. Everyone keeps telling me how depressing it is but I work with animals and about eight years ago I volunteered at an AZA facility so I feel like their version of a depressing zoo and mine are two totally different things. I know it has it's issues but I'm hoping to have a good time.
As an avid hiker I’ve been to some of the city meetings for proposed zoo expansion and there is a lot of back and forth due to the zoo wanting to eat up more Griffith park space. They are trying to agree on how the expansion/funding would take place as Griffith park is used by many people for recreation and anything proposed encroaches on other areas.
L.A has limited space and nature is important to preserve. With a zoo, golf course, observatory, museum,Greek theatre, Hollywood sign, land fill, cemetery, high school class rooms, movie shoots, horse tours, real estate development, LA river, reservoir, it’s a highly developed area and everyone wants a piece to turn a profit.
The trails and parks provide sanctuary to many from the hustle and bustle of the city. I hope it stays that way.
The LA zoo is 133 acres, the Sam Diego zoo is 100 acres. I personally think that it looks "sad" partially because each animal has more space so it looks more empty than it is.
I didn’t know that’s what it’s like nowadays. Back when I went in Spring 2018, it was pretty packed on a Saturday and we saw plenty of animals. The food was good too
The zoo is jam packed with people and I see a variety of animals there - my kid just turned one so I have spent A LOT of time at the zoo over the last year. I don’t know that I agree with you. Sometimes exhibits are empty, sometimes they have them again. The place is so so packed with people, particularly young families and couples, I don’t know how you could find the zoo depressing.
I agree, I haven’t experienced it being depressing at all. I try to go first thing in the morning to avoid crowds. But I enjoy how big it is and being able to walk around and feel like I’m getting exercise. I’ve seen a ton of animals even on rainy days. I’ve been there recently but used to go regularly when I lived in burbank just as a way to walk around.
I have a pass to take my kid and end up there 2-3 times a month. At this point I’ve seen almost every animal in the zoo that is labeled to be there, but I can also tell you that some are just shy and you aren’t guaranteed to see them. I thought the jaguar enclosure was empty and then went one day and bam, she was there. Same with the chimps, rhino, tapir, and most of the monkeys.
Edit: jaguar not leopard
Off the top of my head- hippos, bears, several in The Reptile House, the GIANT empty enclosure by the gharials, the Trumpeter Swans until very recently (still empty but has a remodel sign, many pens around the Goat Petting Area, the zoo “caves” area has no more animals in it, I think it was a gopher enclosure near the petting area, many former bird enclosures etc etc etc
I used to go a lot. In the winter when it’s been raining a lot is probably not the time to visit. They probably aren’t letting the animals out. My dog doesn’t like to go out when it’s rainy, windy.. wasn’t it super windy yesterday and it was raining in the morning..
I hope they do an overhaul makeover because the last time I went a few years ago was the most depressing zoo I’ve been to. It was a hot day and the giraffe were huddled in the smallest patch of shade they could find. No vegetation or trees really for shade. Then the gorilla I saw was staring into the nothingness for long periods of time and it was very sad to see. I felt depressed after leaving the zoo.
The limited budget makes sense as to why the enrichment in the enclosures were little to non existent. I really hope they will improve the zoo in the near future.
The LA Zoo needs money to support the animals. The police state is a bigger priority in the LA budget. I haven't been to the zoo since 2018, but even then it was sad.
Many of the exhibits are very small, old and not suitable for the health of the animals (makes me think of that poor Jaguar in a case the size of a closet who was promised a new enclosure that never came and was pacing day and night)
Like others said they need more money to do overhaul and such things take lots of tome
Most of it hasn't been updated since the 60s when it opened so enclosures are out of date with current standards. There's a multi year plan to renovate: https://lazoo.org/about/visionplaneir/
I just went for the first time today. I’m a biology major and it’s clear to me there’s not enough funding the enclosures are so small. It’s sad but necessary, and these animals could never be released back out to the wild. but it still feels wrong to me. It was just sad. But studying science there is a big Moral/ethical dilemma
10 years ago it wasn't like that. I used to take my kid almost every day to look at the giraffes and elephants and river otters. There were few exhibits that were closed or empty.
