Ask us a Question
Animal News - Continued
 |
Deano 1983-2009
August 13, 2009
Deano, a charismatic Houston Zoo resident and a senior citizen in the world of California sea lions, passed away on the morning of August 13 at his pool in the Houston Zoo’s McGovern Mammal Marina. Deano was 26 years old.
Read more and see a video of Deano...
Deano, a charismatic Houston Zoo resident and a senior citizen in the world of California sea lions, passed away on the morning of August 13 at his pool in the Houston Zoo’s McGovern Mammal Marina. Deano was 26 years old.
Read more and see a video of Deano...
 |
Baby Giraffe Born
August 10, 2009
The Houston Zoo’s Masai giraffe herd has grown to 7 with the addition of a bouncing baby boy. The calf was born to mom Tyra shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, August 10. “Tyra went into labor around 6 in the morning and the calf was standing and nursing by 9 a.m.,” said Hoofed Stock Supervisor Laurie McGivern.
Read more and see the video of the giraffe being born...
August 10, 2009
The Houston Zoo’s Masai giraffe herd has grown to 7 with the addition of a bouncing baby boy. The calf was born to mom Tyra shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday, August 10. “Tyra went into labor around 6 in the morning and the calf was standing and nursing by 9 a.m.,” said Hoofed Stock Supervisor Laurie McGivern.
Read more and see the video of the giraffe being born...
 |
Betsy Bear Gets a Winning Smile
July 22, 2009
The veterinarians from the Houston SPCA and the Houston Zoo were up bright and early on Wednesday, July 22nd to perform an extensive amount of dental care on “Betsy Bear.” This European Brown Bear was rescued from a life of abuse and cruelty almost two years ago from Gonzales, Texas with ten other bears and two tigers.
July 22, 2009
The veterinarians from the Houston SPCA and the Houston Zoo were up bright and early on Wednesday, July 22nd to perform an extensive amount of dental care on “Betsy Bear.” This European Brown Bear was rescued from a life of abuse and cruelty almost two years ago from Gonzales, Texas with ten other bears and two tigers.
 |
Baby Giant Eland Born
July 14, 2009
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a baby giant eland to first-time mom Stella.
July 14, 2009
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a baby giant eland to first-time mom Stella.
“Mother and her beautiful baby boy are doing fine,” said Houston Zoo hoofed stock supervisor Laurie McGivern.
Read more and see the video of the giant eland being born...
Read more and see the video of the giant eland being born...
 |
Meet Max, The Elephant Barn Dog
A true rags-to-riches story, Max the Elephant Dog overcame abandonment and solitude to find himself a big -and we mean big - family. That’s because after spending his first two months alone, Max was adopted by the Houston Zoo to become a companion dog for our Asian elephants. Max, who gets his name from the Asian elephant scientific name Elephas maximus, is a mixed Terrier who really enjoys greeting Zoo guests.
Read more about Max and see a video of him...
A true rags-to-riches story, Max the Elephant Dog overcame abandonment and solitude to find himself a big -and we mean big - family. That’s because after spending his first two months alone, Max was adopted by the Houston Zoo to become a companion dog for our Asian elephants. Max, who gets his name from the Asian elephant scientific name Elephas maximus, is a mixed Terrier who really enjoys greeting Zoo guests.
Read more about Max and see a video of him...
|
|
New Sea Lion pup arrival - Astro
Houston, your voice has been heard and after two weeks of voting, the winning name for our new sea lion pup is... Astro!
Houston, your voice has been heard and after two weeks of voting, the winning name for our new sea lion pup is... Astro!
We couldn't be more excited about this new little guy and we know you will be too. He has joined the family in the sea lion pool with Deano, Cali, and Kamia.
|
|
Bundle of Bongos Born
Over a span of six weeks, from mid-February to mid-March we welcomed three baby bongo into the Houston Zoo wildlife family, Penelope, Linus and Dylan.
Over a span of six weeks, from mid-February to mid-March we welcomed three baby bongo into the Houston Zoo wildlife family, Penelope, Linus and Dylan.
Penelope was the first to arrive on February 12. She weighed 38 pounds at birth. Two days after she was born she had gained 8 pounds! Penelope's mom is Pili and Penelope is her first calf. Pili is proving to be a great mom.
Read more about the bundle of bongos born...
He's very tall and very cute and brand new. Early Friday morning, January 30 the Houston Zoo welcomed the birth of a bouncing baby boy Masai giraffe. "He was born around 6:30 a.m. and by 7:50 a.m. he was standing on his own," said Houston Zoo Supervisor Laurie McGivern. "He's 69 and a half inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. He's has all the appearances of a strong and healthy boy," said McGivern.
