A Happier Zoo Story? : New philosophy, contributions suggest new course for troubled menagerie

Red-tailed hawks swoop down from high perches. A reddish-gray kestrel hovers. Blue and gold and scarlet macaws, the popular giant parrots, circle and take a little nibble. An Andean condor with a 10-foot wingspan glides above the crowd at the new outdoor World of Birds show at the Los Angeles Zoo. The improvements, courtesy of a $300,000 donation from the Nestle Food Co., are just one indication of what many hope is a turning point for the embattled zoo.

New leadership took over several months ago. The new zoo director, Mark Goldstein, is an enthusiastic veterinarian from Boston. The new president of the supportive Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. (GLAZA), Susan Rice, is a veteran fund-raiser. One hopes their teamwork will set a new tone for a zoo that was beset by controversy and in-fighting.

In past years, inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found more than 100 violations of the Animal Welfare Act. This year, officials found none.

Because the USDA has responsibility for captive endangered species, federal inspectors also investigated the controversial death this year of Hannibal, an African bull elephant. The animal died as an attempt was being made to move him to a zoo in Mexico. Animal activists accused the Los Angeles Zoo of mistreatment. But USDA inspectors, in a report issued last month, said that “a previously unknown but pre-existing heart condition probably contributed to Hannibal’s death.”

For the benefit of the 2,000 animals and nearly 2 million visitors a year, the zoo’s new officials emphasize conservation and science education. They also hope to add a tram, an animal health and research center, exhibits and other features designed to transform this long-troubled menagerie into a world-class zoo.