Los Angeles Zoo: A Wild Adventure in the City of Angels

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, opened in 1966, spans 113 acres in the northeast corner of Griffith Park. It replaced the smaller Griffith Park Zoo, which was located a couple of miles south. Today, the zoo is home to over 1,400 animals representing more than 270 species, including many rare and endangered ones. The zoo is divided into different geographical zones, showcasing animals in naturalistic habitats. Popular exhibits include the Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains, Red Ape Rain Forest, Elephants of Asia, and Campo Gorilla Reserve. The LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles) houses a diverse collection of scaled and cold-blooded creatures. The Rainforest of the Americas exhibit features animals from tropical regions of North, Central, and South America. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Los Angeles Zoo is also a certified Botanical Garden, with over 800 plant species and 7,400 individual plants. Specialized collections include a cactus and succulent garden, tropical plantings, and a Madagascan spiny forest. The zoo is committed to conservation efforts, participating in Species Survival Plans and supporting in-situ conservation projects. It has been successful in breeding rare California condors and other endangered species. The Gottlieb Animal Health and Conservation Center provides state-of-the-art medical care and research facilities.