L.A. Zoo case may proceed

Robert Culp’s lawsuit alleging that the Los Angeles Zoo mistreats elephants can go forward.

Judge Reginald A. Dunn has rejected arguments by the city that the complaint filed by the 77-year-old actor and real estate agent Aaron Leider lacked a legal basis.

Culp and Leider want to stop the zoo from building a $40-million elephant exhibit. They accuse zoo authorities of withholding medical care from elephants and keeping them cramped in small places, and don’t want the zoo to keep any elephants.

Lawyers for the city argued Monday that the pair’s complaint was political, not legal, but the judge rejected that argument and refused to dismiss the lawsuit.