The Oaks invites kids to play Tarzan among wild animals
Center pays homage to local history
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

For four decades lions roared loud and often in Thousand Oaks.

Leo the MGM lion, along with a panther, giraffe, hippopotamus, monkey and other storied creatures of Jungleland are long silent, but the children playing on the animals' plastic replicas are squealing with delight.

A new play area at The Oaks mall opened last Saturday. Brought to Thousand Oaks by Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, the kids' area held its grand opening Dec. 1. It's located next to the mall's new food court.

The play center's theme was chosen to remind mall visitors of Thousand Oaks' historic Jungleland, Louis Goebel's Lion Farm, built in 1927.

The wild-animal attraction once brought visitors from far and wide to Thousand Oaks to watch shows with lions, elephants, monkeys and other exotic animals trained to perform in movies. Some of the animal actors appeared in the "Tarzan" movie series.

An oak tree replica provides a canopy over the 1,066squarefoot play area. The entryway welcomes children (under 42 inches tall) with a "Tarzan" theme. Youngsters can climb on, slide down and crawl through the animals.

When Jungleland closed in 1969, 1,800 animals were auctioned off. The land was sold and the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza was built on the property on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

The Oaks mall, built in 1978, is undergoing a complete interior renovation and openair expansion that is to be completed next fall.

Jungleland legends

Leo, the iconic MGM lion, is buried on the grounds of what was once Jungleland.

During the 1960s, a panther escaped from Jungleland and fled into the hills that surround Thousand Oaks.

Longtime residents of Newbury Park remember hearing the panther roar from the Los Robles hills.

The Newbury Park High School Panthers took their name and mascot from this escaped black cat.