Zoo Update with Denise Verret

During our closure, and what continues to be an unprecedented and difficult moment in all of our lives, I am heartened by the hard work and dedication our Animal Care and Health staff, who continue to perform on a daily basis. This pandemic may have halted our normal operations, but it has not stopped us from our efforts to save wildlife from extinction. The Los Angeles Zoo continues to be a conservation leader in spite of this situation.

Currently, our California condor animal team is caring for this year’s generation with two chicks already being safely fostered by their California condor parents. One day, these chicks will soar high in the sky over California, Arizona, Utah, or Mexico as part of the wild population of North America’s largest flying bird. The Zoo’s reptile and amphibian animal team are presently caring for southern mountain yellow-legged frog egg masses at the Zoo’s bio-secure amphibian breeding center. These thousands of eggs will be carefully monitored and eventually the tadpoles that hatch from them will join the frogs in our own backyard—the San Gabriel Mountains—helping ensure the survival of this critically endangered species.

While we continue to adapt to the world around us as COVID-19 shapes the way we live, work, and socialize, the L.A. Zoo will continue to protect biodiversity. I am thankful for every staff member coming in to work and telecommuting to make sure we continue our mission, as well as all of the volunteers for their continued support of the Zoo. This closure is temporary, and while we are still distanced from each other, let us remember that we will make it through this together as one family. Remain well, healthy, and keep your strong spirit up—our resilience will sustain us.