A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to screen Disneynature’s BEARS while on a press trip in Los Angeles.  After we screened Bears at the Walt Disney Studio Lot, we took a trip to the Los Angeles Zoo, in honor of the film! Before I get to the zoo, let me tell you about the film.  BEARS is a true life adventure showcasing a year in the life of a bear family.  You will fall in love with the bears, Sky, Amber and Scout, as they show you their fast-moving action and suspense in the wilderness!

tour the los angeles zoo

A great way to celebrate the the film:  A trip to the Los Angeles Zoo!  Did you know…

  • The Los Angeles Zoo (@LAZoo) opened in November 28, 1966.
  • The world’s first gorilla baby delivered by Caesarian section was born at the Los Angeles Zoo in 1977.
  • In 1981 the L.A. Zoo become a partner in the California Condor Recovery Program, helping to  bring this majestic bird back from the brink of extinction.
  • A donation from Alice C. Tyler funds a new Meerkat exhibit which would later provide inspiration for the animators of Disney’s The Lion King.

 Pretty amazing, right?  But knowing those facts are just half of the amazement.  Take a look at some of the exhibits the zoo has to offer:

 

The first stop on our private tour was to the California Condor Rescue Zone.  In this zone, we learned about the California condors and their habitats, getting up close and personal with Dolly.  We were informed of the main cause condors dying was lead poisoning from hunters’ bullets.  Apparently the birds accidentally eat the lead with the unfortunate animal corpses, leading to death.  For this reason, California now has legislation requiring hunters to use bullets that don’t contain lead.  Interesting, right?

los angeles zoo

We then took board on the trams to see the Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains.  The chimpanzee trainer shared tidbits of information with us, as we watched them clap and whistle for snacks!  It was fun to see and hear about the different levels of boarding and the chimpanzee pent house!

los angeles zoo

After observing the chimpanzees, we walked over to the giraffes.  Aren’t they beautiful?  The trainer was there talking to us, and since the giraffes saw the trainer, they came together, kind of like they were standing at attention for us!  Indeed, the trainer said animals associate her with food, because that’s what she provides!

los angeles zoo

Of course our trip to the zoo would not be complete without a stop to see the black bears!  Did you know the average bear weighs between 150-600 pounds?  And the black bear eat grasses, fruits, berries, nuts, insects, human foods, and occasionally small vertebrates?  It was interesting to hear the trainer share stories as he threw the bear nuts!

los angeles zoo

Which brings us back to Scout, who was my personal guest through the tour!  Scout made appearances through the park and enjoyed our “BEARS” day together!

If you would like to learn more about Disneynature and the film, make sure you follow along on social media with the hashtags #DisneynatureBears and #MeetTheCubs. The Disney Store is also contributing to the National Park Foundation. For every plush from the DisneyNature BEARS film that is purchased, $1.00 will be donated to the National Park Foundation between now and May 11, 2014. You can find the Amber and Scout plush bears here

BEARS will be in theaters on Friday, April 18th.  If you see the film during opening week, a portion of the proceeds from your ticket purchase will be donated to conservation funds. 

Disclosure:  I was provided with an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles to facilitate this post.  All opinions are 100% my own.

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