South Pas Resident is Major Donor for LA Zoo

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens broke ground last Wednesday on a new theater for its popular 'World of Birds' show.  

Improvements to the 20-year old facility are made possible because of donors, including long-time GLAZA docent and South Pas resident Helen Pekny.

Donations were also arranged by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) from Basil Collier and Mohammad Virani of the Angela Collier Foundation. 

When the theatre re-opens later this year (date TBA), its new name will be the Angela Collier World of Birds Theater in honor of Collier's late daughter who established the Angela Collier Foundation to support a variety of animal welfare charities. Support for the project from Pekny, a docent since 1985, funds a complete backstage renovation.

The new Angela Collier World of Birds Theater features a Mediterranean theme with a two story stage to better demonstrate natural behaviors of birds. Over 20 species of birds, including macaws, condors, vultures, cranes, hornbills, hawks and eagles, are part of the bird shows.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) andGolden State (5) freeways, where it hosts over 1.6 million visitors each year. The Zoo is home to a diverse collection of 1100 animals, many of which are rare or endangered. New exhibits include The LAIR-Living Amphibians, Invertebrates and Reptiles, Elephants of Asia and Campo Gorilla Reserve. Admission is $16 for adults and $11 for children ages 2 to 12. The Zoo is open from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.daily.  For information, call(323) 644-4200 or visit the L. A. Zoo website at www.lazoo.org.