Volume 2, No. 16. August 23, 2002
New Arrivals
It’s
a fox exhibit!
The Los Angeles Zoo announces the arrival of a new fox exhibit August 15, 2002.
Measurements: 1,600 square feet (149 square meters), three exhibits, three species
of foxes.
The long-term makeover of the Los Angeles Zoo from mid-60s cutting edge exhibitry
to 21st century themed living areas continues as the zoo unveiled its second
renovated roundhouse (the first was made over for komodos, THE
LOOP, October 19, 2001). With a living area appropriate to the animals’
native habitats and background murals to match, two foxes made their debuts
at the zoo: the bat-eared fox, returning to Los Angeles after a five-year absence,
and Channel Island foxes. The third species, the red fox, was already an L.A.
Zoo residents.
The Channel Island foxes are the cornerstone of the new exhibit. Indigenous
to the islands off the southern California coast, these varieties are a threatened
species, and the Los Angeles Zoo has obtained a breeding pair. For the occasion
of the exhibit’s official opening, the zoo only staged a media day, attended
by 12 representatives of local media outlets. “We had more come out for
this than some of our major openings,” said the zoo’s Public Relations
Manager Judy Shay. “I guess they wanted to see the foxes.”
While the bat-eared foxes stayed in hiding during their coming out party, their
Channel Island cousins ate up the attention, posing for cameras at the front
of the exhibit. Well, they are natives to the area and perhaps used to the show
biz lifestyle.
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