Ground Hog Day 2012 was Babirusa Day at the Houston Zoo.

On February 2, Remley the babirusa (a species of Asian pig native to Indonesia) made her winter weather prediction at the Houston zoo’s Wortham World of Primates.

Remley made her Babirusa Day weather prediction by choosing between two weather ‘scenes’ created by her keepers. One scene represented 6 more weeks of winter – a ‘snowman’ on a field of white paper accepted with ice cubes containing babirusa treats such as figs and carrots.  The other scene represented the onset of an early spring – a picnic scene complete with a ‘picnic blanket’ and a picnic basket with babirusa treats and slices of watermelon. 

Remley entered the babirusa exhibit and trotted over to the snowman, flirted briefly with ‘winter’ and then dove enthusiastically into ‘summer’ enjoying a watermelon treat.

The decision?  Remley is expecting an early spring, not 6 more weeks of winter!

Why was Remley the babirusa chosen to stand in for the traditional ground hog?
 
Well, the Houston Zoo doesn’t have a ground hog.  Ground hogs don’t like the hot and humid tropical climate that we have along the southeast Texas Gulf coast.  But we believe Remley is a natural for predicting future weather patterns on February 2 because of her intelligence and adaptability.  Our keepers consider all hogs and pigs to be highly intelligent animals and quick learners with a substantial memory. 

About Babirusa
 Babirusas are small hairless pigs native to the small tropical Indonesian island of Sulawesi.  Elusive forest dwellers, little is known about the natural history and natural behavior of the babirusa, mainly due to the nature of its dense jungle habitat.  Masters of camouflage, the babirusa’s coloration, torpedo-shaped body and deer-like movements enable it to melt silently into surrounding cover at the slightest disturbance.  It’s appropriate that the translation of babirusa is “pig-deer.” Babirusas are critically endangered in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting.  In 1989 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) rated the babirusa as the Asian pig species in greatest need of immediate conservation measures.

On Sunday, January 15, the Houston Zoo is proud to partner with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra and InterActive Theater Company to present two performances of the children’s classic, Peter and the Wolf. With the intent to “cultivate musical tastes in children from the first years of school,” this beloved story delights and entertains.

At this special event, a small ensemble of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra musicians will play Prokofiev’s composition while actors from the InterActive Theatre Company narrate and act out the story.

This event is included in your regular Zoo admission, and is FREE for Zoo Members. Performances will take place in the Brown Education Center Auditorium, and seating is first come, first served. This event is sponsored by The University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.

Performances are at 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The Houston Zoo will be closed on Christmas Day. Keepers will work abbreviated shifts on December 25 cleaning exhibits and feeding the Zoo’s 6,000 animals. The Zoo will reopen December 26 observing the standard 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. operating hours. Christmas Day is the only day of the year the Zoo is not open to the public.  The Zoo will also close early at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, with the last guest entry at 2 p.m.

“A zoo is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week operation. We’ve arranged shifts for our keepers to ensure that all the animals will receive their regular care and feeding but still give the staff time to enjoy Christmas with their families,” said Zoo Director Rick Barongi.

Santa will be at the Zoo December 19 – 23, from 9 a.m. – Noon each day.

And he’s making a stop at the Houston Zoo! This holiday season, meet the jolly guy himself at the Zoo’s Reflection Pool! Zoo guests will be able to chat briefly with Santa (be sure to bring your list!) and get their photo taken with him!

Santa will be at the Zoo December 19 – 23, from 9 a.m. – Noon each day. (He may need to take a couple of short breaks during this time). Bring your camera, because you won’t want to miss this chance to get that perfect photo of your family with Santa to post on Facebook, proudly display on your mantel, or add to your holiday card!

The festivities don’t end with Santa though. At 1 p.m. at the Reflection Pool each day we’ll feature holiday music, courtesy of some local talents. See below for the musical lineup.

All this, plus 6,000 animals, festive holiday decorations, and more!

These holiday activities are FREE with your paid Zoo admission or Membership.
(Note: You may choose to purchase your professional Santa photo for an additional cost).

What better way to celebrate the holidays than to spend time with family, friends, and Santa at the Houston Zoo!