It’s been going down for the last 10years. Idk if they want it to look bad enough for someone to step in and “donate” . But yeah it needs a facelift asap
I was there a couple weeks ago with a kid I babysit because he had a random Friday off of school. From what we heard they are currently redoing many of the larger enclosures due to the Olympics coming into town. So they’re updating everything. They’ve loaned out the larger animals to other zoos for the time being. There’s barely anything to see right now. It’s very much not worth visiting at the moment. And the worst part is tickets are still full price even though the majority of the animals are no longer there.
They have big plans to turn it into an amusement park style place as a destination for tourists. To compete with Disneyland and Universal.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-10-20/how-la-zoo-plans-may-impact-california-wildlife-plants
I used to volunteer there in high school, which was quite some time ago. I think they've repeatedly been screwed over by city budgeting- there have been big plans to basically overhaul EVERYTHING for over ten years now, but they've only been able to get bits and pieces done. I know at the time, they weren't replacing animals that died of old age because a lot of those exhibits need to be redone, and it's possible that it's still the case where they don't want to put new animals in subpar exhibits.
THIS is the info I was looking for- that totally checks all the boxes. It’s a shame because it could be fantastic but you can tell they’d need to put a lot into it. I volunteered at Oakland zoo as a teenager and loved it!
>I know at the time, they weren't replacing animals that died of old age because a lot of those exhibits need to be redone, and it's possible that it's still the case where they don't want to put new animals in subpar exhibits. They've also stopped acquiring new animals in the traditional sense, with most new acquisitions either being on loan from other zoos, members of captive breeding programs, or animals rescued from the black market.
I went to an amazing zoo in Mysuru India that was all black market rescue animals. It was world class and beautiful.
> Mysuru India that was all black market rescue animals. Countries are getting better about policing their own ports and transportation. I have no doubt that a lot of those animals were being trafficked from India (or the region) in the first place. I wouldn't expect to see something like a [timber/canebrake rattlensake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_rattlesnake), but would expect something like a [monocled cobra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocled_cobra).
Crazy thing, they have about 20 or more species of cobras. A boggling amount of caiman and crocs. Also a vast amount of bird species and ungulates. The grounds are beautiful.
I was also a student volunteer back in the day. Graduated in 99.
Zoo Magnet for the win.
Did you go to the zoo mag?
No, though I knew a couple people that did! I was just a student docent.
Well very cool. I wish I had volunteered 👍👍👍
I recently visited and noticed the same thing. From what I heard from staff, they’ve had animals naturally pass away over the years, but the zoo can’t just buy another one for the exhibit. Places like San Diego Zoo get priority for rescues or trades while LA doesn’t. I believe the zoo is run by the city. Any budget constraints leading to a lack of animals come from there.
The LA Zoo also does a really good job of caring for older animals, so they are assigned older animals through the AZA species plans.
Tell that to Shaunzi and Jewel who were euthanized when they should have had 20-25 years left..
Yes, the LA Zoo is run by the city for the people living in LA. And yes, the Zoo is suffering from budget restraints, but the only way of raising revenue would be to raise prices. Care to compare prices at San Diego Zoo (prime tourist attraction) and Los Angeles Zoo (accessible for the people living there)? Los Angeles - $22.00 San Diego - $ 72.00 These are day passes for an adult. Yes, I know that one can get membership etc., but that is not the point here. The point is that the LA Zoo is operated on a different level; would it go private and become as "attractive" as San Diego - see prices above.
If you live in LA and have a library card you can get free Zoo tickets. https://lapl.discoverandgo.net/
Thanks for this! I didn’t know about this but it’s very cool — looks like you can get passes to a lot of LA Museums!
