LA Zoo teeters on edge of crisis facing crumbling facilities and budget strain

As Los Angeles grapples with budget problems, a new report warns that the city’s zoo may be heading toward a crisis of its own as membership withers and costs balloon.

A Los Angeles County civil grand jury has concluded that the Los Angeles Zoo cannot continue operating as it does today, finding that deteriorating facilities, declining membership, and financial strain have put the future of the city-run attraction in doubt.

The report paints a troubling picture of an institution that has fallen behind while being managed through a sprawling bureaucracy.

Unlike most major zoos in the United States, the Los Angeles Zoo remains fully operated by the city, requiring oversight and involvement from the zoo commission, neighborhood councils, the city attorney, city controller, multiple city departments, the mayor, and the City Council.

According to the grand jury, that model is no longer working.

The zoo, which spans 133 acres in Griffith Park and houses more than 1,600 animals, has struggled to maintain its facilities while the city faces ongoing financial pressures, including a $1 million budget shortfall this year.

Membership has also dropped sharply.

The report found that memberships fell from 36,914 in April 2025 to 28,440 in February 2026, a loss of 8,474 members, or 23%, in less than a 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.

The panel is urging Los Angeles to follow that model and begin transitioning toward a public-private partnership, arguing that the city can no longer shoulder the burden on its own.

The recommendation comes as the city remains locked in a legal dispute with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, or GLAZA, over a $50 million endowment.

For nearly five decades, GLAZA helped fund exhibits, conservation programs, capital improvements, educational initiatives, and community outreach efforts.

The grand jury described the organization’s support as a critical source of funding for the zoo.

That relationship has now collapsed.

“When that belief turned into litigation, our zoo’s future became imperiled,” the report stated. “Its relationship with GLAZA now lies in ruins, crashed on the rocky shore of a major lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court.”

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The zoo’s problems are increasingly visible to visitors.

Exhibits for lions, bears, sea lions, and pelicans have been shut down because of major renovation needs.

Last year, Billy and Tina, the zoo’s final two elephants, were transferred to the Tulsa Zoo after decades of criticism from animal-rights advocates over living conditions and health concerns.

Federal regulators have also flagged maintenance issues, including rust and peeling paint in animal enclosures.

Previous inspections by the US Department of Agriculture and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums found a “critical lack of funding and staffing to address even the most basic repairs,” according to a November 2024 budget document cited in the report.

Despite those challenges, Los Angeles has reportedly allocated $34 million to the zoo, including $10 million dedicated to animal care.

However, the funding may not be enough to reverse the zoo’s trajectory.

To prevent further decline, the panel recommended that city leaders begin searching by next April for a new partner with experience in public-private zoo operations, warning that significant changes will be needed if the zoo is to remain viable for the future.

The warning arrives as Los Angeles faces broader questions about the health of many of its institutions.

Downtown Los Angeles was recently ranked among the deadest downtowns in the world.