L.A. Zoo, tattered and losing members, needs private steward, grand jury finds

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A Los Angeles County civil grand jury says the L.A.Zoo can’t continue operating the way it has been — citing deterioration of its facilities and rapidly declining membership.

The jury is urging a new public-private partnership, saying the action is crucial for the facility to survive.The Los Angeles Zoo is the last major American zoo governed by a city department.Managing it, the report notes, requires navigating a bureaucratic jungle that includes the zoo commission, neighborhood councils, city attorney, city controller and other departments, as well as the mayor and the City Council.The jury found that the city, faced with financial problems including a $1-million budget shortfall this year, would continue to struggle in managing the zoo, which has deteriorated and lacks funding for maintenance and new projects amid ongoing revenue loss.According to the report, zoo membership dropped from 36,914 in April 2025 to 28,440 in February 2026, representing a loss of 8,474 memberships, or a 23% drop in less than one year.

“Simply stated, to keep these important educational institutions afloat, almost all zoos across the United States have turned to public-private partnerships,” the civil grand jury wrote in its 2025-2026 report.The jury acknowledged that the shift would be difficult.

“The zoo transition is extremely complex, involving chain of command, authority, management, supervision, labor, utilities, maintenance, construction, finances, and animal care (acquisition, exhibits, and disposition),” the report read.“Every participating agency, director, and manager must understand this is not a ‘win-win’ situation, but rather a question of ‘What is best for the Zoo?’”The civil grand jury recommendation comes as the city remains in a legal dispute over a $50-million endowment with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., a longtime fundraising partner.

For nearly fiv...