SUMMER AFTERNOON AT THE LOS ANGELES ZOO: Giraffes, Gorillas and Much More

 

Masai Giraffe, Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles, CA

We recently visited the Los Angeles Zoo, for the first time since the pandemic. It was good to see the animals again. We missed them. When the zoo was closed to visitors during the pandemic, the animals apparently missed seeing people too! Some adaptations have been made for social distancing since the zoo reopened, but most of the exhibits are open.

Male baby Masai giraffe, 3 months old. Born to Zainabu (mother) and Philip (father)

Highlights of our visit included koalas, cassowaries and other Australian animals, a new baby giraffe (born April 8th and already nearly 7 feet tall!) and a rambunctious young gorilla named Angela (born Jan 2020) playing in her enclosure, not unlike an energetic human two-year-old.

Southern Tamandua, a South American anteater.

Our first stop was the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo, not far from the zoo entrance, where we watched a Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) wake from its nap and explore its enclosure.

The path to the main part of the zoo passes the meerkat colony, and the animals were on alert, just as they are in the wild of southern Africa, where they are on the constant lookout for predators. If one meerkat spots a hawk soaring in the sky above, it emits a warning and the rest of the animals scurry to safety in their underground burrows. Although the meerkats are presumably safe in their zoo exhibit, they still watch out for large birds soaring overhead.

Caribbean flamingos.

Soon after the meerkats we passed the flamingos—both the bright pink Caribbean species, and the smaller and more delicate colored African flamingos. In both enclosures the birds were busy honking and jostling one another in minor disputes.   

Rock wallaby.

It was a warm day and many of the animals were resting in their enclosures. But in the area with the Australian animals, large trees supplied plenty of shade. We spotted an echidna scurrying around a kangaroo and under two koalas tucked into the branches of one of the trees. Other Australian animals on exhibit included a rock wallaby, a cassowary with its brightly colored head crest, and inside the reptile house, an enormous lizard--a perentie.

Perentie.

The perentie (Varanus giganteus) is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. It is the one of the largest living lizards on earth. On our several trips to the Australian outback we had always hoped to see one (from a distance, of course), but never came closer than viewing some tracks. The perentie on exhibit at the LA Zoo looked to be at least five feet from nose to the tip of its tail. They can grow to up to  eight feet in length. The striking pattern of its scales resembles elegant designer fabric, but in the wild would likely be effective camouflage.

Angela, a young lowland gorilla.

Our final stop was at the gorilla enclosure. While the older animals appeared to be napping, the youngest member of the family, a young female named Angela, romped around the enclosure, playing with sticks, jumping from rocks, and turning somersaults, as she entertained herself and the crowd. 

As always, a visit to the zoo is potluck--you never know which animals are going to be active or visible in their enclosures.  We had an enjoyable afternoon, saw lots of animals, and didn't even have time to visit all of them.

For a map of the Los Angeles Zoo and information about planning your visit, click HERE.