L.A. Zoo one step closer to being privatized

A proposal to potentially turn over management of the Los Angeles Zoo to a private operator was approved by a Los Angeles City Council committee Thursday. If the plan gets the OK of the full council next month, the city could begin soliciting proposals from prospective operators by the end of this year.

Council members also made a new request: that city analysts develop an alternative to privatization to see whether there are changes that can be made to save money and keep the zoo under city management.

That move was cheered by some zoo workers, who are wary of privatization because they might be transferred to other city departments, and by animal-rights activists, who worry that a zoo not managed by the city might be less transparent when it comes to animal welfare. L.A. NOW