Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles Status: Least Concern, numbers increasing Size: From head to tail 11-15 inches with a wingspan of 29-33 inches. 8-14 ounces Habitat: Inland wetlands At the Zoo: Asia Forest The Masked Lapwing is found in central and eastern Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. They are ground-dwelling birds…
Month: April 2021
Scientists identify large swath of potential habitat for jaguars in Arizona and New Mexico
A team of scientists have identified a wide swath of habitat in Arizona and New Mexico that they say could eventually support more than 150 jaguars. Publishing their results in Oryx—The International Journal of Conservation, the team says that the central mountains of the two states, which they call the “Central Arizona/New Mexico Recovery Area” or CANRA,…
Join the City Nature Challenge April 30 to May 3
The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document wildlife in cities across the globe. It is a bioblitz-style competition where cities are in a friendly contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can observe and record the most species, and who…
Following a dream to the land of the mountain gorilla
Register for Zoom Presentation with Dr. Alan Goodall on May 8, 2021 at 11am MTRegister for Zoom Presentation with Judy Chidester on June 5, 2021 at 1pm MT by Rick LoBello All around the world people are working to save endangered species and our environment. Many of them are inspired by their visits to zoos. …
Happy Earth Day everyone
Today is the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. All around the world people are celebrating their love and concern for the future of our planet. Today on YouTube the Biden Administration is hosting a Climate Leaders’ Summit. While there are many forces and processes on Earth impacting our quality of life that are beyond our…
Zoo Spotlight: emerald tree boa
Emerald Tree Boa Corallus caninusStatus: UnknownSize: Up to six feet longHabitat: RainforestsAt the Zoo: Reptile House One day a keeper at the Zoo was taking care of one of our emerald tree boas and I got a chance to see one up close. I have always loved boas and for years when I was in…
Zoo Spotlight: White-breasted Kingfisher
White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrensis smyrensis Status: Least concern. Size: From head to tail they measure 10-12 inches in length and weigh between 2-3 ounces. Habitat: Forests, wetlands and intertidal areas. At the Zoo: Asia Forest White-breasted Kingfishers are easily recognized by their bright blue-green feathers and disproportionally large red bill. These carnivorous birds live in…
Chihuahuan Desert Wildlife: black-tailed rattlesnake
Black-tailed Rattlesnake Crotalus molossus Status: Common Size: 28-49 inches Habitat: Desert scrub and forest At the Zoo: Reptile House The black-tailed rattlesnake is one of six species of rattlesnakes found in El Paso county including the western diamondback rattlesnake, rock rattlesnake, Mohave rattlesnake, prairie rattlesnake and massasauga. Not to be confused with other rattlesnakes one…
How are we doing on water conservation?
Recently I participated in a Zoom presentation by Dr. William Hargrove and his team at UTEP. The presentation was entitled “Sustainable Water Resources for Irrigated Agriculture in a Desert River Basin Facing Drought and Competing Demands: From Characterization to Solutions.” The title may sound a little technical for many, but understanding the findings is very…
Zoo Spotlight: Sora
Sora Porzana carolina Status: Least concern, numbers increasing. Size: Between 8-9 inches in length. Habitat: Wetlands At the Zoo: Americas Aviary Soras are a small rail species and are very beautiful birds when compared to others of their family. They have blue-grey feathers on their chest with brown feathers lined with blue-grey on the edges….
Rediscover your connections to nature at Resler Canyon
With temperatures in El Paso getter hotter by the day, if you are going to plan some desert hiking before it gets really hot now is the time. Early morning temperatures are still in the 60s and we all know how the thermometer rises quickly at this time of year. One largely unknown desert trail…
Conservation Highlight – Orangutan SAFE
Special report from Orangutan SAFE and the CREATE Project Thanks to financial support from the El Paso Zoo, Orangutan SAFE (Saving Animals from Exinction) is able to help fund the CREATE Project (Corridor Restoration For Animals Threatened And Endangered), a social enterprise focusing on improving wildlife habitat and captive welfare. The project, created as a…
Zoo Spotlight: Venezuelan Troupial
Venezuelan Troupial Icterus icterus Status: Least concern Size: 9 inches in length. Habitat: Forests. savanna and shrubland. At the Zoo: Americas Aviary Venezuelan Troupials are a large bird species of the blackbird family with a black-hooded head and a blue-gray eye ring of bare skin. Their nape and upper mantle are bright orange with a…
The story of Don Diego, the last wild caught Mexican wolf
By Rick LoBello, Education Curator, El Paso Zoo Don Diego was a 5 ½ month old Mexican wolf pup that Roy McBride, an experienced wolf trapper, captured in October 1977 in the mountains of Durango, Mexico. The young wolf became one of the founders of the Mexican wolf captive breeding program and was an important…
Conservation Education 