Yes, and a lot of the really good museums too. In case you (or someone else) aren’t aware, the library will also loan out Tools : if you need any tool from a hammer all the way up to power tools, you can get it from the library. Instruments : always wanted to learn how to play something? The library has instruments you can borrow to see if you actually like playing the instrument before you purchase an expensive item you will never use. Fully stocked hiking backpacks : going for a more adventurous hike? They come with maps, hiking guides, compasses, flashlights and poles. Chromebooks : you can keep a computer for 6 months. Free admission to state parks : every single one of them.
Don't forget the Octavia Lab downtown too, that is an amazing resource for cool expensive maker tech that's all free to use. The only downside is the hours, they're not very friendly to those with 9-5 jobs.
What libraries are YOU going to?
LAPL. Check availability at branches as not all of them have them. But if you need a sander, it may be worth going to San Fernando branch instead of buying one.
Thank you! Didn’t know about the instruments. Always wanted to learn violin but I’m too poor to afford one
Also, if you have SNAP/EBT you get in for free to almost every museum in LA County.
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No problem! I'm not a saint by any means, just a librarian spreading the word about all the free stuff you can get with a library card. I'm forever grateful for the LAMCA security guard who pulled me aside when my kids were little and told me about the free museum membership for kids. Up until they turned 18 we all got museum tickets for free!
does LAPL also offer Kanopy? We use it in Canada
Yes, LAPL has Kanopy. Love it.
Yup
Every time I check the zoo tickets are unavailable. They must go fast
cagey bow spotted juggle jobless connect deserted sugar squeal silky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I’ve been an LA Zoo member on/off the past several years. I think it’s one of the best values you can get in LA for kids entertainment. It’s nothing compared to the SD Zoo, but LA isn’t even trying to be a tourist destination. That said, I was pretty underwhelmed by my last visit to the SD Zoo and didn’t think it’s worth the cost. What I like most about the LA Zoo is that it’s also a botanical garden so all the “empty” space is actually curated landscaping.
I agree with you, we've been members for several years and it's a local zoo with great value for local families. Saying LA doesn't compare to San Diego is like saying the Queens Zoo doesn't compare to the Bronx. People *come to San Diego* for the zoo. In addition to being a really nice place to take kids locally, LA also has solid reciprocal membership for other local gem zoos, including San Francisco (my favorite) Santa Barbara and Alpine Zoo in Big Bear. Our state is blessed with some of the coolest zoos, aquariums, theme parks, national parks and recreation areas in the US. And also plenty that are just kinda normal.
I agree. I was visiting the Zoo yesterday with my grandson and my sons. I use to have membership before. I loved to take photos of animals but yesterday I was very disappointed. The Zoo looked neglected. Very few animals, no hippo, no bear, no lions, no tigers. The Gorilla looked very bored also the chimps. I took a close up photo and see that they have problems. They looked bored and neglected. Before Zoo workers always was there talk to them, giving them treats. Not now. The cages and exhibits are also neglected over grown with weeds and many of them empty, closed. Only one elephant was out. In the front was a very loud demonstration. I wanted to pay cash for the train and they do not except it only credit card even if I did not required cash back. He was repeating he does not have cash to give me back. I think they hired a lot of unqualified workers. It was not as I remembered. It seems that after Betty White passing no other celebrity sponsors the Zoo. Or very bad management! That is how I feel.
They raise revenue by public bonds that the public vote on. The bonds are consistently approved when put on the ballots.
Public bonds are loans that need to be repaid eventually though. Leveraging a bunch of bonds is how public institutions get to a point where they're paying significant amounts of their budget to interest.
Bullshit. Chicago, where we are from, has a free, private/public zoo that is the pride of the city, and has been for over 120 years. When I found out you have to pay for the zoo here and it’s half assed we just skipped it. Lincoln Park Zoo has us spoiled and we’ll visit it next time we’re in the Chi. It’s an embarrassment that Los Angeles doesn’t have the nerve to pry the revenue out of its legions of wealthy people to fund something the city could be proud of.
