Los Angeles Zoo reopens 166 days after pandemic shutdown

GRIFFITH PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- More than five months after closing because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Los Angeles Zoo has reopened.

The zoo in Griffith Park reopened to the public Wednesday with new health and safety protocols, including limits on the number of visitors at one time, face-mask requirements and increased sanitation procedures.

There will also be modified access to exhibits, one-way paths and some activities and facilities will remain closed.

"We are so glad to have reached this day, it's such a milestone," said Denise Verret, the zoo's director and CEO. "We think that offering an outdoor, safe environment, where people can connect with nature and the animals that we all know and love, is something that will help us, as we are all living in a new normal.

The zoo closed on March 13 because of the pandemic, staying closed for 166 days.

Under the reopening rules, visitors must purchase tickets in advance online to help limit capacity. The last available reservation will be for 3 p.m. every day.

The tickets will be limited to 200 visitors per hour and no more than 1,200 per day. Before the pandemic, the zoo would typically see 4,000 to 5,000 visitors on a typical weekday and up to 1.8 million visitors in a year.

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