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 super cool place to visit in Houston, Texas, USA! It's a big zoological park located inside Hermann Park. The zoo is home to more than 6,000 animals. These animals come from over 900 different kinds of species.

Every year, about 2 million people visit the Houston Zoo. This makes it the second most visited zoo in the United States. Only the San Diego Zoo has more visitors. The zoo is officially recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This means it meets high standards for animal care. Since 2002, a non-profit group called Houston Zoo Inc. has run the zoo. Before that, the City of Houston managed it.

Zoo History: How It Started
Amazing Animal Exhibits
Helping Animals: Conservation Efforts
Images for kids
See also

Zoo History: How It Started

The Houston Zoo began in a unique way. The United States government had many American bison. This was because they had successfully helped the bison population grow. So, they decided to donate some of these bison.

In 1922, a bison named Earl was given to the zoo. Earl became the very first animal at the Houston Zoo.

Amazing Animal Exhibits

The Houston Zoo has many different areas. Each area is designed to look like the animals' natural homes. Let's explore some of these cool exhibits!

African Forest Adventure

Ankole cattle resting in the shade

The African Forest is one of the zoo's biggest projects ever. It opened on December 10, 2010. This exhibit is home to many animals from Africa. You can see Grant's zebras and white rhinoceroses here. There are also red river hogs and tall Masai giraffes. Look out for ostriches, chimpanzees, and western lowland gorillas too!

In 2011, the Houston Press newspaper gave the Houston Zoo an award. They called the African Forest the "Best New Ecosystem." A new male pygmy hippopotamus named Silas arrived in November 2020. He came from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. Sadly, Silas passed away in October 2022 due to an illness. In November 2024, another pygmy hippo named Akobi joined the zoo. He came from the San Francisco Zoo to help with breeding plans.

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, about 7,000 square feet. This barn was built just for the male elephants. The habitat also has a new, bigger yard. Visitors can walk on a boardwalk to get a clear view of the elephants. There's even a giant pool for them, holding 160,000 gallons of water!

Bird Paradise

A colorful Scarlet macaw (Ara macao)

The Houston Zoo has one of the largest bird collections in any US zoo. It has over 800 birds from more than 200 different species. You can see many unique birds here. These include the Mariana fruit dove and the Micronesian kingfisher. There are also Congo peafowl and bright green-winged macaws.

Carnivore Kingdom

This exhibit is home to many meat-eating animals. You can see lions and Malayan tigers. The zoo also has clouded leopards and American black bears. Look for African wild dogs, leopards, and speedy cheetahs. The University of Houston's mascot, Shasta the Cougar, also lives here!

Natural Encounters Building

The Allen H. and Ethel G. Carruth Natural Encounters is a special building. It takes visitors on an adventure through different parts of the world. You can learn about animals from a river's edge or a rainforest canopy. There are also animals from the desert and a coral reef.

Animals in this exhibit include Asian small-clawed otters and Damaraland mole-rats. You might spot golden lion tamarins, meerkats, and naked mole-rats. Other animals are pygmy marmosets, white-faced sakis, and Hoffmann's two-toed sloths. There are also eastern collared lizards and beautiful Victoria crowned pigeons.

Wortham World of Primates

This exhibit has a winding boardwalk. It takes you through a natural setting. Here, you can see many rare and endangered primates. These include lemurs, monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans.

Texas Wetlands Exhibit

This new exhibit opened in March 2019. It shows three animals that live in Texas. You can see American alligators, whooping cranes, and bald eagles.

Reptile and Amphibian House

This building is home to many interesting reptiles and amphibians. Some are venomous, so be careful! You can see the bright blue iguana and the long crocodile monitor. There's also the huge reticulated python.

Bug House

The Bug House opened in 2014. It displays many different insects and arachnids. These creatures come from various forests, jungles, and deserts around the world.

John P. McGovern Children's Zoo

This area is perfect for younger visitors. It has a petting zoo where kids can get close to friendly animals. There's also a realistic bat cave to explore!

South America's Pantanal

The South America's Pantanal exhibit is 4.2 acres big. It opened on October 10, 2020. This area features animals from the Pantanal wetlands. You can see colorful blue-throated macaws and powerful jaguars. There are also giant river otters and Baird's tapirs. Look for greater rheas, capybaras, and giant anteaters.

Galapagos Islands Exhibit

This exciting exhibit opened on April 7, 2023. It focuses on the amazing animals and habitats of the Galapagos Islands. You can see giant Galapagos tortoises and playful Humboldt penguins. There are also California sea lions, bonnethead sharks, and bright red Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Helping Animals: Conservation Efforts

The Houston Zoo is a big helper in saving animals. They work with the AZA's Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. This program helps manage animal populations in zoos. It also works to protect selected species in North America.

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

In July 2024, something amazing happened. The Houston Zoo, Colossal Biosciences, and the Baylor College of Medicine worked together. They created the first-ever mRNA vaccine for a disease called elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). This vaccine was successfully given to an asian elephant. This is a huge step in protecting elephants!