That makes a little sense but LA is one of the largest cities in America. It’s weird that even the children’s zoo is closed. Anyhow, it was kind of a weird morning. We went because we were going to go to a museum due to the rain, but then saw that it wouldn’t be raining.
They've built bigger things very piecemeal. I think the most recent big renovation was the reptile and amphibian house. Before that was the massive elephant complex, and the Amazon enclosures.
Yes, it's owned by the city, but GLAZA funds it.
The city council did vote in favor of a major renovation for the zoo last summer, I’m not sure how far along the plans are though.
We'll both be exhibits for student doctors at our local geriatric center by the time they get anything worthwhile done.
They're bogged down in bureaucracy. For real. There are people with very good ideas that can't get anything done. The Leslie Knopes with great motivation either get burned out or move on somewhere where they can actually make a difference. Projects move very slowly or not at all. At one point after Covid I was told they were behind 30,000 work orders. Like just throw it all out and start over at that point. What are we even doing? Source: used to work there. Some of it was very cool, some of it very frustrating. But that's why the empty exhibits. Animals get moved to other facilities or die of natural causes or whatever, which is normal, but plans cannot get going when they need to so stuff is constantly in limbo. Lot of waiting around to get what you need and it either takes years or never happens. It's a city facility, I dunno if that's essentially how the rest of the city operates or not. It has a special place in my heart but man that place can't get anything done.
This is exactly what I thought was going on- it’s a shame because it’s clearly a great place with great keepers- and some of the enclosures are rad. I can see how it must have been really frustrating.
Modern zoos are more about conservation and education than entertainment, so there’s no need to be “anti-zoo” these days. That said, I haven’t actually been to our zoo in decades, so I can’t answer for its conditions. Pretty sure there’s been talk of upgrading and revamping it in recent years, since even though it’s the zoo’s second iteration, it’s still old and outdated. Maybe you just caught it on a bad day? We have had poor weather lately (from an outdoor activities perspective).
There are tons of anti zoo folk protesting daily at the LA zoo. It's very much a thing. Specifically they want Billy the elephant to retire to a sanctuary. Which is pretty crazy because Billy has pretty severe medical needs and the LA zoo has more money, bigger habitats and better doctors than any sanctuary.
According to a docent I talked to on my last visit the elephant enclosure is 6 acres including the backstage area.
That's still nothing for an elephant and he can't even use all of it because of the electric fencing.
They yelled at me about this as I walked by with my toddler in a stroller for her first zoo trip. It wasn’t a super compelling moment for their cause.
They're also very wrong. The elephant habitat at LA zoo is top of the line. Better than any sanctuary.
But haven't you heard? Billy has gone psychotic. Pretty sure we should tell that to all the tiny children coming to the zoo through a megaphone, especially because I totally know what I'm talking about
I agree with you- I volunteered at the Oakland zoo and what they do with conservation is fantastic, often the animals there are rescues, etc. I just as staving off anyone who wanted to debate that point as opposed to talking about why our zoo is so shitty. It’s a huge space, but it really feels half empty, and some of the spaces are too small- the gibbons in particular have a pretty depressing space.
The LA zoo has very successful conservation programs. Their California Condor program Was key to removing the CCs from the endangered species list. https://lazoo.org/save-wildlife/actions-we-take/at-the-zoo/endangered-species/
That’s awesome!
No further from the truth, a renegade group has been going to the zoo causing chaos. Chants of "there rapping Billy the elephant" in front of a group of children, parents fighting with them to stop them, autistic children crying due to the noise, a protestor hitting a zoo worker with a club, DA getting involved. Like Peta and other groups give warning of when they are coming, their zones, context ext and are civilized I saw the same bill raping group at the LA hiring fair protesting with mega phones. Wild!
