Bringing the Zoo to You!

Each Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. CST, we host a Facebook Live to bring the Zoo to YOU! Join us for updates of what our furred, flippered, and feathered friends are up to and how our zookeepers are caring for them. Check out our Facebook Live Library below!

Cownose rays hover over the ocean floor to find their prey by using multiple senses, including smell and electroreception. They then use the ridges on the underside of their mouth to form a suction cup to suck up their food and crush it with their plate-like teeth. You’ll be able to see cownose rays and other aquatic species in our newest exhibit, Galápagos Islands, which opens next year.

Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest otter species, weighing less than ten pounds. They are one of the most dexterous otter species, using their hands to find food. Our keepers set up puzzle feeders for our otters to locate a variety of their diet, including shrimp, mussels, and smelt.

Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla! You just said the scientific name of a western lowland gorilla! We hope you enjoyed seeing our gorilla troop on this week’s livestream. You can join the fun and book a gorilla encounter where you can feed them from our Gorilla Treehouse. Book yours today!

🐾 African painted dogs are extremely social animals who live in packs and follow a strong hierarchy. Moto is currently the top dog, but the order of the pack changes throughout the year. Celebrate #WorldAfricanPaintedDogDay with our pack at the Zoo tomorrow!

Well hello, Ernie! We hope you enjoyed this week’s Facebook Live featuring Ernie and our newest ambassador animal, Gary, a six-banded armadillo. Gary is training to become an ambassador for future Keeper Talks presented by Phillips 66 at our South America’s Pantanal exhibit.

Head to the Zoo before summer ends! Our bachelor herd cooled off today with some pool time and watermelon treats to kick off #WorldElephantDay! Come out to the Zoo this week to see our elephant herd and help support their wild counterparts – a portion of your ticket goes towards conservation programs that help save their wild counterparts.

Did you get to see Tarak show off his clouded leopard fitness skills in this week’s Facebook Live? He moved throughout his habitat on static and dynamic perches to keep his muscles and joints healthy while exercising his cardiovascular system. Tarak also voluntarily participates in husbandry behaviors to help with his own medical care using an “ask and reward system” with his keepers.

Galápagos tortoises are the largest tortoise in the world, weighing up to 500 pounds fully grown. Tortoises don’t have teeth but have a beak that helps them chew food. The beak is made from keratin – similar to fingernails – and regrows as it is worn down.

We hung out with a few Texas natives this week, including our brown pelicans and North American river otters! As July comes to an end, you can still support #PlasticFreeJuly by recycling and reducing your single-use plastics. A simple tip is replacing one thing you can replace throughout the year like plastic straws or switching to a shampoo bar.

Although they may look a bit like monkeys, white-cheeked gibbons are officially classified as apes, meaning they have no tail whereas monkeys do. You can see Max and Ting swinging around their habitat the next time you visit the Wortham World of Primates.

California sea lions can swim at speeds up to 25 mph! During this week’s Facebook Live, you got to see a training with our most athletic sea lion, Kamia, and learn how you can help save her cousins in the wild this #PlasticFreeJuly. Added bonus: Keeper Talks presented by Phillips 66 are back!

🐘🐘 We hope you enjoyed today’s double dose of cuteness with our baby elephants on Facebook Live! Although Teddy is two months younger than his niece Winnie, they are pretty close in size.

We’re excited to partner up with Legacy Community Health to bring you updates on the care we give our young elephants during their first year. You’ll get to learn about the quality care we give the animals here at the Zoo, just like Legacy helps care for parents and kids.

Our Savanna Aviary, located in South America’s Pantanal, is home to 11 bird species, with 40 birds in total. One of the more prominent birds you may see the next time you visit is our green oropendola, who can be spotted building large hanging nests from the top of the aviary that are woven into a pendulum shape.

Happy #WorldSeaTurtleDay! Dr. Kendra and team took us behind the scenes today to share what a recheck exam looks like for endangered sea turtles before they can be released back into the wild. You can help save sea turtles by reducing your single-use plastics and picking up trash you find at the beach.

