Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Nov
25

Amazón Grill hosts Flock, the Houston Zoo’s Young Supporters

Posted by in Events,Flock,Supporting Your Zoo

On Tuesday, November 8, a Flock of young professionals gathered at Amazón Grill for a special happy hour benefiting the Houston Zoo. Chef David Cordúa is a long time member of Flock, the Houston Zoo’s Young Supporters and serves on the advisory board. While mingling with other professionals, guests nibbled on Latin bites, sipped margaritas and enjoyed a preview of Amazón Grill’s new interior.

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.

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Nov
02

Houston Zoo Says Bon Voyage to the World’s Cutest Animal

Posted by in Events,Featured,Mammals,Media,Memories,Zoo News

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.

 

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Nov
02

Feast with the Beasts (En español & In English)

Posted by in En Español,Events,Guest Blogger Series,Supporting Your Zoo

For those of you that are just now joining us, this is the third post of my blog series, written in both English and Spanish about my experience as a Marketing Intern, which I will be doing until mid-December.  CLICK HERE for the link to the entire series. 

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!

 

 

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Oct
27

Mi Aventura en Zoo Boo/ My Adventure in Zoo Boo

Posted by in En Español,Events,Guest Blogger Series

¡Gracias por regresar a leer mi segundo blog de esta serie! Recuerda que también está escrita en ingles ahí abajito de la versión en español. (In ENGLISH below) Disfruta, y compártelo con tus amigos especialmente por Facebook y Twitter.  Y recuerda que si tienes alguna pregunta o comentario que no te de pena escribirlo al final de esta pagina.

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/.

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Oct
13

The Ambassadors are Wild for the Houston Zoo

Posted by in Carnivores,Events,Supporting Your Zoo

On Thursday, September 22, the Houston Zoo’s Ambassadors gathered at the newly renovated cougar exhibit for an evening of Cocktails and Canapés. Guests enjoyed the cooler weather as they sipped on wine and beer and sampled delicious bites created by Chef Larry of Solarus Catering. The Zoo’s Carnivore team presented a demonstration featuring the cougars and jaguars, delighting guests with an up close and personal view into the training that happens daily at the Houston Zoo. Event goers learned more about these amazing animals and why keepers work diligently to train different behaviors. To view more photos from this event, please click here.

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.

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Sep
26

Dora & Diego Visit the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Events,Just for Kids

Well-loved characters Dora and Diego, from the hit Nickelodeon shows Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go!, are visiting the Houston Zoo on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2! They will make appearances throughout the day and greet adoring fans, young and old alike, to pose for photos. Be sure you bring your camera to capture this exciting experience! This is included in your regular Zoo Admission or membership.

Dora and Diego will be near the 4-D Experience in The African Forest on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2 from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. each day. While they will be out from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., they may take a few brief breaks during this time.

 

Dora the Explorer!

 
Also, guests can watch them in action in the exciting and interactive Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure: Catch That Robot Butterfly! at the Zoo’s 4-D Experience. The 4-D Experience is $5 for non-members and $4 for members.
 

Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure!

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Sep
24

Houston Zoo Animal Enrichment Wish List Now at Amazon.com!

Posted by in Animal Info,Enrichment,Events

Do you love to shop?!  The Houston Zoo animals now have a wishlist on Amazon.com!  We all enjoy buying that perfect gift for someone special…..and who’s more special than the animals at the zoo!  I know you’ve often wondered, if I were buying a gift for Jonathan the lion what on earth would he want?  And where would I go to buy it?  What about a baby gift for Aurora the orangutan?  Well today’s your lucky day and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your air conditioned home, yes shopping in the summer without breaking a sweat!!

All of the animals now have brought their needs and wants to you through Amazon.com, just a click away.  Here’s an example of some of the items you can purchase and enrich the lives of your favorite animal.

The Carnivores are asking for boomer balls, catnip and many other items, you know how cats love to wind themselves up on catnip, then start chasing everything in sight!   Like this Jolly Ball available at Amazon.com, peppermint scented!

Horseman's Pride Jolly Ball

The Primates are asking for a Look Lous feeding mirror….hmmmm is that so Rudy orangutan can make sure there are no crumbs on his face when he finishes his favorite breakfast??  Just a click away!

Looky Lou Feeder 14" X 10" Acrylic w/ 3/4" holes (.125 wall) Mirror on one side: 4 in.

Find your favorite animals and see what they’re wishing for at Amazon.com. Then just sit back, shop, click and send your animal of choice a wonderful gift to enrich their life!  They really do appreciate it and so does the Houston Zoo!

Enrichment Day at the Houston Zoo is today, Saturday, September 24th.  This is a great opportunity to see all of the animals enjoying special enrichment, hear keeper chats and loads of  fun games for kids of all ages!  Enrichment Day celebrates the meaning and joy of enriching our animals and visitors! If you are so inspired by this day, or have a favorite species at the Houston Zoo, you can now go on Amazon.com anytime of the year and make a difference!

 

Sep
23

Animal Enrichment: Well, They Certainly Have Something to Say About That…

Posted by in Birds,Enrichment,Events

People like to watch animals actively engaged in their environment – it’s true. It’s my opinion that natural behaviors are so inviting because they create the feeling of being somewhere special. Particularly when observed in the presence of our beautifully kept and planted grounds, animals presenting natural behaviors gives the feeling of being somewhere “wild.”

