LA Zoo News 2012 » Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens

17-02-2012

Here is a nice preview of the LAIR!

Audio slideshow: New reptile habitat called The Lair under construction at L.A. Zoo - LA Daily News

This video makes me even more excited for the opening of the exhibit!

17-02-2012

Very, very nice. I really like this new trend to give snakes (and other reptiles) a lot more space.

17-02-2012

Thanks mstickmanp. I am so looking forward to this exhibit. LA had a great reptile collection in a creaky building, now it looks like a great collection in a hopefully great building.

17-02-2012

Nice! I can't wait!!! Thank you for sharing Mario, a whole different look from what I had imagined.

17-02-2012

That looks like a fantastic exhibit -now all we need is two plane tickets over to California and the Sumatran rhino to go on-show and I would have an amazing California trip sorted - one day, it will happen

18-02-2012

That looks very promising.

18-02-2012

A little more info about LAIR:

LAIR to Open March 8 at L.A. Zoo | SoCal Wild

18-02-2012

This sounds very promising.

I understand that the yellow-legged frogs need to be kept out of public view, but they should have at least one individual on display as an ambassador for their cousins. If nobody can actually see the animal and understand why breeding them is important it seems like a major lost conservation opportunity.

For that matter I don't understand why LA has not yet built a California condor exhibit seeing the major role that they continue to play in the recovery of the species. With condor exhibits in Santa Barbara and both San Diego zoos this seems like a major omission at LA.

18-02-2012

This exhibit has been so ... expected and its imminent opening brings glee to everyone. Cannot wait to hear and see what rarities they have brought in. Nice to see they have a specific reptilian area for the South West!

Hope they bring their Cyclura (only ones of their species) back on display from San Diego ... Plus perhaps angonokas .... Who knows!!!

Blackduiker
18-02-2012

I agree on both points. And in the past they have always used the excuse of the species being highly endangered, and in a special breeding program. This is especially true with the California Condors. Though when things were much more a crisis situation for the species back in the 1970s, they still exhibited one lone male (Topa Topa), who is still living, in what is now the Cape Griffon Vulture aviary; built specifically for California Condors.

I wonder if the Houston Zoo, along with several other Texas zoos, have any of their Houston Toads on exhibit as well as a successful breeding program?

18-02-2012

I remember when the Sacramento Zoo was breeding Yosemite toads that they had a Yosemite toad on exhibit. With the condor crisis in the 1970s-1980s it made sense that they pulled everyone off exhibit but now there are several hundred and obviously there are birds that have become zoo ambassadors at several other places.

Several years ago I remember seeing a plan in an LA Zoo newsletter that showed a condor aviary along the entrance pathway (not sure where exactly)...hopefully it will happen someday.

18-02-2012

A couple of years ago I remember there being a frog exhibited next to the Couch's Spadefoot Toad exhibit in the Desert Trail. I don't really remember what species it was, but I believe that was a Mountain Yellow-footed Frog. It was later taken off exhibit and that tank has remained empty ever since. If it was a Mountain Yellow-footed Frog, then maybe it was taken off exhibit when San Diego sent some here for breeding.

I doubt we will see any of those. The original plan did talk of angonokas as a feature species and ISIS did show a single specimen at the LA Zoo about 2-3 years ago, but that specimen is no longer listed in ISIS.

18-02-2012

The master plan that dates back to about 1996 included a future California habitat area for California Condors, Grizzly Bears, and Mountain Lions. It would consist of the entire hillside stretching roughly from just past the Children's Zoo and Zoo Grill area, to just past and encompassing Swan Lake.

21-02-2012

Some species that have been in the collection for years but I've heard no mention of a LAIR return yet include; Prehensile-tailed Skink, Cantil, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Green Anaconda, Central American Milk Snake, Blue-tongued Skink, Storr's Monitor, Exuma Island Iguana, Mexican Spiny-tailed Iguana, Crocodile Monitor, Cottonmouth, California Striped Racer, Chinese Alligator, just to name a few. The loss of some of these would be quite unfortunate.

22-02-2012

what up people out in LA. Im so mad cause im 2429.70 miles away from LA on the east coast and i would love to see LAIR someday. For the people that are fortunate to see the grand opening on March 8th please do a review on it thks. And a ? for ya all what exhibit are you most looking forward too. If i was out there it would probably be the chinese giant salamander.