All performances begin at 1 p.m. at the Reflection Pool
December 19 – The Salvation Army Harbor Light Choir
December 20 – TBD
December 21 – Mistletones Trio
December 22 – Mistletones Trio
December 23 – Mistletones Tr

On Saturday, December 17 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., the lawn next to the okapi habitat will be covered with 15,000 lbs of snow! That’s a lot of snow! You can play, build snowmen, and win prizes.  The snow fun will begin at 9 a.m. and is FREE with your paid admission or Zoo Membership. Get here early because who knows how long the snow will last in this unpredictable Houston weather.

To add to the holiday festivities, at 10 a.m. on the 17^th Leah White and the Magic Mirrors will perform holiday favorites at the Zoo’s Reflection Pool. Leah White and the Magic Mirrors are winners of the 2009 Nickelodeon Parent’s Choice Award and a Zoo-favorite!

You won’t want to miss this – join us this December 17 for music, animals, and fun in the snow!

Flock is a group for young professionals who have a passion for wildlife, conservation and the growth of the Houston Zoo. Each year Flock hosts three cocktail parties tucked between the Zoo’s wild exhibits. These events give members the opportunity to have an up close and personal experience with the Zoo’s animal ambassadors and learn more about the conservation issues their wild counterparts face.

With an annual donation of $150, Flock members not only receive free admission to the cocktail events, but they also receive discounted tickets to Feast with the Beasts, the Zoo’s annual culinary event, opportunities for exclusive Zoo travel and many other fantastic benefits. For a complete list of benefits, please visit the Flock website.

Don’t miss Flock’s final event of the season on November 30 from 8:30 pm until 11:00 pm at the Houston Zoo. Flock members can come in an hour early and meet some of the Zoo’s unique animal ambassadors. This event is free but an RSVP is required. Please RSVP to flock@houstonzoo.org by November 28. We would like to thank Momentum Audi for their continued support of Flock and the Houston Zoo. Special thanks to our event sponsors Yelp, St. Arnold, and Elegant Beginnings.

To learn more about Flock or to RSVP for the upcoming event, please click here.

Join Toby and his keepers at the Houston Zoo on Sunday, November 6 when we bid a fond farewell to The World’s Cutest Animal with not one but two bon voyage parties at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

On March 28, 2009 the Houston Zoo introduced our members and guests to The World’s Cutest Animal – Toby, the red panda. For more than two years, Toby has lived up to his World’s Cutest Animal title and endeared himself to Zoo guests and staff alike. But the time has come for Toby to bid farewell to his adoring fans and return the place of his birth, the Cincinnati Zoo.

Join Toby and his keepers at the Houston Zoo on Sunday, November 6 when we bid a fond farewell to The World’s Cutest Animal with not one but two bon voyage parties at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Toby’s keepers will be on hand for informative and entertaining Meet the Keeper Talks and Toby will celebrate the day with some of his favorite treats. Toby’s bon voyage parties are included in your Zoo admission.

Red pandas are an endangered species and Toby is going to the Cincinnati Zoo after being recommended for breeding by the Red Panda Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Houston Zoo’s two remaining red pandas, Take and Keti have also been recommended by the Species Survival Plan for breeding.

First, the Spanish version, followed by English below…

Les estoy escribiendo por tercera vez en mi serie de blogs.  ¡Gracias por regresar! Y a los que están leyendo por primera vez: podrán leer mi serie (en español e ingles) hasta mediados de diciembre mientras hago mis practicas en el Zoológico de Houston. ¡Disfruta! Dejame tus comentarios o preguntas y compártelo a través de Facebook y Twitter.

Primeramente quisiera darle un aplauso a toda la gente que ayudo con el éxito de Zoo Boo.  A todos los empleados que planearon y trabajaron el evento y también a toda la gente que nos visito y participo en los juegos, ¡mil gracias!  Si te gustaría ver las fotos del evento visita el álbum AQUI.

Aunque ya termino Zoo Boo no quiere decir que nos podemos relajar.  En el departamento de mercadotecnia, aquí en el Zoológico de Houston, han estado preparando los detalles para el evento Feast with the Beasts.  Este evento es uno de los mas populares y los boletos se venden rápido.  Pero no te asustes con el nombre, no se tiene que compartir la cena con King Kong o Godzilla.  Es mas lo que mas da miedo es la gente que llega con un gran apetito.

