ZOO'S LEARNING CENTER OPENS ANIMAL PETTING BY KIDS ALLOWED.Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer Greeted by a herd of dairy goats, scores of youngsters crowded into the new Winnick Family Children's Zoo, a $3.4 million interactive learning center that officially opened Thursday at the Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo founded in 1966, is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, is home to 1,200 animals from around the world. . The two-acre site - formerly Adventure Island - features an amphitheater, indoor learning center and various animal exhibits. On opening day, the most popular attraction by far was the petting zoo, where kids groomed and waved palm fronds at the goats. ``I went and dropped him a stick!'' said Zachary Schrader, an excited 4-year-old from Manhattan Beach Manhattan Beach, city (1990 pop. 32,063), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1912. It is a residential and beach community with an oil refinery and nearby factories that produce transportation and electrical equipment, computers, and pottery. , as he watched a gray goat munching on a nearby tree. ``They've needed something like this for a long time,'' said Crystal Fernandez of Northridge, who brought her three children - Christian, 4; Kellie, 3; and Cammie cam·mie n. 1. Camouflage fabric. 2. cammies Garments made from camouflage fabric. [Shortening and alteration of camouflage.] , 1. ``The kids come to the zoo, and they want to touch and experience things. That's why we're here on the first day.'' The petting corral corral a small fenced-in enclosure with high, wooden fences, suitable for holding cattle or horses. corral system a management system in which range cattle are put into corrals and fed hay for a period when the environment is most , dubbed Muriel's Ranch, also features a pot-bellied pig The pot-bellied pig is a breed of domesticated pig originating in Vietnam with fourteen sub-species. Considerably smaller than standard American or European farm pigs, most adult pot-bellied pigs are about the size of a medium- or large-breed dog, though their bodies are denser at , alpacas and a miniature horse Miniature Horses are found all over the world and come in various colors and coat patterns. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular registry involved, is usually less than 34-38 inches (82-91 cm) as measured , with lambs to be added at a future date. Sculptures by New Mexico-based artist Armando Alvarez decorate the area, including one depicting Jeffrey Cusumano, 8, of Canyon Country, based on a photograph of the youngster taken while he was being treated for leukemia. The center is named for Karen Winnick, a children's author and member of the Zoo Commission who donated $2 million to the project. ``Animals are awesome. Learning about them enriches all of our lives,'' Winnick said at a news conference that also featured Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California and Emmy Award Emmy award Annual presentation for outstanding achievement in U.S. television. Its name is taken from the nickname “immy” for the image orthicon, a television camera tube. winning actress Betty White, a noted animal rights activist. ``By interacting with the animals, we hope it will emphasize respect for fellow creatures on this planet,'' Hahn said. In addition to the new petting zoo, all of the nearby animal exhibits have been renovated and a host of new, dynamic creatures have been added. ``It's really cool because children get to experience how animals behave, and they're able to learn a lot about them,'' said 9-year-old Chantal Ghoussoub of Van Nuys. Staff Writer Naush Boghossian contributed to this story. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Above, Mayor Jim Hahn and son Jackson, 7, pet goats as zoo donor Gary Winnick watches. At left, Mallory Lewis, daughter of the late ventriloquist Shari Lewis, brings Lamb Chop to Thursday's grand opening of Winnick Family Children's Zoo. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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