The Real Zoo Story : Changing the director didn’t work last time; why will it this time?

Marc Goldstein probably had no alternative but to announce, as he did last week, that he is stepping down as director of the Los Angeles Zoo. His resignation follows release of a report, drafted by zookeepers from Atlanta, Cincinnati and Seattle, that is withering in its criticism of his administration. Conditions at the zoo are so bad, it said, that animal health is often jeopardized. Unless improvements are made, the facility may lose its accreditation.

Continuing criticism of Goldstein, both from within and outside the zoo staff, prompted Mayor Richard Riordan to request the outside inquiry last year. That report does indeed underscore concerns about Goldstein’s management style and spending priorities. Butanyone who thinks that the zoo’s problems will be solved by Goldstein’s departure has forgotten that institution’s often troubled history.

“The beginning of a new zoo starts today,” Riordan and City Council President John Ferraro jointly declared Wednesday, following release of the report. But city officials were equally buoyant about the zoo’s future three years ago when Goldstein arrived from Boston, where he got high marks for directing that city’s zoo. He was heralded as an outsider who could revitalize the Los Angeles Zoo.

With Goldstein’s departure, city officials vowed once again to mount a nationwide search for someone to turn the zoo around. Improvement, however, cannot wait. The many problems of this zoo are obvious and longstanding. Too many animals are housed in poor conditions, exhibit facilities are outdated and attendance and revenue are too low.

If the city and private organizations that support the zoo can’t find a way to improve it, they may need to consider alternatives to city ownership.