Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association - LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens

For over 50 years, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association has provided financial and mission support to the LA Zoo. The Zoo was founded in 1966, a decade after Angelenos decided their blossoming city had outgrown the small Griffith Park Zoo and passed a bond measure to build a new one. Today, the Zoo spans 133 acres and is home to more than 1,400 mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, including members of 58 endangered species. Additionally, the Zoo's Botanical Gardens are home to 7,000 plants of 800 individual species. The Zoo and Botanical Gardens draw in approximately 1.8 million visitors from across the globe each year. Through its diverse plant and animal life, as well as extensive public programming, the LA Zoo fulfills its four-part mission: create an environment for recreation and discovery; inspire an appreciation of wildlife through exhibits and education programming; ensure the highest level of animal welfare; and support programs that preserve biodiversity and conserve natural habitat.