The as yet unnamed baby is being hand reared by Houston Zoo giraffe keepers. "Noel is a gentle, attentive and good mother but doesn't make enough milk to nurse and raise her calves," said McGivern. "So, the keeper staff will bottle feed the calf for at least six months," added McGivern. "His primary keepers have a 24 hour watch and feeding schedule in place to ensure he gets the best care and attention. Initially the calf's diet will consist of bovine colostrum mixed with goat's milk. But in a day or so we will switch to goat's milk mixed with a little bit of water," said McGivern. More...
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a rare Coquerel's sifaka (pronounced CO-cue-rals she-FAK) baby. The birth is a first for the Zoo and the first birth for the proud parents, mom Zenobia and dad Dean.
"Mother and baby are doing just fine," said Houston Zoo Primate Supervisor Lynn Killam. "Zenobia is being a great mom. The baby is nursing and gaining weight and getting stronger by the day," added Killam. More...
Looking at our newly hatched baby alligator snapping turtles, weighing in at a less than an ounce, it's hard to believe these animals will grow to be one of the largest freshwater turtles in North America, with an average adult weight of 175 pounds. Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) are found in southern U.S. waters, primarily in East Texas Rivers, oxbow lakes, and swamps. Although the lifespan of these animals in the wild is unknown, it is believed they can live for up to 150 years.
Read more...
Two new Asian elephants have joined the thriving herd at the Houston Zoo's McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. Tess and her calf Tucker made their official debut today, joining the Zoo's resident herd which includes females Methai, Shanti and her nearly 2 year old son Mac, and Thai, Mac's father.
More...
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a giant eland calf, the second such birth at the Houston Zoo since March, 2007. The as yet unnamed 74 pound male calf was born in the Zoo's giant eland exhibit on Tuesday, August 5, 2008. "Mom and baby are doing fine," said Large Mammal Curator Daryl Hoffman. "His mother, Dorothy is very caring and attentive. The calf is very strong. We've seen numerous instances of nursing," said Hoffman.
More...
Deano the California sea lion made his official debut at the Houston Zoo today, planting a big kiss on the cheek of FedEx manager Lisa Akers thanking the carrier for the great care he received on his flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to his new Houston home.
More...
On April 25, 1972 the Houston Zoo made history, recording the first hatching in captivity of an endangered St. Vincent Amazon parrot. That first birth was followed by a second hatching in 1999. Today, the Houston Zoo is proud to report that history has repeated itself again and Zoo bird keepers are caring for a St. Vincent Amazon that hatched on May 28, 2008. The chick has been named Vincent after the mother of the first St. Vincent born at the Houston Zoo.
The Houston Zoo recorded a first on May 21 with the birth of a rare and endangered babirusa pig. The new arrival is named Hadiah (pronounced: huh-DI-ah). Her name means "gift" in an Indonesian language. Hadiah weighed approximately one pound at birth and she immediately captured the hearts of her keepers. The newborn may be seen daily on exhibit at the Zoo's Wortham World of Primates with her mother Remley. Hadiah is Remley's first birth.
More...
See our babirusa baby photo gallery.
View Baby Prairie Dog photo gallery.
They're cute, adorable, furry and oh so quick. They're the newest arrivals at the Houston Zoo - three black-tailed prairie dogs born approximately six weeks ago at the Zoo's McGovern Children's Zoo and just now emerging from their burrow. They've been scampering around the Children's Zoo's prairie dog exhibit for a few days now and will stay fairly close to their mother for several more weeks. The best time to see the pups is late morning or mid to late afternoon.
The black-tailed prairie dog is a member of the squirrel family. Of the five species of prairie dogs in western North America, only the black-tailed prairie dog lives in the Great Plains. It's distinguishable by its black-tipped tail, brown fur, large black eyes, and short legs and sharp claws developed for digging burrows.
View Baby Prairie Dog photo gallery.
Rare Monkey Birth at the Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a rare monkey at Wortham World of Primates. The arrival of the Schmidt's red tailed guenon baby marks the first birth of the species at the Zoo in 29 years. "The new arrival is a boy and his name is Matani," said primate supervisor Dena Strange. "Matani (Pron: muh-TAN-ee) means 'strength' in Swahili and the baby is living up to his name. He's very strong and healthy. His mother, Malaika is being a great mom," added Strange. The baby's father, Kabili arrived at the Zoo in 2006 with several other monkeys recovered from the bushmeat and illegal pet trade in Africa.
"This is and important birth for the Houston Zoo and the species," said Strange. "We haven't had a guenon birth at the Zoo in 29 years and this is Kabili's first offspring. That's important for the population since there are only 37 of these monkeys living in 10 zoos in this country," added Strange. While the Schmidt's red tailed guenon is not critically endangered, the species is protected by an international agreement. Found in the Central African Republic, Kenya, and Uganda, Schmidt's red-tailed guenons have white noses and long red tails. Their tails provide balance as they move through trees looking for their favorite foods - fruits, leaves, and insects. In the wild they live in small groups in swamp forests and forests surrounding rivers. They are considered a threatened species due to habitat destruction from deforestation.
 |
Hana - The cool cat.
