Learn about exciting Zoo developments, including animal updates, events, expert perspectives, and field reports on our conservation initiatives at the Zoo and around the world.
Remembering Muriel Horacek: Long-Time L.A. Zoo Docent & Friend It is with profound sadness, yet immense gratitude for a life beautifully lived, that the Los Angeles Zoo family announces the passing of beloved Docent Emeritus Muriel Horacek. Having celebrated her remarkable 100th birthday in March 2025, Muriel was an extraordinary force of nature who dedicated herself to the Zoo and its visitors since 2010. Muriel retired from being a docent earlier this year, shortly after […]
The Harrowing Journey of a California Condor and the Veterinary Team Who Helped Save Her Life By Carl Myers Female California condor #939 was hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo in 2018 at the California Condor Recovery Facility. To prepare this chick for release into the wild, the L.A. Zoo’s California condor care team closely monitored her as she was reared, first by her parents, then at eight months old when she was placed with
By Jolee Kuo As the group trudged through the thick mud of the post-flooded Amazon rainforest I took a second to look up at the towering, vine-intertwined trees surrounding us. Suddenly, there, a flash of movement, and then another. I alerted the other fellowship recipients and local biologist guides and we all stopped in pure awe, watching a troop of squirrel monkeys climb and play right above our heads. They leapt from tree to tree,
An Experience of a Lifetime – Peru Read more
Digging Deeper into the Oak Woodland Restoration and Career Pathways Project By: Cortney Vargas A quiet hillside on the edge of the Los Angeles Zoo is about to tell a new story: one of ecological restoration, community partnership, and a shared vision for the future. Once used for equipment storage and long overlooked, this patch of land within Zoo grounds is being transformed into a vibrant native oak woodland through the Oak Woodland Restoration and
Enriching Our Communities and Restoring Habitat Read more
Swan Lake—the newest habitat to debut at the Zoo—owes its existence to some very special donors. The Lowy family, one of the habitat’s major funders, has been involved with the L.A. Zoo in myriad ways for more than 60 years.
Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in North America. The name of these iconic swans comes from the deep “trumpet” tones they can make when they forcefully exhale.
Honk, Honk: Meet Webby and Dewey Read more
We’re celebrating the extraordinary service of a special group of volunteers who’ve been with the Zoo for 50+ years! These dedicated docents have seen it all—from pith helmets to polar bears to pandas for the ‘84 Olympics—and they’re sharing the memories and moments that have made it all worthwhile to them for five decades.
Volunteer Milestone: Serving 50+ Years Read more
Venture into the field with Cortney Vargas as she assists with bat acoustic monitoring program and learns about the challenges facing bats.
Field Notes: Bats in Florida and Jamaica with Cortney Vargas Read more
The Zoo is home to 38 snake species, 27 of which are venomous, like this Durango Rock Rattlesnake. We’re taking a look at why some snakes are venomous and what makes snake venom so powerful. The explanations might surprise you.
A Ssseriously Close Look at Snake Venom Read more
This year’s Lunar New Year celebrations are ushering in the Year of the Snake—fang-tastic news since the Zoo is home to an especially wide variety of vipers, boas, pythons, and more. For a sneak preview of the snakes you’ll see in the Zoo’s LAIR, as well as some fun facts, check out the photos in our gallery. These reptiles are nothing to hiss at!
Celebrate the Year of the Snake Read more
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