Blog - Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

An Experience of a Lifetime – Peru

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, […]

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Enriching Our Communities and Restoring Habitat

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

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Migrant Education Program Partnership

By Coral Barreiro On Wednesday, July 16th, the Los Angeles Zoo hosted Family Day for the Migrant Education Program. During this event, students showcased their artwork and models of animal exhibits, inspired by their previous seven visits to the zoo. The Migrant Education Program, funded by the federal government and administered by LAUSD, has been serving the children of migrant workers for 59 years. It is designed to support students aged 3 to 21 who

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Family Values

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.

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Zoo Update with Zoo Director and CEO Denise M. Verret

Springtime is always a time of change and renewal, and as spring represents change and new beginnings for us, this year it is also true of the Los Angeles Zoo elephants, Billy and Tina.

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Mottled black and tan wild dogs perk their ears

Honk, Honk: Meet Webby and Dewey

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.

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Two white swans with long necks and black bills glide toward each other in a dark pond.

Volunteer Milestone: Serving 50+ Years

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.

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Field Notes: Bats in Florida and Jamaica with Cortney Vargas

Venture into the field with Cortney Vargas as she assists with bat acoustic monitoring program and learns about the challenges facing bats.

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A Ssseriously Close Look at Snake Venom

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.

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A Durango Rock Rattlesnake basking on a piece of slate.

Zoo Update with Zoo Director and CEO Denise M. Verret

Red-bellied piranhas are native to South America. Their signature gold flecks become especially iridescent during mating season—usually the rainy season of wherever they are located. In Los Angeles, the rainy season lasts through April, so be sure to visit these flashy fish soon. Photo by Jamie Pham

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