Houston Zoo

Infobox zoo
zoo_name=Houston Zoo
logo=houstonzoologo.jpg
logo_width=100px

---

image_caption=Main entrance
date_opened=September 1922
location=Houston, Texas, USA
area=55 acres (0.22 km²
coordinates=coord|29|42|58.074|N|95|23|26.052|W|type:landmark_scale:2500
num_animals=4,500
num_species=900
members=AZA
website=http://www.houstonzoo.org/

The Houston Zoo is a 55 acre zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas. Housing over 4,500 animals belonging to over 900 species, the zoo receives 1.5 million visitors each year and is the seventh most visited zoo in the nation. [http://www.houstonzoo.org/press_room/] The zoo is accredited by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. [ [http://www.aza.org/Accreditation/AccreditList/#H Association of Zoos and Aquariums ] ]

History

The Houston Zoo was first established in September 1922 in Sam Houston Park, near downtown. In 1921, the city of Houston purchased several animals for an initial collection. The facility was relocated to Hermann Park, where it resides today. It used to be called the Herman Park Zoo. Its first zookeeper was Hans Nagle, who began working at Hermann Park in 1922 and later became the Houston Zoo's first director when it formed in 1925. [Brian Hill, Director of Public Affairs, Houston Zoo] The zoo did not have admission fees until 1988, when they were first established by former mayor Kathryn J. Whitmire. The newest project is titled "African Forest," a $100 million project that will take several years to complete. It should be finished Fall 2008. The mission statement is "The Houston Zoo provides a fun, unique, and inspirational experience fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world."

On October 1, 2006, an Asian elephant named "Shanti" gave birth to an 384 pound male calf — the "largest elephant calf ever delivered in a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums." [http://www.houstonzooblog.org/2006/week40/index.html retrieved April 27, 2007] The Houston Zoo website had set up a poll to decide what to name it. The choices in this poll were Colossus, Guinness, Sundar, Janu, and Mac. The name "Mac" was chosen. The father of the calf is named "Thai" short for "Thailand."

Exhibits and facilities

*The Reptile and Amphibian building, constructed in 1960, is the primary facility for the amphibian species. Additional amphibian facilities include Texas Wetlands and the Ethel G. and Allen H. Carruth Natural Encounters exhibits.
*The John P. McGovern Children's Zoo provides six different animal habitats designed to allow guests to get closer to the animals. The children's zoo also includes an area where children can touch and pet domestic animals such as goats and sheep, a water playground and wildlife carousel.
* The zoo houses 900 specimens of over 230 species of birds in multiple facilities, including the well perched and kept Fischer Bird Gardens, duck lake, a tropical bird house and an open-air Pheasant Run.
* Over one thousand fish and marine animals from around the world are housed in the Kipp Aquarium.
*Janice Suber McNair Asian Elephant Habitat It is undergoing expansions
* The Giant Eland Exhibit. The Houston Zoo is the only zoo in Texas that houses this rare species.
* The Reptile House contains eighty separate displays housing more than 300 specimens. The house includes one of only fourteen leucistic American alligator exihibits in the world.

Conservation

The zoo is an active partner in the AZA's Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program, a population management and conservation program for selected species housed in North American zoos.

The zoo supports forty SSP conservation projects that assist in the survival of threatened wildlife and habitats. Wildlife conservation projects include the Houston Toad, Wyoming Toad, golden frog, Attwater's Prairie Chicken, chimney swift, Bornean orangutans and Asian elephants, Komodo dragon, Siberian tiger, Spectacled bear, Snow leopard, Gorilla and numerous other endangered animals.

Curators of the zoo are involved with the AZA Taxon Advisory Groups, animal experts responsible for making recommendations and evaluations for rearing of species at other zoo facilities.

Infrastructure

The zoo is served by bus service provided by Metro and an offsite station on the Redline of the METRORail light rail system.

Gallery

References

External links

* http://www.houstonzoo.org/
* http://www.houstonzooblog.org/
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/schumata/tags/houstonzoo/ Houston Zoo photographs]