Cotton-top Tamarin Saguinus oedipus Critically Endangered: Wild population estimated to be 2,000 Body length: Up to 1.8 feet head to tail. Habitat: Tropical dry forests. At the El Paso Zoo: Inside the South American Pavilion. The El Paso Zoo supports Proyeto Titi to help conserve this species in the wild. Both males and siblings help…

This Saturday on November 28 the El Paso Zoo will celebrate International Jaguar Day at 11:00 am Mountain Time on Zoom.   The jaguar is the third largest big cat species in the world and like so many animals living at the Zoo has a long history in North America going back to the Pleistocene which…

Prehensile-tailed Porcupine Coendou prehensilis Least Concern, stable population in the wild. Body length: head to tail: 2-3 feet. Habitat: Tropical forests of Central America and northern South America. At the El Paso Zoo: Inside the South American Pavilion Currently we have pair of 8-year-old porcupines named Flower and Vito.  In the wild they are rarely seen…

By Maddy Marsh, Arizona Game and Fish Department During the monsoon season in the sky islands of southeastern Arizona, if you listen closely, you may hear the very distinctive “snore” of the Chiricahua leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis). Endemic to mountainous regions of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts in eastern Arizona, western New Mexico, and northern…

The Zoo is certainly a very interesting place these days now that we have been closed for a little over eight months. I doubt that many of our animals have ever experienced anything like this before with their only daily contact being with their keepers. Some keepers say that our animals miss all the attention…

Southern Tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla Least Concern Size: Head to tail 43-47 inches in length with a 59-70 inch wingspan. Habitat:  Forests adjacent to savannas, lowland and montane moist tropical rain forest as well as mangroves. At the El Paso Zoo: Inside the South American Pavilion.  The tamandua is a species of anteater from South America.  …

Joining forces to conserve Chihuahuan Desert wildlife The El Paso Zoo is growing into an epicenter for conservation in the Chihuahuan Desert.   No institution, government or private, has a comprehensive exhibit dedicated to conservation and education of this conservation hotspot. With the support of a staff of dedicated professionals the Zoo is rescuing raptors like…

Reticulated giraffeGiraffa camelopardalis Vulnerable:  68,293, decreasing (IUCN, 2016)Giraffes are the world’s tallest land mammal averaging between 14 to 19 feet. Habitat: Savanna and woodland areas of Africa. Some herds have adapted to desert environments. At the El Paso Zoo: Across from the Kalahari Research Station in Africa  Long necks and legs make up the majority…

By Erin Strasser, International Biologist, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies With a hooked beak and predatory habits, the Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) has acquired some ferocious nicknames: The Butcher Bird or, in Spanish, El Verdugo (The Executioner). Although a songbird, they are unique in that they capture and impale small prey items such as insects,…

The El Paso Zoo’s 54-year old female Asian elephant, Juno, is recovering well after removal of a malignant mass in her right mammary gland, commonly known as breast cancer.   Veterinarian staff performed the surgery today, Saturday, November 14, at the El Paso Zoo.   “Thanks to a great effort by our internal team, her…

One of the El Paso Zoo’s Asian elephants, Juno, will undergo her seventh cancer treatment this week. In October 2016, Juno was diagnosed with a malignant mass in her right mammary gland, commonly known as breast cancer. This is the only currently known case of breast cancer in an elephant; elephants are generally not diagnosed…

The Zoo Education Animal Collection has a new Great Horned Owl.  Archimedes is about two years old and was rescued before it was determined that it was not healthy enough from its injuries to return to the wild.  Great Horned Owls are important apex predators and are very common in many areas of the country.  …

Everyone of us living on the planet needs biodiversity and ecosystem services to function. Biodiversity provides the world’s supply of oxygen, clean air and water, pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and many other ecosystem services. As a result we need to be informed and inspired to protect wild places and biodiversity. Our animals…

With the exception of the Mexican wolf, wildlife management agency professionals will resume responsibility for sustainable management and protection of delisted gray wolves. More than 45 years after gray wolves were first listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Secretary of the Interior announced last month that due to the successful recovery of the…