We hope you enjoyed seeing Belle and Willow this morning, as they foraged through their habitat to find snacks in a variety of puzzle feeders. Belle also participated in a training session, using positive reinforcement, to highlight the importance of our bears taking part in their own medical care and voluntarily participating in blood draws, vaccines, nail trims, and more.

Giant river otters are the world’s largest otter species! We have four here at the Zoo: Max, Dru, Marley, and Rijo. Make sure to visit one of our otter pairs in South America’s Pantanal during your next Zoo visit.

Harris’s hawks are native to Texas and are social birds that hunt in packs by stacking on top of one another – no other birds of prey hunt in packs like they do.

Galápagos tortoises are the largest species of tortoise on the planet! During your next Zoo visit, you can go behind the scenes and experience an up-close encounter with these slow-moving reptiles. Book your encounter: bit.ly/30vtj3s

Cougars are stealth hunters that can jump about 12 feet in the air or down. They also have one of the largest ranges of land mammals, living in Canada all the way down to South America. This Friday don’t miss Shasta guarding University of Houston’s class rings from 9am to 4pm.

Black bears are incredible climbers and can climb 100 feet in just 30 seconds. You can help save bears in the wild by reducing your paper usage and switching to recycled paper content to ensure bears still have trees to climb in the wild.

Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkey species in the world, yet they can jump 16 feet in the air between trees! You can help save this energetic species in the wild by signing up for our virtual fitness fundraiser, Miles for the Wild.

We can’t believe Peter Rabbit turns ONE this Saturday! He’s been up to a lot this past year, including learning different training behaviors that help with his medical care and picking up on social cues from his mom and dad.

Bald eagles are considered to be raptors, which means they are birds of prey! 🦅

Missed the up-close action with Berani this morning? Watch the replay of Carnivore Keeper Megan who highlighted some of the husbandry training behaviors with our Malayan tiger. This training helped Berani become the first animal in the Carnivore department to participate in voluntary blood draws during his health exams.

Our John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo is reopening next Wed, March 24! You’ll get to see several animals you’ve been missing, including Fiesta the llama, mongoose, and North American river otters.

Please note that our goat yard and Swap Shop will remain closed. You can also sign up for our Virtual Swap Shop! Register here.

At nearly 13 feet long, Florence, our green anaconda is native to South America, where her cousins in the wild live in the Amazon rainforests all the way down to the wetlands in the Pantanal.

Our Houston toad recovery program breeding season is officially underway! Since 1978, the Zoo has been working to help save this endangered species after it was almost on the brink of extinction due to rapid urbanization, drought, and most recently wildfires. The next time you visit the Zoo, you can spot Houston toads tucked away in the native amphibian habitat in the Reptile House.

Your favorite flock is back on exhibit! Flamingos get their rosy hue from a beta carotene pigment that is found in much of the food they eat, including shrimp and algae. The next time you visit the Zoo, stop by our Chilean flamingo habitat from the pathway at Texas Wetlands or at the end of South America’s Pantanal.

In case you missed the BIG news, our elephant herd is growing by two! Mother and daughter Asian elephants, Tupelo and Tess, are due within a few weeks of each other this spring.

💕 What’s pink and purple, and covered in hearts? A one-of-a-kind masterpiece created by our adorable red panda, Li Ming! Get your sweetheart a custom painting this Valentine’s Day. Limited supply: bit.ly/3b2UKUM

What’s sweeter than a sea lion nose print? Jonah and his keepers highlighted an animal painting training activity on this morning’s Facebook Live just in time for Valentine’s Day!

A giraffe’s tongue can be over 1.5 feet long once they’re fully grown! Get up close with our giraffe herd the next time you visit the Zoo during one of our daily giraffe feedings at 11am and 2pm.

Our North American porcupine, Ernie, was excited for this morning’s mini tour of our renovated entrance and new McGovern Plaza! This renovation is helping us make way for construction for the Galapagos Islands, which opens in 2022.