Say hello to one of the Houston Zoo's newest arrivals in the big cat family, Hana the Malayan tiger.
Hana is 9 years old and comes to Houston from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California. Hana came here so one of our male Malayan tigers, Jammu could go to the Alexandria Zoo in Louisiana to meet a potential mate.
Read more about Hana...
Say hello to one of the Houston Zoo's newest arrivals in the big cat family, Hana the Malayan tiger.
Hana is 9 years old and comes to Houston from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California. Hana came here so one of our male Malayan tigers, Jammu could go to the Alexandria Zoo in Louisiana to meet a potential mate.
Read more about Hana...
 |
The Cutest Animal in the World
is at the Houston Zoo
The World's Cutest Animal made his long awaited debut at the Houston Zoo. He's Toby, the red panda. Over the years, the red panda has undergone an identity crisis of sorts, existing in the shadow of the better known giant panda. Red pandas are exquisite and fascinating mammals with their own unique set of behaviors and characteristics.
Read more about Toby...
Read more about Toby...
|
|
Cataract Surgery Performed on Deano
Update: March 17, 2009
After 3 weeks of recovery from his cataract surgery, Deano the California sea lion is back home!
On Saturday, March 14 Deano's veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Kohl Herman checked Deano's eyes and was happy with what he saw - both eyes are progressing as expected.
Read more about Deano's surgery...
Read more about Deano's surgery...
New Baby Giraffe
He's very tall and very cute and brand new. Early Friday morning, January 30 the Houston Zoo welcomed the birth of a bouncing baby boy Masai giraffe. "He was born around 6:30 a.m. and by 7:50 a.m. he was standing on his own," said Houston Zoo Supervisor Laurie McGivern. "He's 69 and a half inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. He's has all the appearances of a strong and healthy boy," said McGivern.The as yet unnamed baby is being hand reared by Houston Zoo giraffe keepers. "Noel is a gentle, attentive and good mother but doesn't make enough milk to nurse and raise her calves," said McGivern. "So, the keeper staff will bottle feed the calf for at least six months," added McGivern. "His primary keepers have a 24 hour watch and feeding schedule in place to ensure he gets the best care and attention. Initially the calf's diet will consist of bovine colostrum mixed with goat's milk. But in a day or so we will switch to goat's milk mixed with a little bit of water," said McGivern. More...
Endangered Primate Born
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a rare Coquerel's sifaka (pronounced CO-cue-rals she-FAK) baby. The birth is a first for the Zoo and the first birth for the proud parents, mom Zenobia and dad Dean. "Mother and baby are doing just fine," said Houston Zoo Primate Supervisor Lynn Killam. "Zenobia is being a great mom. The baby is nursing and gaining weight and getting stronger by the day," added Killam. More...
Freshwater Stingray Pups Born
The Houston Zoo's Kipp Aquarium has seven tiny new additions to its growing family. We are proud to announce the birth of seven baby stingrays. Their mom and dad are checkerboard freshwater stingrays, a species from South America. Dad can be seen swimming in Kipp Aquarium, while mom and babies are staying in their cozy tanks in the Aquarium Quarantine until they are ready to go out and meet the public.
The video below takes you behind the scenes to the Aquarium Quarantine Building with its bubbling tanks full of exotic marine life, including our new crop of baby stingrays. More...
Elephant Herpes Virus Research Fund
|
|
The Houston Zoo has teamed up with Baylor College of Medicine to focus on research for the Elephant Herpes Virus that has been deadly to elephants in Zoo's and the wild. Most recently the Houston Zoo lost our beloved two year old Asian Elephant Mac to this virus.
To help fund the research and hopefully find a cure to this virus the Houston Zoo has established a Herpes Virus Research Fund. Your donation will be used to help find a cure for elephant herpes.
Or send a check payable to:
Houston Zoo, Inc. 1513 North MacGregor Houston, Texas 77030
(Please write Elephant Herpes Virus Research in the note section of your check.)
To help fund the research and hopefully find a cure to this virus the Houston Zoo has established a Herpes Virus Research Fund. Your donation will be used to help find a cure for elephant herpes.
Or send a check payable to:
Houston Zoo, Inc. 1513 North MacGregor Houston, Texas 77030
(Please write Elephant Herpes Virus Research in the note section of your check.)
