Anti-Panda sentiment? A loathing of pencils and rulers bedecked with animals? Triggered by T-Shirts targeted at tourists? The motive for a suspect to set a gift shop at the San Diego Zoo ablaze has yet to be determined, but police say the cause was indeed arson. more ›

The San Diego Zoo welcomed a lil' hippo baby to their herbivore family on Wednesday morning after a two-hour water birth in front of zoo visitors at the hippopotamus compound, reports ABC Local and the AP. The otherwise reclusive calf is staying close to its mother and doesn't want its art and style to be judged by people quick to gender stereotype. The sex has yet to be determined and the hippo, preferring anonymity and aliases, has not yet been named. The hippo's parents Funani and Otis were brought to San Diego from the Los Angeles Zoo two years ago, and despite not getting along very well, they began to mate in April. Typical. Welcome, hipster hippo! more ›

The largest zoo community in the world recently molted their old branding for a wild new look. The San Diego Zoo -- home to over 4,000 rare and endangered animals representing more than 800 species and subspecies, and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants (think Dr. Seuss -- Theodor Geisel is said to have spent many hours in the cactus garden sketching and drawing) -- also operates the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park (re-named Safari Park) and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. more ›

It's not strictly L.A., but it does involve navigating through traffic on the 101: Taking a day trip to the San Diego Zoo. more ›