Desafortunadamente, si aun no has comprado tus boletos para este evento lamento decirte que es muy tarde.  Y si te estas preguntando porque es tan popular este evento te diré que es porque con la compra de un boleto de entrada puedes probar los deliciosos antojitos de 65 restaurantes,  tomar 2 bebidas, ver presentaciones de animales, y ver el concierto de los B-52s!  Y como si eso no fuera suficiente, si compras un boleto te llenaras de gozo al saber que le ayudaste al Zoológico recaudar fondos para sus programas de conservación, educación, y cuidado de los animales.

Estoy contando los días que quedan para Feast with the Beasts y si fuiste una de las personas que alcanzo boleto entonces ¡te veo ahí!

Si quisieras mas información sobre Feast with the Beasts visita http://www.houstonzoo.org/Feast/

Y si no haz leído mi serie desde el principio no te preocupes porque están todos AQUÍ.

For those of you that have been scrolling down to find the English version, you are in the right place!!  You can read the entire series about my experience as a Marketing Intern until mid-December HERE.  Feel free to leave me any comments or questions!  I will gladly reply as soon as possible. Also, don’t forget to share this with your friends via Facebook and Twitter.

First of all I’d like to give a big round of applause to everyone that participated in Zoo Boo’s success! Whether you are someone on the staff that helped organize it or a Zoo visitor that came and enjoyed the festivities, you did a great job. If you’d like to take a look at our pictures from Zoo Boo Click HERE!

Just when we here at the Zoo thought, “Zoo Boo’s over, now we can kick back and relax (insert sigh of relief),” we get reminded that there’s yet another exciting event right around the corner! 

The Marketing Department has been simultaneously organizing Zoo Boo and Feast with the Beasts and though it’s a lot of work, they’re doing a great job!

 Feast with the Beasts is one of our most popular events here at The Houston Zoo.  Though the name is slightly scary and gives me images of Godzilla stomping around the Medical Center as I eat a turkey sandwich, it’s really NOTHING to be afraid of.  In fact, if you love food just as much as I do then the scariest thing about this event would be you and your appetite.

Unfortunately, if you haven’t already bought your ticket then you will have to wait for next year’s tickets to go on sale. I’ve been told that this event gets sold out quickly. Why? Well because with a purchase of a ticket you get to taste delicious snacks from 65 Houston restaurants, 2 drinks, animal presentations, AND a concert featuring the B-52s, that’s why! Plus, each purchase of a ticket will help The Houston Zoo’s conservation, education, and animal care programs!

HOLY CANNOLI! I’m currently counting down the days ‘til Feast with the Beasts and it’s almost here! For those of you that purchased your tickets in time, I will see you there!

Catch your attention? Read more about Feast with the Beasts on our website and join us next year!

Also, if you haven’t already checked out my previous blog posts go ahead and click here!

Hace dos Viernes me desperté muy alegre porque por primera vez este año abrió el evento de Zoo Boo!

Desde que empecé mis practicas aquí en el Zoológico de Houston e visto todos los ingredientes que le ponen a la poción de Zoo Boo dentro de la caldera mágica. Lo que no me dijeron era que esta poción me iba a dar efectos de felicidad y quizá me haría brincar de emoción! Si hubiera sabido esto antes, tal vez me hubiera preparado mejor. Pero bueno, durante mi tiempo aqui he ido a las reuniones y en cada  reunión hablan sobre cada cosa relacionada con el evento y las responsabilidades de cada departamento. Es aquí donde realmente aprendí que es necesario que todos los departamentos de una organización se apoyen y trabajen juntos.

Decidí asistir al evento como voluntaria para poder ver la transformación de un evento planeado en papel a una cosa visible y exitosa. El primer día que estuve ahí  me pusieron en la sección llamada Festival of Fun al lado de los Elefantes en el McNair Asian Elephant Habitat que viene siendo uno de los lugares que mas me gusta visitar dentro del zoológico.  En el Festival of Fun hay varios  juegos para los pequeños y pueden ganar premios por solamente participar.

Al siguiente día me toco asistir en las estaciones que rodeaban la Piscina de Reflección, o mas bien llamada The Reflection Pool.  A pesar de que se me cansaron los pies de tanto caminar, el día estuvo maravilloso.  En cuanto abrieron las puertas de la entrada se lleno de niños y niñas disfrazados y ansiosos por coleccionar dulces.  Las mesas de tatuajes temporales se ocuparon y el Monster Mural se cubrió de colores diferentes.  Los pequeños no podían creer que alguien les estaba dando permiso de pintar  una pared con marcadores!