No further from the truth, a renegade group has been going to the zoo causing chaos. Chants of "there rapping Billy the elephant" in front of a group of children, parents fighting with them to stop them, autistic children crying due to the noise, a protestor hitting a zoo worker with a club, DA getting involved. Like Peta and other groups give warning of when they are coming, their zones, context ext and are civilized I saw the same bill raping group at the LA hiring fair protesting with mega phones. Wild!
> half the exhibits are closed with no animals Honestly, welcome to most Zoos. Even San Diego which is in a different category altogether, often have a lot of empty exhibits.
Yeah same thought. I think the La zoo is nice enough. Like sure not as good as sd but still quite enjoyable for a family outing
That's interesting. I grew up going to the Oakland/SF Zoos and have been pleasantly surprised at the LA Zoo's exhibits, layout, etc. In some ways, I think it's superior to the above. Took my mom (lives in the bay) there last year (big zoo fan/member at SF Zoo), and she thought the same thing. Maybe it's an off time? I will say I was there not super long ago and there was definitely construction on a decent number of the exhibits. But then again, I was at SF Zoo 1.5 years ago and it felt like a ghost town - exactly as you describe the LA Zoo experience. My family's been since and assured me it's different now. Who knows? Maybe zoos just have off days, heh.
I think the sf zoo is also quite sad. Oakland has done a lot of work in the past ten years and I think they’re a fantastic zoo. Honestly like 25% of the exhibits were completely empty. It felt a bit like Jurassic park. The layout is great and it’s a really big zoo- the landscaping is really cool as well, and the chimp and gorilla areas were lovely and big. It just felt kinda weird and I was curious. Someone mentioned that the animals have been slowly dying off and they’ve had a hard time acquiring new ones because other larger zoos get preference- and that makes sense.
Good to hear about the Oakland Zoo! My sister lives in Oakland and has said it's great, though tbh I haven't been in at least 5 years. I've done some hikes on the backside in the open space there, where you can see the wolves (?) if I recall. I'll have to make another visit. Very fond memories of riding the gondola above all the animals as a kid. I hope that's still in place (unless people were throwing food or w/e on animals...)? I do remember the Oakland Zoo being kind of small but really fun and wonderful. I adore the landscaping at the LA Zoo and agree the chimp/gorilla exhibits are impressive/some of my favorite parts about it. It's also really fun to see things like tapirs and servals, which feel atypical. That's really interesting re: animals dying off and bigger zoos getting preference - absolutely makes sense! Name of the game unfortunately. I think zoos must go in waves. SF Zoo certainly didn't used to be sad, though maybe I'm putting on my rose-tinted glasses.
They have the gondola! And it goes over that whole North America exhibit.
Oakland zoo is much better than SF. Haven’t been in a while but i also hear they’ve done many revamps. And that gondola alone with amazing views just makes it that much better than sf
Oakland Zoo is shabby, but in a charming way and they do their best with limited space/resources. They’re especially great at including the community via schools, camps, etc. LA Zoo feels like it’s in the process of closing, perpetually, and has very low awareness/attendance from locals. Neither is really in the same class as the SD Zoo.
I visited the zoo a couple years ago for the first time in decades, fully expecting it to be significantly different from the last time I was there, and was shocked that it was almost exactly how I remembered it, and not in a good way. It’s really run down, IMO. It’s not a big attraction for tourists. I think interstate or international visitors all end up at San Diego Zoo, which is obviously way nicer. There are some plans to renovate the zoo, but I don’t know what stage they’re in.
The Lair, refurbished elephant enclosure, and the new rain forest exhibit are nice. The Lair in LA Zoo is nicer than the reptile house in San Diego Zoo.
Even the Santa Barbara zoo is better than the LA zoo, and it's much more compact too
If your into day trips the Living Desert out in Palm Desert is really good too. They recently added a Rino habitat that’s huge.
