Our Top 10 Memorable Moments of 2025
Thank you for supporting your Houston Zoo in 2025! Every time you visit, you help support animals here at the Zoo and in the wild. As we close out the year and look ahead to 2026, we’re celebrating 10 memorable moments from 2025. Happy holidays and cheers to the New Year!
1. A Snow Day to Remember
At the start of the year, Winter Storm Enzo swept through Houston. During this massive weather event, a group of 66 dedicated staff members stayed at the Zoo to safeguard the grounds and watch over our animals. It was a sight to see our animals explore the snow in a fun and enriching way.
2. The Opening of Jack’s Cafe and Reflections Event Hall & Terrace
In July, we opened Jack’s Cafe and the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Reflections Event Hall & Terrace. Situated at the front of the Zoo on the site of our old sea lion habitat, this space is a gift to our community and overlooks the historic Reflection Pool. In October, Jack’s Cafe and Reflections earned LEED Gold, becoming the Zoo’s fifth LEED-certified building.
3. Saving Lions in Kenya
In June, our team traveled to Kenya with our friends at KPRC 2. We met with our wildlife-saving partner, Ewaso Lions. You are helping support their work to protect lions and other wildlife in the Samburu region of Kenya. Experience the journey and watch the hour-long special, Saving Lions: The Pride of Kenya.
4. Asian Elephant Thai Turned 60
Over Father’s Day weekend, our beloved male Asian elephant, Thailand (“Thai”), celebrated a BIG milestone—his 60th birthday! We marked the occasion with a 1960s-themed party. Thai is the second-oldest bull Asian elephant in the U.S. and has been part of the Houston Zoo family since 1980.
5. Welcoming our New President & CEO
This year, we welcomed our new president and CEO, Lisa Peterson. Prior to moving to Houston, she led the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as senior vice president and executive director. She succeeds Lee Ehmke, who retired after nearly 10 years as the Zoo’s president and CEO.
In just six months, Lisa has embraced our mission to connect communities with animals to inspire action to save wildlife. We look forward to a brighter future for our Zoo and our planet.
6. Celebrating our Sister Zoo Relationship
Houston and Taipei established a sister city relationship in 1961. This summer, we collaborated with Houston graffiti artist GONZO247 and Taiwanese artist Bounce to celebrate the strong sister city bond between our cities. Soon, one of our male bongos will move to our sister zoo, Taipei Zoo, to help enhance the genetic diversity of the species.
7. Who’s New at the Zoo
This fall we welcomed a few new adorable faces at the Zoo including a boat-billed heron chick, a rare okapi, a playful Baird’s tapir, and an endangered eastern bongo calf. By visiting our new additions, you are helping to save their wild counterparts around the world.
8. Día de los Muertos
On November 1 and 2, we honored life and legacy with our first Día de los Muertos celebration. We invited guests to enjoy glowing decorations, festive photo ops, La Catrina, and honor beloved Zoo animals and cherished animals in their life to add to our ofrenda (altar).
9. Rojo and Kirby Turned One
Two of the cutest animals at the Zoo turned one this year! Our Asian elephant Kirby and jaguar Rojo. Both of their births are part of Houston Zoo’s ongoing commitment to conservation and to ensure a sustainable future for these iconic species. Our Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participates in the Species Survival Plan® (SSP), a program which oversees the population of select species, like Asian elephants and jaguars, within AZA member organizations and ensures a genetically diverse, demographically varied, and biologically sound population.
10. Saving Texas Wildlife
Every time you visit the Zoo, you are helping us save native Texas wildlife. Our animal health team provided medical care and support for 148 injured or stranded wild sea turtles. Our bird team released 87 Attwater’s prairie chickens back into the wild. And lastly, our Houston toad recovery program released 1,599,654 eggs, 8,115 tadpoles, and 277 toadlets into the wild. That’s a lot of wildlife saving, thanks to YOU!
Special thanks to our sea turtle conservation partner, Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research at Texas A&M University Galveston Campus.