Our nearly eight-month-old Asian elephant, Nelson, reached a BIG milestone this week and now weighs 1,000 pounds! He’s been learning a lot of new training behaviors and will grow to be 10,000-15,000 pounds once he’s fully grown.

December 2020

Pygmy Hippo - December 16

Thank you for joining us in our last Facebook Live of 2020, and for tuning in all year-long! We hope you enjoyed seeing Silas, our pygmy hippo, who made his public debut three weeks ago. You can see him in his exhibit across from the ankole cattle.

We’ll be back in January, Wednesdays at 11am! Happy holidays! 💚

Ambassador Animals with Camp Supervisor Nick - December 9

Tingoora – Ting for short – may look like a dog, but she’s a dingo native to Australia. Unlike dogs, she’s unable to bark but can howl like a wolf, which is a distant relative of theirs.

Shasta - December 2

Although cougars may look like a big cat, they’re actually classified as a small cat. They have the ability to purr, not roar, like cheetahs. If you missed today’s livestream with University of Houston mascot, Shasta, or want to watch it again, check it out online.

November 2020

Curly the Sloth - November 25

Curly is sloth goals. He sleeps anywhere between 18-20 hours a day! Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths are nocturnal and tend to have a great sense of smell.

Orangutans - November 18

Orangutans are the only great ape species that is primarily arboreal, meaning they spend most of their time in trees. This week, our newly renovated orangutan habitat reopened and features an additional viewing area for guests, as well as additional shade and naturalistic logs and vines for our orangutans to climb.

Elephant Bath with Baylor - November 11

Every morning, our 11 elephants receive a bath from their zookeepers to ensure they’re healthy and to work on voluntary training behaviors, including checking their feet and mouths. Weighing over 7,000 lbs, it’s important for Baylor and our herd to have their feet regularly checked.

Komodo Dragon - November 4

For millions of years, Komodo dragons have inhabited a small group of Indonesian islands, including Komodo – hence their name!

October 2020

Black Bears - October 28

Belle and Willow, are gearing up for denning season, also known as torpor, where their body temperature and metabolic rate slow down. This means they are less interested in food and may not even need to drink water or pass waste from December-February. Black bears in Texas do not truly hibernate since it doesn’t get as cold in the winter here.

Not-So-Spooky Critters - October 21

We’re still buzzing over today’s Facebook Live! Zookeeper Declan took us up close with a few of our Bug House residents to show you how cool bugs really are and why they aren’t as frightening as you may think.

Goat Tour - October 14

We hope you enjoyed this morning’s walk with our goats, Finnegan, Alvin, and Shadow! No kidding, it was pretty cute!

South America's Pantanal Preview - October 7

We hope you enjoyed this morning’s tour of our South America’s Pantanal, which opens this Saturday! Be among the first to see a variety of animals right here at the Houston Zoo including giant rivers otters, a jaguar, and many more!

September 2020

American Alligators - September 30

American alligators go into a state of hibernation — similar to bears — called brumation, which starts in October and goes until February or March.

Masai Giraffes - September 23

Giraffe’s tongues are dark purple, which helps help protect them from the sun! It’s kind of like sunscreen for the tongue! 🦒 If you missed today’s livestream from the giraffe barn, or just want to watch the replay, check out our Facebook Live library presented by T-Mobile: bit.ly/3iXVe3h

Giant River Otters in Pantanal - September 16

Did you get to meet our giant river otters Dru and Max on this morning’s livestream? If you missed out, or just want to watch it again, check out our Facebook Live library presented by T-Mobile: bit.ly/2wHMYBw

Animal Ambassadors - September 9

Black throated monitors can be found in South Eastern Africa. Did you know that these species are also related to Komodo dragons? We hope you enjoyed today’s livestream!

Amphibians - September 2

Did you know that the Hellbender Salamander has folds on their skin that help them absorb oxygen underwater? Thanks for tuning into today’s livestream with Zookeeper Chris!

August 2020

Farm Animals - August 19

We hope you enjoyed learning more about Winston the pig, Levi the sheep, Fiesta the llama, Zamir the Zebu!

