Ruins of the Old Los Angeles Zoo

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Griffith Park Zoo opened at this location in 1912. Similar to other zoos in the early 20th century, there were few animals and even fewer standards of care when the zoo first opened. The former challenge was easier to solve, and within one year the zoo had over a hundred animals. Over time, the zoo became crowded and more people became concerned for the well-being of animals, many of which were kept in small enclosures. The zoo closed in 1966 and the animals were moved to a new zoo a few miles down the road. Many of the cement enclosures remain, offering a view of what zoos were like in the first half of the 20th century.

Images

Crowds of people watching the Monkey's

Walls and grounds

Blue, Infrastructure, Majorelle blue, Colorfulness

Fences and cages

Picnic

Old cages

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

In 1885, Dr. Charles Sketchley moved his ostrich farm with other animals to "Griffith’s Rancho Los Feliz." The public enjoyed visiting this small farm over the next few years, and this became part of the reason why the city created a zoo at this same location in 1912. The zoo was underfunded from the beginning but the L.A. City Council provided additional funding to increase the zoo's population from around fifteen animals to over a hundred in its early years. The Griffith Park Zoo took in some abandoned animals from other zoos including a private zoo that had been operated by Frank Murphy.

Many of the walls and enclosures that can still be seen today were built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration. The zoo had bears, lions, monkeys, elephants, and other large animals that could rarely be seen in America, along with monkeys, bobcats, and other animals that were housed in small cages and enclosures. The bears lived in caves that were built on a hillside. Larger animals were confined in pens. In 1916, the zoo faced the challenge of dealing with the quantity of animal waste as residents raised concern that waste was flowing into the Los Angeles River. During World War I, the decision to ration beef led some of the larger cats to die after being subjected to a diet of horse meat. A severe flood occurred in 1935 and the rising water level allowed some of the bears to escape their enclosure.

In the post-World War II era, animal keeper Charles Allen raised concerns about the well-being of the animals. In 1949, he shared his concerns with the Los Angeles Times about overcrowding and the small enclosures, noting that the zoo's population had grown to around a thousand animals. Reports of animal abuse and concerns about the small enclosures led to the decision to build a new zoo. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens opened in December 1966 with 2,000 animals.

Sources

Louyse, K. (2019, July 09). Griffith Park Zoo – The Great World Zoo That Never Was (1912-1966). Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://friendsofgriffithpark.org/griffith-park-zoo-the-great-world-zoo-that-never-was-1912-1966/

Ruppenstein, A. (2020, August 17). Site of the Old Los Angeles Zoo Historical Marker. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=128091

The Old Zoo at Griffith Park. (2020, October 02). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://laghosttour.com/the-old-zoo-at-griffith-park/

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.kcet.org/history-society/a-whimpering-roar-the-old-griffith-park-zoo-then-and-now