The Zoo’s Reptile House is partly hidden at this time by the Penguin Exhibit construction fence, but is still open on all three sides. Many of the reptiles and amphibians living there are from other parts of the world, while others are found locally. Our walking tour includes an updated list of the species on…
Month: July 2022
Zoo to host special program on moths Saturday night
El Paso high school teacher Paul Hyder says that he is a confirmed desert rat who teaches AP Environmental Science, classes for Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Master Naturalist Program and field experiences for Celebration of Our Mountains. For the second time this summer on July 30th Hyder will be speaking at the El Paso Zoo…
The Opportunity of Becoming a Zookeeper Assistant as a Career
This past week the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens celebrated National Zoo Keepers Week with lunch and fun activities. All staff at the Zoo were invited to join in on the celebration. U.S. National Zoo Keeper Week is celebrated in the third week of July every year. The week-long observance aims to appreciate zookeepers’…
Zoo contributes to turtle and tortoise study challenging evolutionary theories of aging
Even though humans live longer lives compared to their historical counterparts, we cannot escape the inevitability of aging. However, testudines – the order to which tortoises and turtles belong – may buck this trend by following a different pattern of aging compared to humans and other species. In a new study published in the journal…
Second baby orangutan born at the Zoo!
Stay connected to the El Paso Zoo! Subscribe to our free blog here. The El Paso Zoo & Botanical Gardens is thrilled to welcome the birth of another Sumatran orangutan. On June 9, 2022 the Zoo welcomed a new baby male orangutan. With the help of his mother Ibu his keepers named him Zaini, meaning…
Mexican wolf rule eliminates cap on population, restricts killing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that it will eliminate its current population cap of 325 Mexican gray wolves that are allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest. The announcement follows a 2018 legal victory by conservation organizations. In the same decision, the agency rejected science-based reforms that would increase genetic…
Zoo Spotlight – Indian Pygmy Goose
Indian Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus Status: Least Concern Size: Up to 10” in length Status: Least Concern Size: Up to 10” in length Habitat: Inland wetlands At the El Paso Zoo: Asia Forest Aviary Also called the Cotton Pygmy Goose or Cotton Teal this species of Asian waterfowl is one of the smallest in the world. Ranging from India,…
Zoo Spotlight – Burmese python
Burmese Python Python bivittatus Vulnerable Size: may reach a length of 26 feet and a weight of more than 200 pounds. Habitat: Tropical rainforests near water. At the Zoo: Asia Forest Aviary Widely distributed across southeast Asia the number of Burmese pythons is decreasing largely because of habitat loss. Here in the United States on…
The Zoo is working to increase its conservation impact in support of field conservation projects
News of the second set of Mexican wolf pups at the El Paso Zoo and cross fostered with wild wolves is just one of many ongoing conservation efforts the zoo continues to support to help save endangered species locally, regionally and around the world. On May 11, 2022, two females and one male wolf pups…
Conservation Education 