Posts Tagged ‘Houston’

Aug
08

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Ten

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s Monday morning and you know what that means! It’s Week 10 of photographic scavenger hunt, Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past nine installments, just click here!

 

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your best guesses below and return this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

 

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #10:

The Clues

1. While humans love me, I don’t think the small cats down the street do!

2. While I may seem large to humans, those who enjoy me tend to think of me as a wadding pool!

3. I bring a whole new meaning to the term “swimming trunks”!

Psst- here’s freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

The Answer

 

That’s right, you guessed it! This is a photo of Thai, one of our Asiatic Elephants, taking a dip in his pool.

Splish-Splash! He's a-takin' a bath!

 

For those who haven’t met him, Thai is our oldest male elephant at the zoo and proud father to baby Baylor who was born last May. Thai loves the water and can frequently be seen playing with his large barrel- dunking it under the water and watching it pop back up to the surface.  As for Baylor, the apple clearly doesn’t fall far from the tree based on his escapades with water, which have gone viral and become an international sensation!

 

We are hoping that our seven-member herd will continue to enjoy the water when they move into their new elephant expansion, which will add on the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. This new enclosure, which utilizes the land that used to belong to the giraffe’s before they relocated to The African Forest, an unobstructed viewing area, a demonstration area and an 80,000 gallon pool! For more information, renderings, and to up-to-date information click here!

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo.

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Aug
01

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Nine

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s Monday morning and you know what that means! It’s Week 9 of photographic scavenger hunt, Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past eight installments, just click here!

 

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your guesses below and return this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

 

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

 

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #9:

 

The Clues

1. I’m really popular at the Zoo right now. Probably because I’m so popular!

2. Some find it hard to believe I exist- they can bear-ly believe it!

3. I have tasty treats inside of me- which I suppose makes me a tasty treat myself!

Psst- here’s a freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

The Answer

 

That’s right- ya’ll guessed it! This is a photo of one of our Andean bears enjoying a fruit pop!

 

Lick....lick....lick

 

During the hot summer months, we like to offer our animals a way to chill out and beat the Houston Heat. These frozen treats are made specifically for each species that receives them and can contain a wide variety of food- ranging from fruit, nectar, berries, fish, and even some blood!

Want to know which animals get these special treats? Check out our special Chill Out Meet the Keeper chats this summer!

P.S.- You know you want to have some ice cream while the animals get their popsicles, right?!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays

at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo.

 

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Jul
25

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Eight

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s Monday morning and you know what that means! It’s Week 8 of photographic scavenger hunt, Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past seven installments, just click here!

 

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your guesses below and return this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #8:

The Clues

1. People always seem to be afraid to take a drink from me- I don’t know why, I don’t bite!

2. I’m very proud of my celebrity status here at the Zoo. I’m the pride of my family, who lives nearby!

3. I’d be lyin’ if I told you I’m a newcomer to the zoo- I’ve been here for ages!

Psst- here’s a freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out themed!

 

 

The Answer

That’s right, you guessed it! This is a photo of our lion water fountain located along the path that runs from the exit of The African Forest to the Cypress Circle Café. For all of the expert navigators out there (and those who took a sneak a peek at our online map!) you will notice this path runs right beside the lion habitat. Pretty cool placement, huh?

Don't worry, he won't bite!

Our lion water fountain has been a guest favorite for many generations- and here are some “retro” photos to show it!

The Fountain in the early-mid 1960's

 

And here he is again in the early 1970's

 

Here he is posing for one of many family pictures!

Unfortunately, records of when this thirst-quenching lion joined the Houston Zoo family are hard to come by. So while we look to the past for more clues, we have decided to share what some of our guests have said about everyone’s favorite big-cat-shaped water fountain! These quotes are taken directly from the comment section in a previous blog post asking for your favorite zoo memory!

