Houston Zoo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Houston Zoo

Houston Zoo entrance
Date opened	September 1922
Location	Houston, Texas, United States
Land area	55 acres (22 ha)
Coordinates	29°42′58.074″N 95°23′26.05″W / 29.71613167°N 95.3905694°W / 29.71613167; -95.3905694
No. of animals	6,000+
No. of species	900+
Annual visitors	2 million
Memberships	AZA

The Houston Zoo is a huge zoological park in Houston, Texas. It's located inside Hermann Park. This amazing zoo is home to over 6,000 animals from more than 900 different kinds of species!

About 2 million people visit the Houston Zoo every year. This makes it the second most visited zoo in the United States. Only the San Diego Zoo welcomes more guests. The zoo is officially recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care and conservation.

The Houston Zoo has a special goal: "The Houston Zoo connects communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife." This means they want to help people learn about animals and encourage them to protect nature. A non-profit group called Houston Zoo Inc. has managed the zoo since 2002. Before that, the City of Houston ran it.

History of the Houston Zoo
Explore the Zoo's Exhibits
Live Webcams
Conservation Efforts
Images for kids
See also

History of the Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo began in 1922 with a single animal. The United States government had many American bison. They decided to donate some of these bison to different places. One bison, named Earl, came to Houston. Earl became the very first animal at what is now the Houston Zoo.

Explore the Zoo's Exhibits

The Houston Zoo has many different areas. Each one lets you see animals from all over the world.

African Forest Adventure

Ankole cattle resting in the shade

The African Forest opened in 2010. It was the biggest project the zoo had ever done! This area is like a trip to Africa. You can see many African animals here. Look for Grant's zebras, white rhinoceroses, and red river hogs. You might also spot tall Masai giraffes and big ostriches. The African Forest is also home to smart chimpanzees and powerful western lowland gorillas.

McNair Asian Elephant Home

An Asian elephant enjoying a broccoli treat

This special area is where the Houston Zoo's Asian elephants live. It has a huge barn built just for the male elephants. There's also a big outdoor space with a boardwalk. From the boardwalk, you can get a great view of the elephants. They even have a very large pool, holding 160,000 gallons of water, where they can splash and play!

Amazing Birds Exhibit

A colorful Scarlet macaw (Ara macao)

The Houston Zoo has one of the largest bird collections in any U.S. zoo. There are more than 800 birds from over 200 different species! You can see many unique birds here. Some examples include the Mariana fruit dove and the Micronesian kingfisher. You might also spot a Congo peafowl or a bright green-winged macaw.

Carnivore Kingdom

This exhibit is home to many powerful meat-eating animals. You can see the University of Houston's mascot, Shasta the Cougar, here. Other animals include mighty lions and striped Malayan tigers. Look for the sneaky clouded leopard and the large American black bear. You can also find playful African wild dogs, spotted leopards, and speedy cheetahs.

Natural Encounters Building

The Allen H. and Ethel G. Carruth Natural Encounters building is a special indoor adventure. It feels like you're traveling through different parts of a continent. You can learn about animals from riverbanks, rainforests, deserts, and even coral reefs. Some animals you might see are playful Asian small-clawed otters and tiny Pygmy marmosets. There are also interesting creatures like meerkats and Hoffmann's two-toed sloths.

Wortham World of Primates

This exhibit has a winding boardwalk that goes through a natural setting. It's home to many rare and endangered primates. You can see different kinds of lemurs and monkeys. There are also graceful gibbons and smart orangutans.

Texas Wetlands Exhibit

Opened in 2019, this exhibit shows animals native to Texas wetlands. You can see large American alligators. Look for the tall and rare whooping cranes. You can also spot majestic bald eagles, a symbol of the United States.

Reptile and Amphibian House

This building displays many fascinating reptiles and amphibians. Some are venomous, so it's best to observe them from a safe distance! You can see the bright blue blue iguana. There's also the long crocodile monitor and the patterned reticulated python.

Bug House

The Bug House opened in 2014. This exhibit lets you explore the world of insects and arachnids. You can see many different bugs from forests, jungles, and deserts.

John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo

This area is designed especially for younger visitors. It has a fun petting zoo where kids can interact with friendly animals. There's also a realistic bat cave to explore.

South America's Pantanal

The South America's Pantanal exhibit opened in 2020. It's a large area that shows animals from the Pantanal wetlands. This is one of the world's largest wetlands. Here, you can see colorful blue-throated macaws and powerful jaguars. Look for playful giant river otters and unique Baird's tapirs. You might also spot large greater rheas, friendly capybaras, and amazing giant anteaters.

Galapagos Islands Exhibit

This exciting exhibit opened in April 2023. It focuses on the unique animals and habitats of the Galápagos Islands. You can see giant Galapagos tortoises. Watch the cute Humboldt penguins swim. You can also observe playful California sea lions. The exhibit also features interesting sea creatures like bonnethead sharks and bright red Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Live Webcams

The Houston Zoo offers a cool feature: live webcams! You can watch animals from home. They have nine different webcams. These include the Rhino Cam, the Elephant Yard Cam, and the Leafcutter Ant Cam.

Conservation Efforts

The Houston Zoo works hard to protect animals. They are part of the AZA's Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. This program helps manage and protect endangered animals in zoos across North America.

The zoo also supports many conservation projects. These projects help save endangered wildlife and their homes. They work in Texas and all over the world. Some animals they help include the Houston toad and sea turtles. They also work to protect the Attwater's prairie chicken, Galapagos tortoise, and Bornean orangutan. Other animals they help are elephants, clouded leopards, African lions, frogs, Brazilian tapirs, rhinoceroses, African wild dogs, chimpanzees, okapis, and cheetahs.