Houston Zoo Houston Zoo News 2021

New Houston Zoo animal: Asian Small-Clawed Otter debuts | khou.com

The Houston Zoo has a new Asian Small Clawed Otter named Athena. She’s 2 years old

 

Just announced on Twitter, the zoo received two awards from the AZA: Top Honors in Exhibit Design for the Kathrine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands Exhibit and Cypress Circle Café. As well as their part in the William G. Conway International Conservation Award shared with Sea World, Naples Zoo, and Busch Gardens for their work in the Giant Armadillo conservation program Link below is to direct tweet!

https://twitter.com/houstonzoo/status/1441130340530081802?s=21

 

That's wonderful news! Now the zoo needs to commission someone to write a book for the centennial next year. The facility first opened in 1922.

 

Some news that I am personally very happy about, the zoo finally fixed their elephant webcam. You can watch the herd, if they're outside and visible, here: Elephant Yard Cam, The Houston Zoo

As of this post, I believe it's Tupelo, Tilly, and Winnie outside.

 

Ocelot Cub Wasabi Passes Away, The Houston Zoo

This was at the end of August, but one of their little ocelot cubs passed away! Such a tragedy.

 

That’s awful!!!

 

Black, white and ready for Houston's inaugural penguin habitat. Zoo Ball raises record $1.8 million

The Houston Zoo apparently is getting Humboldt Penguins for their new Galapagos exhibit. They will be ambassadors for the Galapagos Penguin and their California Sea Lions will be an ambassador for the endangered Galapagos Sea Lion.

I’m a little disappointed but not surprised that they’re using animal ambassadors for their new exhibit. It’s very similar to what the San Diego Zoo did with a couple of their animals in the Africa Rocks exhibit.

 

I’m pretty sure this has been stated multiple times now.
It is a bit disappointing, but I still have high expectations for this new exhibit, seeing how good Texas Wetlands & South America’s Pantanal have turned out,

 

The only alternative would have been to have done a completely different geographic area and forget the Galapagos altogether. Ecuador's not about to export penguins, sea lions, or marine iguanas. The occasions in which the Ministry of the Environment has allowed wildlife exports, they've been very special circumstances, each time very controversial.

 

Plans for a furture penguin exhibit Black, white and ready for Houston's inaugural penguin habitat. Zoo Ball raises record $1.8 million

 

This was just mentioned yesterday

 

Oh my mistake

 

Two Blue-billed Curassows have hatched at Houston! Notably one chick is being parent-reared whilst the other is being hand reared. Zoo visitors will be able to see the chick with its parents in the Pantanal exhibit: Houston Zoo announces hatchings of critically endangered birds

 

More photos and a video of this rare breeding :

PHOTOS: Houston Zoo successfully hatches 2 rare Blue-billed Curassow chicks

 

0.1 cheetah Kiburi was sadly euthanized on Saturday.

Mourning the Loss of Elderly Cheetah, Kiburi, The Houston Zoo

 

Will the Galapagos exhibit hold other species than humboldt penguins and (probably) tortoises?

 

California sea lions, marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, various sharks, fish and seahorses will all be featured as well as the penguins and tortoises.

 

Sorry, is there confirmation about the marine iguanas? The materials I'd seen had indicated that they'd be displaying one of the Cyclura species, probably as a stand in for the land iguanas.

https://s28164.pcdn.co/files/HZI_Strategic_Plan.pdf

 

This is my understanding. Getting actual marine iguanas from Ecuador is impossible.

 

The zoo has a very nice enclosure for caimán island blue iguanas and they may be moved to the new área.