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LA Zoo Celebrates Longtime Supporter Betty White With Memorial Garden

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Zoo Wednesday honored Betty White — a longtime zoo supporter — with the opening of a white rose memorial garden.

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's (GLAZA) 45th Annual Beastly Ball
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 20: Actress Betty White attends The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's (GLAZA) 45th Annual Beastly Ball at the Los Angeles Zoo on June 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage)

The garden will be up through the end of January and will be located in an area named for White's late husband.

Zoo visitors can leave a message, memory, or drawing on a card honoring White.

The cards will then be displayed on a gold string hung between silk white roses in the Allen Ludden Plaza.

White, a supporter of the zoo for more than five decades, died on Dec. 31 at the age of 99.

"We are so thankful for her generosity, humility, and of course, humor," said Tom Jacobson, president of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

"After her passing, there has been an outpouring of love for Betty with tributes from around the globe, so we think honoring her at Ludden Plaza, a place very special to her, would serve as the perfect backdrop to this public memorial. We also want to reflect on her life at the L.A. Zoo by sharing some more intimate moments of Betty with our animals and staff as well as her indelible contributions."

The zoo has also created the self-guided "Betty's L.A. Zoo Tour" honoring White's contributions to the facility.

The tour can also be experienced online at www.lazoo.org/betty-white.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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