| By 1956, the city of Los Angeles had
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| | for the Zoo, but only the visitors get to
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| outgrown the small Griffith Park Zoo. The
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| | eat; in the interest of health and
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| citizens passed a $6.6 million bond
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| | safety, the L.A. Zoo was the 1st major
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| measure to help build a new one and a
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| | zoo in the United States to prohibit
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| 113-acre site in Griffith Park was chosen
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| | visitors from feeding the animals, and
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| as the new location. In 1964 a private,
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| | maintains the policy today.
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| nonprofit organization was created to
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| | The Los Angeles Zoo became an accredited
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| support the new facility. The zoo then
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| | member of the American Zoo and Aquarium
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| began raising money and acquiring animals
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| | Association (AZA) in 1972. Just 2 years
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| When the Los Angeles Zoo opened in 1966
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| | later Dr. Warren D. Thomas became Zoo
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| it was the 4th zoo to
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| | Director.
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| serve the city. The Greater Los Angeles
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| | Thomas assembled one of the world 's most
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| Zoo Association (GLAZA) had already
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| | respecteded animal collections during his
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| graduated a class of trained, volunteer
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| | 17-year tenure. The zoo acquired rare and
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| docents and had produced several issues
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| | endangered species, including the
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| of a quarterly magazine called Zoo View.
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| | Sumatran Rhino, the Jentink's and Zebra
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| Some 80,000 Angelenos attended the
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| | duikers, yellow-footed rock wallabies,
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| November opening of the Los Angeles Zoo
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| | giant elands, gerenuks, emperor tamarins,
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| (also in attendance was an alligator
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| | and bongos. The Andrew Norman Education
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| named Methuselah, who is still a resident
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| | Center, the ZooMobile, Wolf Woods and
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| of the zoo today).
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| | Monkey Island, were all built in the
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| In 1967 the zoo acquired 3 endangered
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| | Thomas-era1970's, as were new exhibits
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| Arabian Oryx for $75,000. The Los Angeles
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| | for gorillas, orangutans and flamingos,
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| Zoo cooperated with the only other
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| | In the 1980's the Zoo became part of the
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| American zoo to house Oryx, the Phoenix
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| | new California Condor Recovery Program.
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| Zoo, to successfully bred the
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| | In 1982 the Zoo built the extensive
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| gazelle-like animals, which were facing
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| | "condorminiums," which are still
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| extinction in the wild. Today descendants
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| | considered among the finest and largest
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| of those animals have been reintroduced
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| | facilities in the condor recovery
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| to the wild in Israel, and other
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| | program. In1982 the Ahmanson Koala House
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| descendants of that original L.A. Zoo
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| | was opened. Currently the Los Angeles Zoo
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| herd live on at the zoo.
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| | the only zoo in the world to exhibit
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| The Los Angeles Zoo's 1st Beastly Ball
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| | these nocturnal animals in a darkened
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| was held in 1970. This safari-themed
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| | setting.
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| dinner-dance is an important fundraiser
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