La actividad que mas me asombro fue el TXU Energy Monster Mashquerade.  El DJ Captain Armando, vestido de Pirata, formo a los niños que querían participar y los llevo a hacer un desfile de disfraces.  Y luego, al terminar el desfile entraron los miembros del Aldine Dance Company vestidos como animales salvajes y les enseñaron a los niños y padres como hacer el baile de la canción “Thriller”.

El primer fin de semana Zoo Boo atrajo 30,092 personas y hemos recibido muchas felicitaciones por el éxito.  Todavía queda este fin de semana (Viernes 28 de Octubre – Lunes 31 de Octubre) para que puedes venir a disfrutar  y compartir tu experiencia con nosotros. ¡No te lo pierdas!

Si aun no haz leído mi serie de blogs haz clic aquí! Y si quieres mas información sobre este evento visita la pagina web http://www.houstonzoo.org/zooboo/.

Thank you for returning to read my second blog post in my series! For those of you that are just now joining us, my blog series, written in both English and Spanish, will continue through mid-December.  You will find the English version located below the Spanish one.  I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures as a Houston Zoo intern and please, don’t be afraid to leave your questions or comments. Share this with your friends via Facebook and Twitter!

Two Fridays ago I woke up very excited and sleepy, but mostly excited because it was the grand opening of this year’s Zoo Boo. Also, it was my very first time being here for this event and I can’t believe it took me this long.

For the past few weeks I have been watching the staff stir up a rather exciting Zoo Boo potion into their Special Events cauldron.  I wish they would’ve warned me about the side effects because then I would’ve understood why I kept having this urge to jump up and smile every 5 minutes. Weird? No! At Zoo Boo it is perfectly normal to be thrilled, maybe because of all the candy they give you, but regardless, I fit in just fine. Although The Houston Zoo is made up of MANY different departments,  they all come together and discuss what every one’s role is for the event.  They go over everything you could possibly think of which has taught me that it truly is important for everyone in an organization to support each other and work together in order for everything to be successful. The Zoo’s ability to do so is really visible during the event because it’s so organized and each staff member knows how to help. I couldn’t wait to be a part of it and watch it unfold from plans on paper into an actual event. That is why I gladly volunteered to assist them in any way.

On the first day I was asked to help out at the Festival of Fun where the group Best Entertainers set up carnival games and gave the kids a prize for their participation.  My favorite part was seeing all the different costumes that came through and watching the kids play enthusiastically.  Oh, and lucky for me the Festival of Fun is located right next to the recently opened McNair Asian Elephant Habitat!  I really enjoyed being able to look back and see babies Tupelo and Baylor play around in their new home.

During the next two days as I volunteered, I walked around the Reflection Pool area and made sure that each station’s volunteers had everything they needed. I got to see how successful the Monster Mural is and just how much kids love the Zoo Boo tattoos. I also got to see the TXU Energy Monster Mashquerade up close as the children, lead by DJ Captain Armando, showed off their costumes during the parade and then gathered to learn the “Thriller” dance with the Aldine Dance Group.

Overall, the first two weekends of Zoo Boo were successful and everyone seemed to enjoy the activities. The first weekend alone attracted 30,092 visitors! Now that the weather has cooled down and Halloween is quickly approaching, we expect to see many more princesses and heroes come through our entrance! I hope you and your little one(s) won’t miss out on the last weekend of the festivities: Friday, October 29- Monday, October 31!

If you haven’t already read the Intro to this series, you can find it HERE! Also, if you’d like more information about Zoo Boo visit our page http://www.houstonzoo.org/zooboo/.

Ambassadors enjoying the training demonstration

The Ambassadors is a growing group of Zoo supporters who are committed to spreading the mission and vision of the Houston Zoo. Each year, the Ambassadors are invited to exclusive social events, aimed at providing members with a personalized Zoo experience to inspire leadership for the Houston Zoo. These events culminate with the Annual Ambassadors’ Winter Gala that directly benefits the Zoo’s animal care, education, and conservation programs. The Fourth Annual Gala will be held on February 4, 2012 and promises to be another exciting evening of food, drinks, and unforgettable animal experiences.

With an annual donation of $250 for an individual or $500 for a couple, Ambassadors receive a number of exclusive benefits including unlimited admission to the Zoo for one year, a 15% discount in the Houston Zoo Gift Shop and much more.

This is a great value for those who want to make a difference for their Zoo and are looking for fantastic benefits in return. To learn more about the Ambassadors or to join today, please click here.