El Paso Bloggers Unite! Over the past two years the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens has been blogging about our animals and conservation programs. The end result has been 550 blog posts reaching tens of thousands of people with news about the Zoo and more. If you love to write and be creative you…

Zoo keeper holding a critically endangered radiated tortoise Our marketing team calls it a social media takeover, but whatever you want to call it you can count on a very different look at the Zoo, through the eyes and voices of Zoo Keepers and others working behind the scenes. Malayan sun bear Here is what…

Fennec fox in the wild by Christophe André, Wikimedia Creative Commons Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda Status: Least Concern Size: 8″ tall, 2-3 pounds Habitat: Desert, Marine Coastal/Supratidal At the Zoo: Behind the scenes in the Education Building (see more info below) One of the least known animals at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the…

Kindergarten students from Mesita ECDC at Vilas Elementary recently met Zoo Keeper Prentice who helped them create enrichment toys for some of the Zoo’s parrots. Providing animals with enrichment is a top priority at the El Paso Zoo.  Enrichment is a term that zoos use to describe any exhibit feature or daily activity provided by zoo…

Northern Tree Shrew Tupaia belangeri Least Concern Size: head and body are 5.5 to 9 inches with a tail is about the same length as their body. Habitat: rainforests in the following countries: Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; India; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Thailand; Viet Nam At the Zoo: Asia Forest Nocturnal Exhibit Northern…

Tyrion is a male 5-year old degu.   He is one of 70 different wildlife species living behind the scenes at the Zoo as part of our Education Animal collection.  Education animals are featured in up close and personal animal encounters where staff and volunteers tell their stories during informal programs in the Wildlife Amphitheater (weekends…

Tucker is a 17-year old female blue-tongued skink.     Blue tongued skinks live in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and are very big weighing up to 18 ounces and up to 22 inches in length.   For comparison the largest skink in North America is the Great Plains skink weighing less than 2 ounces.  Tucker is one of…

Why are some people passionate about saving wildlife and protecting the natural world and the complex ecosystem that holds everything together, while others are not? Matt Kowalski of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation hit the nail on the head when he was quoted in the September, 2022 issue of National Geographic. He says “If you don’t…

The South American Pavilion has the Zoo’s greatest diversity of animals inside a climate controlled building. Most of the animals in the Pavilion are from the Amazon rainforest. The overall health of the Amazon is critical to the survival of life on earth in that the rainforest in South America releases 20 billion tons of…

You are invited to listen in on a virtual report about the Zoo’s conservation efforts here in El Paso and around the world. We will pick a time and date after we have polled our readers on the best day of the week and time. Please fill out the registration form below and we will…

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’…

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,…

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…

They passed away unexpectedly of a very contagious primate bacteria called Shigella.  Eerie has recovered from this terrible disease and is fine.  The Zoo is now looking at options for the Siamang exhibit and companionship for Eerie. Deja was such a special little siamang with enormous character, pluck and a winning personality.  She was full…

Ginger the pig is an ambassador for the conservation of wild pigs around the world New to the Zoo’s Wild Encounters program daily at 1:30pm in the Wildlife Amphitheater, is a little pig who goes by the name Ginger. She is the Zoo’s only mini pig or potbellied pig and a favorite of Area 6…

Want to learn more about the Zoo and our conservation programs? Next time you visit or before or after your visit be sure to check out our walking tour. The online tour was designed for smart phones and is updated often. Recently we improved the tour by increasing the size of the text to make…

Chilean rose-haired tarantula Bug Fest at the Zoo May 21-22 Grammostola gala Status: Common (protected) Length: 4.5 to 5 inches Habitat: scrublands in Chile At the Zoo: Behind the scenes. Shown during special public presentations in the Wildlife Amphitheater, the upcoming Bug Fest at the Zoo event May 21-22 and to Zoo Adventure Program school…