Modern Day Dinosaurs
Looking at our newly hatched baby alligator snapping turtles, weighing in at a less than an ounce, it's hard to believe these animals will grow to be one of the largest freshwater turtles in North America, with an average adult weight of 175 pounds. Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) are found in southern U.S. waters, primarily in East Texas Rivers, oxbow lakes, and swamps. Although the lifespan of these animals in the wild is unknown, it is believed they can live for up to 150 years.Read more...
The Truth About Cats and Dogs
Every picture tells a story, and this one is quite a tale.
Two cheetahs sitting beside two Anatolian shepherd dogs and their keepers here at the Houston Zoo tell an intriguing conservation story. For a rare cat to survive in the wilds of Africa, it may take the help of a dog.
Read more...
Read more...
Meet the Houston Zoo's New Elephants!
Two new Asian elephants have joined the thriving herd at the Houston Zoo's McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. Tess and her calf Tucker made their official debut today, joining the Zoo's resident herd which includes females Methai, Shanti and her nearly 2 year old son Mac, and Thai, Mac's father.More...
Baby Giant Born at the Zoo!
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a giant eland calf, the second such birth at the Houston Zoo since March, 2007. The as yet unnamed 74 pound male calf was born in the Zoo's giant eland exhibit on Tuesday, August 5, 2008. "Mom and baby are doing fine," said Large Mammal Curator Daryl Hoffman. "His mother, Dorothy is very caring and attentive. The calf is very strong. We've seen numerous instances of nursing," said Hoffman. More...
New Sea Lion Makes Splashy Debut at the Houston Zoo!
Deano the California sea lion made his official debut at the Houston Zoo today, planting a big kiss on the cheek of FedEx manager Lisa Akers thanking the carrier for the great care he received on his flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to his new Houston home.More...
Rare St. Vincent Parrot Hatched at the Houston Zoo!
On April 25, 1972 the Houston Zoo made history, recording the first hatching in captivity of an endangered St. Vincent Amazon parrot. That first birth was followed by a second hatching in 1999. Today, the Houston Zoo is proud to report that history has repeated itself again and Zoo bird keepers are caring for a St. Vincent Amazon that hatched on May 28, 2008. The chick has been named Vincent after the mother of the first St. Vincent born at the Houston Zoo.Rare Babirusa Pig Born
The Houston Zoo recorded a first on May 21 with the birth of a rare and endangered babirusa pig. The new arrival is named Hadiah (pronounced: huh-DI-ah). Her name means "gift" in an Indonesian language. Hadiah weighed approximately one pound at birth and she immediately captured the hearts of her keepers. The newborn may be seen daily on exhibit at the Zoo's Wortham World of Primates with her mother Remley. Hadiah is Remley's first birth. More...
See our babirusa baby photo gallery.
Baby Prairie Dogs Born at the Houston Zoo
View Baby Prairie Dog photo gallery.They're cute, adorable, furry and oh so quick. They're the newest arrivals at the Houston Zoo - three black-tailed prairie dogs born approximately six weeks ago at the Zoo's McGovern Children's Zoo and just now emerging from their burrow. They've been scampering around the Children's Zoo's prairie dog exhibit for a few days now and will stay fairly close to their mother for several more weeks. The best time to see the pups is late morning or mid to late afternoon.
The black-tailed prairie dog is a member of the squirrel family. Of the five species of prairie dogs in western North America, only the black-tailed prairie dog lives in the Great Plains. It's distinguishable by its black-tipped tail, brown fur, large black eyes, and short legs and sharp claws developed for digging burrows.
View Baby Prairie Dog photo gallery.
Rare Monkey Birth at the Houston Zoo
First Birth of Schmidt's Red Tailed Guenon at Houston Zoo in 29 Years
The Houston Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a rare monkey at Wortham World of Primates. The arrival of the Schmidt's red tailed guenon baby marks the first birth of the species at the Zoo in 29 years. "The new arrival is a boy and his name is Matani," said primate supervisor Dena Strange. "Matani (Pron: muh-TAN-ee) means 'strength' in Swahili and the baby is living up to his name. He's very strong and healthy. His mother, Malaika is being a great mom," added Strange. The baby's father, Kabili arrived at the Zoo in 2006 with several other monkeys recovered from the bushmeat and illegal pet trade in Africa. "This is and important birth for the Houston Zoo and the species," said Strange. "We haven't had a guenon birth at the Zoo in 29 years and this is Kabili's first offspring. That's important for the population since there are only 37 of these monkeys living in 10 zoos in this country," added Strange. While the Schmidt's red tailed guenon is not critically endangered, the species is protected by an international agreement. Found in the Central African Republic, Kenya, and Uganda, Schmidt's red-tailed guenons have white noses and long red tails. Their tails provide balance as they move through trees looking for their favorite foods - fruits, leaves, and insects. In the wild they live in small groups in swamp forests and forests surrounding rivers. They are considered a threatened species due to habitat destruction from deforestation.