 

               When I was a little girl my parents took me to the zoo. I was so thirst and had a drink of water out of the lion water fountain/ My mom took a picture of me on my little top toes drinking out of that lion water fountain/ When I was a grumpy pre-teen I begrudgingly had my picture taken out[side] of the lion water fountain. Now as and adult when I go to the zoo I still take a picture of myself drinking from the fountain and I email it to my mom and dad to remind them of all the fun times we had at the Houston Zoo. Don’t ever get rid of that fountain! -  Amanda L

               I vividly remember my first trip to the zoo back in 1968. I was almost 5 years old. My father wanted to take pictures of me in front of the Tiger exhibit… and I was completely terrified to back myself up to the for fear I would be eaten. …I also remember drinking from the Lion waer fountain… of course this was after much discussion that it was not a real lion!  - Amy Fagan

 

 

Feel free to share your favorite Houston Zoo water fountain memory; they make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside- and folks I ain’t lyin’ about that!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo.

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Jul
18

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Seven

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s Monday morning and you know what that means! It’s Week 7 of photographic scavenger hunt, Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past six installments, just click here!

 

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your guesses below and return this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

 

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

 

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #7:

The Clues

1. I am a native to Texas, although I can be found all across the Southern United States including the Carolinas- plus Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming!

2. I am one of the newest additions to the Zoo, and I’m quite popular (or so I’m told)!

3. Despite being discovered in 1907 here in Texas, I couldn’t survive a minute of these hot Texas summers without air conditioning!

Psst- here’s freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

The Answer

That’s right, you guessed it! This is a tub of the world famous Blue Bell Ice Cream that is now being served in the Herzstein Trading Post in The African Forest!

Mmmmmm...lookin' tasty!

For those of you who don’t know *gasp!* about the Texas delicacy known as Blue Bell Ice Cream, they are a creamery that started in Brenham, Texas. Check out this blog post, and find out how you win FREE Blue Bell Ice Cream at the Houston Zoo!

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo.

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Jul
11

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Six

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s Monday morning and you know what that means! Time for another Mystery Image Monday at the Houston Zoo! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past five installments, just click here!

 

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your guess in the comment section below! Then, you just have to come back this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

 

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #6

 

The Clues

1.  I’m located in the heart of the Zoo, which is just “vine” with me!

2. It can be very easy to miss me when visiting the Zoo- I am pretty well camouflaged by my surroundings of lush foliage!

3. I have several brothers and sisters that I share space with, and numerous cousins live just down the road!

Psst- here’s freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

The Answer

That’s right, you guessed it! This is a photo of the monkey topiaries located at the entrance to Wortham World of Primates!

Our Primate Topiaries- just monkeying around!

This area of the Zoo, referred to as the “heart” due to its central geographic location, features some of our most intelligent and entertaining Zoo creatures!

We have a diverse array of primate species represented in the Wortham World of Primates from swamp monkeys to exotic Cocquerel’s sifakas. Our lovable monkeys and apes comes from continents all around the world. In order to recreate their natural habitats as close as possible, we even feature several multiple species exhibits!

Did we mention that many of these species are so rare and endangered that they are part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP)? Or how about the fact that our guests have the opportunity to experience these wonderful creatures by walking along our winding boardwalk and arboreal tree house? Sounds pretty fun, huh? Come check it out- we can’t wait to see you!

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jul
04

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Five

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

Good morning- Happy 4th of July! What are your plans for the day? Whatever festivities you have planned, we have the perfect way to start them off: a special Patriotic Edition of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Remember, if you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past installments, just click here!

 

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your guesses below and return this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

 

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #5:

The Clues

1. I may have wings and feathers- but I’m not in either of the three aviary sections!

2. Speaking of wings, one of mine was broken before I came to the Houston Zoo. It’s okay though, now the Houston Zoo has given me a permanent home here- plus I get to teach children about conservation!

3. Conservation is very important to me! Around 45 years ago, there weren’t very many of my brothers and sisters left- so few that we were added to the endangered species list! Thankfully, we were helped out by legislation that banned certain harmful pesticides and many courageous conservation organizations. Now we are thriving!

The Answer

That’s right, you guessed it! This is a photo of Liberty, our Southern Bald Eagle who lives in the Children’s Zoo!

Liberty sure is one pretty Lady!

Bald Eagles are an amazing Conservation success story. For the majority of the 20th century, the Bald Eagle was under considerable threat due to harmful pesticides, loss of habitat and human interaction. Thanks largely to legislation banning the use of pesticides like DDT, the American Bald Eagle has made a remarkable rebound. Officially removed from the threatened and endangered species list in 2007, the Bald Eagle’s tale is certainly one of American pride and patriotic conservation. To take a peek at what you can do to help America’s threatened and endangered wildlife, check out our Wildlife Conservation page here at the Houston Zoo!