The PS Zoo is one of the best I’ve ever been to
Alpine Zoo in Big Bear has got to be the coolest zoo per sq foot in California. It's quite small but they have wolves and bald eagles and owls and bears, and they reciprocate with other zoo membership
Yeah, if you can avoid a super hot day it's great. It was nice to see mountain goats trekking around on a real hill.
The SB zoo is so nice, especially with a toddler because it’s really doable in a day.
And you can feed the giraffes.
Agree 100% wife and I make weekend trips from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and leave one day for the zoo.
It’s not the San Diego zoo, but the Santa Barbara zoo is very good. I think that LA zoo is more about nighttime events than daytime visits.
Easy enough to sneak in to sb zoo also… well it was 17 years ago… I’m sure it can still be done on a slow day
I know it’s probably not as amazing as other zoos, but we have a family pass and still make an effort to go every year. Especially if it helps fund, and help the zoo.
Police budget go brrrr
The Santa Barbara zoo is a small but very well organized zoo in terms of animal exhibits. Not expensive either. I love it! 😎
I'm going for the first time next week. Everyone keeps telling me how depressing it is but I work with animals and about eight years ago I volunteered at an AZA facility so I feel like their version of a depressing zoo and mine are two totally different things. I know it has it's issues but I'm hoping to have a good time.
We have a family pass and love going! I'm honestly surprised at OP's feelings.
I went about three weeks ago and had a great time with my kid. Almost everything was open and saw lots of animals in clean and safe environments.
Idk it might be the season, they might have taken animals out for the few days of rain?
It often rains in the real world.
No- I’ve been before and it was the same- lots of exhibits are just closed. And empty. It’s kinda depressing.
As an avid hiker I’ve been to some of the city meetings for proposed zoo expansion and there is a lot of back and forth due to the zoo wanting to eat up more Griffith park space. They are trying to agree on how the expansion/funding would take place as Griffith park is used by many people for recreation and anything proposed encroaches on other areas. L.A has limited space and nature is important to preserve. With a zoo, golf course, observatory, museum,Greek theatre, Hollywood sign, land fill, cemetery, high school class rooms, movie shoots, horse tours, real estate development, LA river, reservoir, it’s a highly developed area and everyone wants a piece to turn a profit. The trails and parks provide sanctuary to many from the hustle and bustle of the city. I hope it stays that way.
The LA zoo is 133 acres, the Sam Diego zoo is 100 acres. I personally think that it looks "sad" partially because each animal has more space so it looks more empty than it is.
There are some empty exhibits that eat up a lot of space as well, they just need to be filled
And a train museum!
Lack of funds
I didn’t know that’s what it’s like nowadays. Back when I went in Spring 2018, it was pretty packed on a Saturday and we saw plenty of animals. The food was good too
The zoo is jam packed with people and I see a variety of animals there - my kid just turned one so I have spent A LOT of time at the zoo over the last year. I don’t know that I agree with you. Sometimes exhibits are empty, sometimes they have them again. The place is so so packed with people, particularly young families and couples, I don’t know how you could find the zoo depressing.
I agree, I haven’t experienced it being depressing at all. I try to go first thing in the morning to avoid crowds. But I enjoy how big it is and being able to walk around and feel like I’m getting exercise. I’ve seen a ton of animals even on rainy days. I’ve been there recently but used to go regularly when I lived in burbank just as a way to walk around.
I have a pass to take my kid and end up there 2-3 times a month. At this point I’ve seen almost every animal in the zoo that is labeled to be there, but I can also tell you that some are just shy and you aren’t guaranteed to see them. I thought the jaguar enclosure was empty and then went one day and bam, she was there. Same with the chimps, rhino, tapir, and most of the monkeys. Edit: jaguar not leopard
I also go this much and many many many enclosures are just empty- they have signs in them that say as much
Which ones? I’m curious
Off the top of my head- hippos, bears, several in The Reptile House, the GIANT empty enclosure by the gharials, the Trumpeter Swans until very recently (still empty but has a remodel sign, many pens around the Goat Petting Area, the zoo “caves” area has no more animals in it, I think it was a gopher enclosure near the petting area, many former bird enclosures etc etc etc
And the lions and the giant otters!
