CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES
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City Councilman Tony Cardenas has ordered Los Angeles Zoo officials to appear before a council committee to discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s investigation into the deaths of an elephant and a chimpanzee at the zoo three years ago.
The USDA, which enforces the Animal Welfare Act, cited the zoo for failing to get veterinary care quickly to the animals when they were stricken. (The elephant, Gita, was found down in her enclosure in June of 2006. The next month, a chimpanzee, Judeo, was bitten by a rattlesnake.)
The zoo paid a $3,281 fine, but officials have steadfastly maintained they did everything possible to save both animals. The fine came to public attention only this week.
Cardenas has also directed the city attorney’s office to investigate whether the zoo improperly withheld information about the USDA investigation when private citizens made public records requests for it.
-- Carla Hall
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