Wanted: A Zoo, Not a Pigsty

A world-class city should have a zoo it can be proud of, but Los Angeles just can’t seem to get it right. The latest brouhaha involving the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park may be the most serious yet, because the city’s license to operate the zoo could be lifted by the federal government.

A final determination is still to be made, but it looks as if the most recent problems grow out of Zoo Director Warren Thomas’ penchant for lax administration. It got him fired in 1986. He was reinstated by Mayor Tom Bradley only after a court ruled the dismissal was improperly handled by the Department of Recreation and Parks. Normally, a close call like that would chasten a public official. But here we go again.

The Times reported this week that inspectors for the U.S. Department of Agriculture have repeatedly cited the zoo over the last three years for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Among other problems, USDA inspectors found inadequate food storage, sanitation and drainage problems in animal housing, pest and rodent contamination and other violations of federal regulations.

It was also learned that Thomas never bothered to respond to a letter USDA sent him last year warning of chronic violations and demanding an immediate reply. Now a formal investigation is under way that could lead to fines and the revocation of the zoo’s license.

The revelations have been met with dismay and promises of investigations by Bradley’s office, the City Council and the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., the nonprofit group that raises funds for the zoo and operates it in conjunction with the city. Few would question their commitment to giving this city a top-notch zoo or their desire to be sure that the animals there live in decent, humane conditions.

But back in 1984 an audit by the city’s chief administrative officer concluded that the zoo would be better run if management were transferred from Recreation and Parks to a private, nonprofit zoological society, like the one that runs the Bronx Zoo in New York and the San Diego Zoo--two of the world’s best. How many more public scandals will the Los Angeles Zoo have to endure before city leaders finally decide to do it right?