I'm normally a big proponent for the LA Zoo. I'm a...

I'm normally a big proponent for the LA Zoo. I'm a zoo member and have had a membership for the last 6 years. This was my first visit in quite a while however. I still rate it highly but I think just a few areas weakened my experience.
I enjoy photographing the animals and in a few ways this has gotten even harder. There sometimes appear to be fewer animals of a given breed on display. This reduces the chances of getting a good view of an animal breed/species at any given time. I also noticed late in the day that the jaguar didn't appear to be on display or was well hidden (could have been brought in for the day). I was never impressed with the visibility in that enclosure, but the one place I had good luck getting photos in the past is now useless because the vegetation growth now blocks the view.
I suspect that the animal inventory was reduced because of ever changing zoo requirements that recommend more and more space per animal. Overall however, I still believe it's a wonderful place and a great experience for kids and anyone else that loves or takes an interest in animals. They also try to show case various plant life around the facility and often have placards with their names on them.