Countdown to $42M Elephants of Asia Exhibit
In 2 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes and 33 seconds, the all-new, $42 million dollar Elephants of Asia exhibit at the L.A. Zoo will officially open. For many, this much-anticipated opening is serious cause for celebration as the goal of the exhibit is to shed more light on the plight of Asian elephants and encourage their protection.
Yet spending millions amid consistent complaints about the quality of elephant care at the L.A. Zoo is bound to raise some hackles. Add in the lawsuit filed by the late actor Robert Culp to shut down the new enclosure and you'll find the exhibit opening represents something to rail against - not celebrate - for many animal activists.
Will the exhibit, which will give Billy and two San Diego Zoo elephants 9,000 square feet of roaming space, usher in a new wave of good will and signal an end to years of legal action? Will it finally take our zoo off the Worst Zoos for Elephants Hall of Shame list? Or will this open a new chapter of concern in the ongoing L.A. elephant saga?
If you can't wait two more days to channel your inner elephant, the L.A. Zoo offers a sneak peek of what's in store for you, shares some keeper interviews and promises updated diaries of many involved in the creation of the exhibit as soon as it opens. Or you can jump ahead to the best part: get to know the elephants.