Christmas light show brings festive cheer to Los Angeles Zoo
96 views · Published 5 December 2018 · 6:58 · Indexed 9 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(29 Nov 2018) LEADIN: Thousands of dazzling lights are bringing festive cheer to Los Angeles Zoo. It may be about 20 degrees (Celsius) in west coast LA, but that's not stopping visitors from getting in the Christmas spirit at the annual winter extravaganza. STORYLINE: It's Christmas, LA style. For seven weeks over the festive period, Los Angeles Zoo is being transformed into a California-style winter wonderland, with glittering lights and animations. The 100-acre zoo is decked out in flashing LED lights, some hanging from its many palm trees and cactus plants. Lights, music and endless displays come to life at night, after the animals are put to bed. Over 500,000 LED lights glisten and shine in almost every direction. Visitors take a self-guided, 60 to 90-minute walking tour through the zoo's custom displays. The so-called "Twinkle Tunnel" features cascading swirls of light and synchronised music. Performers dance with LED lights, hula hoops and glow sticks. Lights rain down along walkways and glowing animal designs light up the night sky. Kait Hilliard, vice president of marketing at Los Angeles Zoo, says it's something truly special. "There are just a whole smorgasbord of kinds of light experiences," says Hilliard. "And then we've got our reindeer here and those are the animals that are live that you'll see, but you'll see animals in lights. "That's one of the things that's really unique about Zoo Lights, is bringing to life animals in lights." Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens says it draws over 1.8 million visitors each year. It's home to a diverse collection of about 1,400 animals, representing 270 species of which more than 58 are endangered. Rare species on display include the Tasmanian Devil, Okapi, Ring-tailed lemur and Coquerel's Sifaka, a mid-sized lemur native to Madagascar. Until 4pm each day, the animals remain outside in their habitats for all to see. But when it comes to the evening, most of its animal residents are asleep during L.A. Zoo Lights. The zoo is usually closed at night, and only opens in evenings during the holiday season for the light experience. Few animals can be seen at night, during L.A. Zoo Lights, those being reindeer in the "Reindeer Village," plus amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles in "The Lair." Creative director Jenni Rinehart says it's one of the biggest lights shows in the U.S. "There's a 'Twinkle Tunnel,' where there's more than 20,000 LED lights and guests get to walk through that," she says. "Towards the end, there's performers and bubbles and music and in this feature alone with the 20,000 lights, there's more than 7,000 feet of LED strands alone." A highlight of the night is this "Splashes of Lights" custom-made water, light and sound show. Lights dance to synchronized music as fountains of water rock to pulsating beats. Scott Ritt, president of Mirage Waterworks and creative director of "Splashes of Lights" says it was a mammoth undertaking. "It consists of a self-floating system that weighs about 3,500 pounds," he says. "There's, believe it or not, over a mile and a quarter of cable required to hook it all up and make it work. And what we really like about this is the audience reaction, the guests love this." L.A. Zoo Lights runs at Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens till Sunday 6 January 2019, except on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (24 and 25 December), from 6-10pm. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/1d5a01fc6622eb368cd3a30b68d1e167
