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In 2006, The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-2 in favor of completing the Pachyderm Forest at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. After construction was halted due to protestation, the City Council was called on again to vote for the Pachyderm Forest. The Los Angeles City Council approved on January 28th, 2009, with a vote of 11 to 4 to complete construction of the six-acre, Pachyderm Forest. "Today is a victory for science, zoo visitors, staff, volunteers, donors and most importantly elephant welfare" states Zoo Director John Lewis, "we eagerly await the completion of the Pachyderm Forest so we may finish a world class habitat for elephants that will educate and inspire over a million zoo visitors each year."
Asian Elephants are critically endangered, numbering less than 30,000 individuals in the wild. The Zoo's Pachyderm Forest will address the challenges these enormous creatures face such as poaching and habitat fragmentation in four of their range countries-Cambodia, India, Thailand and China, and challenge visitors to make a difference for elephants.
The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) is proud to support the Pachyderm Forest exhibit. The facility is designed with the flexibility to hold multiple bulls, cows with calves and aged animals. The Zoo's new habitat will feature a variety of features for the elephants including bathing pools, waterfalls, varied topography, sand pits, shady retreats and grassy hills. Check out a full prospectus on the exhibit under the Pachyderm Forest Exhibit link and check back often for construction updates!
-Connie Morgan, GLAZA President