Oh, guess I didn’t know what wasn’t there! For the one by the gharials is that the one at the front by the flamingos?
By the reptile house
I used to go a lot. In the winter when it’s been raining a lot is probably not the time to visit. They probably aren’t letting the animals out. My dog doesn’t like to go out when it’s rainy, windy.. wasn’t it super windy yesterday and it was raining in the morning..
I hope they do an overhaul makeover because the last time I went a few years ago was the most depressing zoo I’ve been to. It was a hot day and the giraffe were huddled in the smallest patch of shade they could find. No vegetation or trees really for shade. Then the gorilla I saw was staring into the nothingness for long periods of time and it was very sad to see. I felt depressed after leaving the zoo. The limited budget makes sense as to why the enrichment in the enclosures were little to non existent. I really hope they will improve the zoo in the near future.
The LA Zoo needs money to support the animals. The police state is a bigger priority in the LA budget. I haven't been to the zoo since 2018, but even then it was sad.
That place was always mid
Many of the exhibits are very small, old and not suitable for the health of the animals (makes me think of that poor Jaguar in a case the size of a closet who was promised a new enclosure that never came and was pacing day and night) Like others said they need more money to do overhaul and such things take lots of tome
Most of it hasn't been updated since the 60s when it opened so enclosures are out of date with current standards. There's a multi year plan to renovate: https://lazoo.org/about/visionplaneir/
I just went for the first time today. I’m a biology major and it’s clear to me there’s not enough funding the enclosures are so small. It’s sad but necessary, and these animals could never be released back out to the wild. but it still feels wrong to me. It was just sad. But studying science there is a big Moral/ethical dilemma
Too close to the San Diego Zoo, so they don’t have to try since the San Diego Zoo will always be better
it’s an awful zoo.
I bet the zoo could provide the answer! Why didn’t you inquire while there?
Its the most depressing zoo I've ever been too and I've been too many. Some of the animals look like they should be on suicide watch in my opinion.
Truly… 😥🙏🏻🥀🐘
Always has been. LA Zoo is a joke compared to other Zoos.
10 years ago it wasn't like that. I used to take my kid almost every day to look at the giraffes and elephants and river otters. There were few exhibits that were closed or empty.
I live a mile away and if I want a zoo, I go to San Diego
I actually never been to it. This doesn't really make me feel like ever going lol
The few times ive been to LA Zoo all the good animals arent there
It’s been going down for the last 10years. Idk if they want it to look bad enough for someone to step in and “donate” . But yeah it needs a facelift asap
Thank you for asking this question because I was wondering the same thing after noticing what you noticed.
I was there a couple weeks ago with a kid I babysit because he had a random Friday off of school. From what we heard they are currently redoing many of the larger enclosures due to the Olympics coming into town. So they’re updating everything. They’ve loaned out the larger animals to other zoos for the time being. There’s barely anything to see right now. It’s very much not worth visiting at the moment. And the worst part is tickets are still full price even though the majority of the animals are no longer there.
Instead billions spent on homeless programs with no success except making the staff in charge of homeless rich!
It's a prison and should be closed forever. I went once in 2002 and it was the most depressing place I've ever been to.
I don’t understand the downvotes. People are really cruel. Zoo = animal prison
>If you’re anti zoo- i get it, you don’t have to tell me about how evil they are. Then why would you go?
They have big plans to turn it into an amusement park style place as a destination for tourists. To compete with Disneyland and Universal. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-10-20/how-la-zoo-plans-may-impact-california-wildlife-plants
Why does LA need a zoo?
In all my time living here, I've barely heard the zoo mentioned even by people with kids. I think it's just not a priority for this city.
The LA Zoo has gone downhill over the past nine years