Elephants - August 12

We hope you enjoyed this morning’s #WorldElephantDay livestream!

Peter Rabbit - August 5

We hope you enjoyed this morning’s Peter Rabbit update!

July 2020

Galapagos Tortoises - July 29

Galapagos tortoises can grow to be about 150 pounds! We hope you enjoyed learning more about our tortoises this morning with Zookeeper Eddie. Watch the replay.

Whooping Cranes - July 22

In the 1940s, there were around only 20 whooping cranes left in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts, their population has increased and there are now over 850 whooping cranes. Watch this morning’s livestream with Zookeepers Tim and Stephanie.

Sea Lions - July 15

See our sea lions participate in a recycling challenge and take the pledge to reduce your single-use plastics and help save sea lions in the wild!

River Otters - July 8

Learn more about our North American river otters, Jack and Belle, and how you can help save them in the wild by making the switch to reusable water bottles and shopping bags.

Tiny Tenrecs - July 1

Believe it or not, these mighty tenrecs are most closely related to elephants! Learn more about our tenrec trio from Children’s Zoo Supervisor Danielle.

June 2020

Bug House - June 24

Learn more about some of our smallest residents at the Zoo from Zookeeper Declan as we celebrate #InsectWeek!

Curly the Sloth - June 17

Find out more about Curly, our Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, from Zookeeper Tessa!

Ambassador Snakes - June 10

Learn more about two of our Ambassador snakes, William Snakespeare, our ball python, and Jolt, our Sonoran gopher snake, from Camp Supervisor Nick!

Reopening Modifications - June 1

Check out our final daily Bringing the Zoo to You Facebook Live as Jackie, our director of public relations shares more about some of the modifications you can expect when you visit the Zoo and some of the items you can purchase at our gift shop.

May 2020

Baby Nelson - May 29

Learn more about our herd from Rob, our elephant manager, and see the youngest member, Nelson, up close!

Reopening FAQs

Hear from Jackie, our director of public relations, as she shares more about the Zoo’s reopening plans and answers frequently asked questions from viewers.

South America's Pantanal - May 27

Check out a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of our upcoming South America’s Pantanal exhibit opening later this year.

Rhino Bath - May 26

Learn more about our southern white rhino, George, from Zookeeper John as gets a bath.

Houston Zoo at Home
Follow along with your kiddos at home and then complete the at home activities included below. We have activities for all ages!

View rhino activities

Western Lowland Gorillas - May 22

Learn more about our bachelor gorilla troop from Zookeeper Ashley as she does an ice pop toss to them as part of today’s enrichment.

Houston Zoo at Home
Follow along with your kiddos at home and then complete the at home activities included below. We have activities for all ages!

View gorillas activities

Good News Blog Series
Learn how we are helping save animals in the wild and how you can, too.

Bringing the Zoo to You

Aquarium Care and Quarantine Center - September 22

Athena and Danh Tu - September 8

Gorilla Treehouse - September 1

African Painted Dogs - August 25

Ernie and Gary - August 18

Elephant Pool Party - August 11

Clouded Leopards - August 4

Galápagos Tortoise Yard - July 28

Coastal Pool - July 21

Max & Ting - July 14

Sea Lion Keeper Talk - July 7

Teddy and Winnie - June 30

Savanna Aviary - June 23

Sea Turtle Exams - June 16

Southern White Rhino - June 9

Giant River Otters - May 26

Savannah, the Harris's Hawk - May 12

Galápagos Tortoises - May 5

Cougars - April 28

Belle and Willow - April 21

Pygmy Marmosets - April 14

Peter Rabbit - April 7

Sally the Bald Eagle - March 31

Berani the Malayan Tiger - March 24

Children's Zoo - March 17

Green Anaconda - March 10

Houston Toads - March 3

Flamingo Flock - February 24

Elephant Herd is Growing by Two - February 10

Red Panda Painting - February 3

Jonah, the California Sea Lion - January 27

Giraffe Feeding Platform - January 20

Ernie at the McGovern Plaza - January 13

Nelson and the Elephant Herd - January 6