Once thought extinct the recovery of the black-footed ferret has long been touted as one of the most amazing success stories in the history of the United States. Ten years ago there may have been up to 1000 black-footed ferrets living in the wild. Today the story is much different and very alarming. There may…
Month: May 2020
Our radiated tortoises are big time ambassadors for conservation
By Rick LoBello, Education Curator When the Zoo received a pair of radiated tortoises to be a part of our Africa exhibit in 2010, little did we know at the time how important they would become as ambassadors for conservation. Two years ago, government officials in Madagascar announced to the world that they had confiscated…
The sun bear is the smallest bear in the world
Sun bears have lived at the El Paso Zoo for nearly 50 years. They are the smallest of all bears and may have been named for the yellowish patch of fur on their throat or because they sunbathe during the day. The naked soles of their feet assist in tree climbing and their long toe…
Destruction of habitat and loss of biodiversity are creating the perfect conditions for diseases like COVID-19 to emerge
As habitat and biodiversity loss increase globally, the novel coronavirus outbreak may be just the beginning of mass pandemics Mayibout 2 is not a healthy place. The 150 or so people who live in the village, which sits on the south bank of the Ivindo River, deep in the great Minkebe forest in northern Gabon,…
Speak out for the Mexican wolf during USFW Scoping Process
Since the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program was first approved in 1982, the El Paso Zoo has played a very important role in helping to support reintroduction efforts in Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico that were first launched during the winter of 1998. On March 31, 2018, the District Court of Arizona determined that the…
How the zoo is helping Mexican black bears in Texas
Zoo partners with Big Bend National Park on wildlife conservation By Rick LoBello, Education Curator Last year in March the El Paso Zoo piloted a Zoo-Park partnership with Big Bend National Park to help the park conserve endangered Mexican black bears. Funding was made possible when the Zoo and Big Bend National Park were awarded…
Giant agave bugs among us
by Rick LoBello, Education Curator The other day while walking around in the Franklin Mountains I found a desert bug that I have been observing in our desert for decades, from Big Bend National Park to El Paso. The giant agave bug is commonly seen on both century plants and lechuguilla and is easy to…
Imagine getting all the water you need from seeds!
Kangaroo rats can survive without fresh water By Rick LoBello, Education Curator One of the least known desert wildlife families living in the Chihuahuan Desert and right here in El Paso are the nocturnal rodents. The group includes kangaroo rats, cactus mice, pack rats and cotton rats. The Merriam kangaroo rat is one of the…
Sleep 24 hours a day and wake up only when you are hungry
El Paso’s most amazing residents By Rick LoBello, Education Curator Ever wonder why the desert seems so barren with few animals in sight? It is not because they do not exist; after all you can see pictures of desert animals in books and on the TV and Internet. The reason why you don’t see them…
These Texas alligators climb trees
The elusive alligator lizard by Rick LoBello, Education Curator Not everyone living in the Chihuahuan Desert is familiar with one of the most interesting and least known lizards in our eco-region, the Texas alligator lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis). More people in Texas have seen alligator juniper trees than they have alligator lizards. That’s because they are very…
20,000+ letters from people in El Paso could not help the wolf in Texas, could one piece of art?
Art is powerful because it empowers the hearts of people Inspired by a large new wolf sculpture located at the entrance of the Zoo’s new $15-million Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit, the El Paso Zoo has launched a new Art as a Conservation Tool program inviting students in the El Paso, Texas – Juarez, Mexico region to…
Chihuahuan Desert Plants – Eagle’s Claw Cactus
by Rick LoBello If you have been paying attention and have taken a few walks into the desert, I think you will agree that 2020 is turning out to be a great year for cactus flowers. The Chihuahuan Desert is considered to be the epicenter of cacti diversity with 318 species of 1500 species worldwide….
Bats “free tail it back from Mexico
by Rick LoBello, Education Curator Have you seen any bats lately? Biologists have identified 14 species of bats living in the El Paso area and during the month of May it is very possible that you might see one or more hunting at night for insects or migrating north over El Paso to Carlsbad Caverns. …
This box turtle swims underwater!
by Rick LoBello, Education Curator The Coahuilan box turtle is one of my favorite animals at the Zoo. They are kind of hard to see in their pond next to the Reptile House, but worth the wait if you need to spend more time than usual in catching a glimpse. I think its great that…
Conservation Partner Highlight: Frontera Land Alliance
by Janae’ Reneaud Field Recently Frontera Land Alliance has seen growing support for conservation throughout our region from folks who are taking a stand to protect working farms, ranches and natural open space. Caring for our land is not new. It really revved up in the late 1970s with the successful community-based movement to make…
Missing Orangutan Mothers
This Sunday on Mother’s Day is a perfect day to celebrate and pay tribute to orangutan mothers. The M.O.M. – Missing Orangutan Mothers Campaign is our way of doing precisely that! Orangutan mothers and babies have an incredibly close relationship. At the El Paso Zoo you can see that amazing relationship not just between…
Meet our ball python Tiger Eye
Ball pythons are native to West and Central Africa where they live in grassland savannas and wooded areas. These excellent tree climbers prefer to be terrestrial and spend the majority of their time in abandoned burrows only coming out to bask in the sun or hunt for food. They get the first part of their…
Working with Birds of Prey
By Heather Rivera, Education Specialist Since 2010, I have been the main presenter, trainer and keeper for the El Paso Zoo’s Education department Birds of Prey collection. I have had the opportunity to work with several birds which have each held a special place in my heart. The very first bird of prey I worked…
Conservation Spotlight: El Paso Del Norte AAZK
The El Paso Zoo has several key purposes and missions that revolve around wildlife and wild places. We aim to inspire people to care about and connect to nature, we are actively working to save endangered species from extinction, and we provide excellent care and welfare to the animals at the Zoo. While this may…
The Zoo’s conservation efforts to help Cotton-top tamarins
The El Paso Zoo Conservation Committee supports conservation ambassadors living at the Zoo including our cotton-top tamarins that live in our South American Pavilion. Projecto Titi is just one of many field conservation projects that we have helped in recent years. By Rosamira Guillen, Executive Director, Projecto Titi Cotton-top tamarins are one-pound primates, found only…
Conservation Education 