For our part, keepers do our best to encourage a variety of natural behaviors. Not only is it beneficial for our guests to see the amazing natural behaviors that cause us to love every minute of our jobs, it’s enormously beneficial to provide for the mental and physical wellness of our animals by providing enrichment opportunities. Did you know that an effective enrichment program can help to stabilize fluctuating weight, help with mild health concerns and even encourage breeding in some species? It really is that important to the overall well-being of our animals.

These are our Grey-winged Trumpeters (Psophia crepitans) utilizing a basic puzzle feeder. Such items are wonderful because they make enriching animals a much more viable possibility. The simple fact is that there are only so many hours in a day, and when keepers are responsible for such a diverse animal collection (more than 800 avian residents in our bird department, alone!) such readily prepared items are nothing less than magical.

Enrichment Day at the Houston Zoo is Saturday, September 24th.  This is a great opportunity to come and join in the fun.  Come out and see all of the animals enjoying special enrichment, hear keeper chats and loads of  fun games for kids of all ages!  Enrichment Day celebrates the meaning and joy of enriching our animals and visitors!

Find your favorite animals and see what they’re wishing for at Amazon.com. Then just sit back, shop, click and send your animal of choice a wonderful gift to enrich their life!  They really do appreciate it and so does the Houston Zoo!

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Sep
22

Animal Enrichment: It’s an Elephant’s Life

Posted by in Elephants,Enrichment,Events

Enriching the herd of Asian elephants here at the Houston Zoo  is a very important part of our day.  Elephants are highly intelligent animals (probably the most intelligent at the zoo) and they need many different types of enrichment. 

Training is one of the most important parts of an Elephant keeper’s day, and is extremely enriching for our elephants as well.  It allows the Elephant keepers to get very close to each animal and inspect their body condition and care for them, but it also helps to form a strong relationship between each keeper and each elephant.  Training new behaviors encourages our elephants to think critically to receive the reward of food and praise — and also helps to keep the elephants active. 

Along with mental stimulation, physical enrichment, such as toys, scents, spices, leafy browse and musical instruments are all vital to keeping our elephants active, enriched, and engaged.  When you visit the Houston Zoo, it is easy to spot the items that are placed daily in the yard.  These commonly include small and large tires, bells, bowling balls, large rubber balls, large hanging chimes and large logs.  Of course, all of these toys are elephant proof and safe for our two calves, Baylor andTupelo, to play with as well. 

What you may not be able to see are the various spices and areas scented with extracts or perfume, which encourage the elephants to walk around the yard to find and taste new and different items. Leafy browse, such as Mulberry and Bamboo, is also vital for elephants. Found in their natural diet, leaves and bark are nutritionally important and they also provide a fun toy. 

Our elephants are commonly seen using large sticks to scratch their backs and behind their ears.  New or novel substrates like sand and dirt are also used as enrichment. Baylor and Tupelo especially seem to enjoy a nice pile of fresh sand or a mud wallow. The pool in the new yard will be an excellent addition to the facility and will be enriching to the herd for years to come.  

Hopefully, the elephants will be moving in to the new exhibit in September. It is really just up to the keepers to challenge ourselves to find ways to keep the elephants enriched and think of new ideas.

Written by Andrea Pohlman, Elephant Keeper

Enrichment Day at the Houston Zoo is Saturday, September 24th.  This is a great opportunity to come and join in the fun.  Come out and see all of the animals enjoying special enrichment, hear keeper chats and loads of  fun games for kids of all ages!  Enrichment Day celebrates the meaning and joy of enriching our animals and visitors!

Find your favorite animals and see what they’re wishing for at Amazon.com. Then just sit back, shop, click and send your animal of choice a wonderful gift to enrich their life!  They really do appreciate it and so does the Houston Zoo!

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Sep
21

Animal Enrichment: A Komodo and his Egg

Posted by in Enrichment,Events,Reptiles

Animal keepers at the Houston Zoo are constantly thinking of new ways to enrich the lives of the animals in their care.  Reptiles and birds often lay infertile eggs whether they have mated or not.  The Zoo’s two female ostriches frequently lay infertile eggs, we don’t have any male ostriches…….so, in the spirit of “reduce, reuse, recycle”, we find an interesting use for these eggs.  No, we don’t make giant omelettes!!  Sometimes we give one to our awesome Komodo dragon “Smaug”.  Dragons are meat eaters but they like eggs also.  As you can see below the egg is too big for him to swallow whole and this presents a challenge. 

The egg rolls away from him and he has to pin it against something and bite it to crack it.  Of course all the yolk runs out and he tries to suck it up and usually eats some or all of the shell.  Smaug doesn’t wind up getting to eat much of it but it gets him excited and keeps him busy for a while! Take a look.


We strive to continually come up with things to keep our animals busy and to elicit natural behaviors.  This is just one of the many fun aspects of taking care of the animals we love.

Written by Judith Bryja.

Enrichment Day at the Houston Zoo is Saturday, September 24th.  This is a great opportunity to come and join in the fun.  Come out and see all of the animals enjoying special enrichment, hear keeper chats and loads of  fun games for kids of all ages!  Enrichment Day celebrates the meaning and joy of enriching our animals and visitors!

Find your favorite animals and see what they’re wishing for at Amazon.com. Then just sit back, shop, click and send your animal of choice a wonderful gift to enrich their life!  They really do appreciate it and so does the Houston Zoo!

 

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