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays

at the Houston Zoo! Stay Safe Today- Happy 4th of July! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo!

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Jun
27

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Four

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s Monday morning and you know what that means! Time for another Mystery Image Monday at the Houston Zoo! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past installments, just click here!

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Post your guesses below and return this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

Are you ready? This week is a tricky one! Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #4:

The Clues

1. I’m the newest member of the Zoo family- I was born just last week!

2. You may not believe your eyes when you first catch a glimpse of me- or the rest of your senses for that matter!

3. I’m not one to brag- but I’ve heard guests say that I’m even better than those blue rays!

Good Luck Everyone! Make sure to post your guesses below, and check back this afternoon for the answers! Happy (Scavenger) Hunting!

Psst- here’s freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

The Answer:

That’s right, you guessed it! This photo was taken inside our brand new 4-D Experience and features the state of the arts seating that creates the movie magic!

The Houston Zoo's new 4-D Experience!

For those unfamiliar with 4-D movies, the technology is very cutting edge and results in a completely immersive experience for guest. The process involves combining digital projection, 3-D film and perfectly synchronized special effects in a thrilling new ways!

Our family-oriented films will be shown several times an hour, in the new 4-D Experience Theater located across from the Herzstein Trading Post in The African Forest. More information, including tickets, times and prices for our first two films (Planet Earth’s 4-D Experience: From Pole to Pole and Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure) can be found here. We hope you see- heard, smell and feel- one of these films on your next visit to the Zoo! See you soon!

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo!

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Jun
20

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Three

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

It’s that time of the again, folks- and we don’t mean the start of the workweek! Yup, today is the third edition of our weekly photographic scavenger hunt “Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo”! If you want to brush up on your sleuthing skills, or just want to check out what you’ve been missing in our past two installments, just click here!

The rules for the game are very easy: we are about to show you a portion of a photo- it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds. Your knowledge of the Zoo, partnered with the three clues that will follow the photo, will aid you in identifying the location and subject of the photo. Then, you just have to come back this afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm to find out if you were right!

Are you ready? Good, then let the (scavenger) hunt begin! We are proud to present…

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #3:

Can you guess who I am and where I live? Here are some clues to get you started!

The Clues

1. If guests are looking for close encounters with carnivores- they should probably visit me first!

2. Some guests worry about looking undignified crawling around- I tell them its perfectly natural!

3. Please do come visit me! I live across from the Rainforest Canopy and down the street from the Coral Reef.

Psst- here’s freebie hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

Good Luck Everyone! Come back this afternoon to check your answers! Happy (Scavenger) Hunting!

 

The Answer

That’s right, you guessed it! This photo was taken inside the acrylic Piranha Tunnel along the River’s Edge habitat in our Natural Encounters building. This tunnel- accessible to kids, young and old, offers a stunning underwater view of dozens of our shimmering Piranhas.

 

The River’s Edge habitat also includes the Discovery River, which allows guests to watch the freshwater ecosystem blend with saltwater as the river flows through the exhibit hall. This transformation from freshwater, to a brackish environment is perfect for one of our more unusual Zoo friends- the four-eyed fish!

 

But why stop at just the River’s Edge? There are seven different habitats to explore in our Natural Encounters building- each unique and awe inspiring in its own way. We have armadillos in our Dry Lands, a meerkat colony outside in the African Savanna, a Coral Reef teeming with life, and all sorts of other creatures in their natural habitats! We hope you stop on by on your next visit to the Zoo for this air-conditioned adventure of a lifetime!

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this second installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo!

 

 

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Jun
13

Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo: Week Two

Posted by in Contest,Scavenger Hunt

Alright folks, it’s time to break out your best British accents and Deerstalker hats, because this week we are continuing our summer-long photographic scavenger hunt, “Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo”.

If you’re just joining us- don’t worry, you’ve only missed one installment! Feel free to use last week’s post as a practice round to see how this scavenger hunt works!

Just to review: every Monday you’ll find a portion of a photo — it may be of an animal, a habitat, or some other point of interest found on Zoo grounds — posted here. Using the three clues given, can you guess what it is?  How about where it was taken?

So if you’re ready to take on this week’s challenge- post your answer in the comment section below! We will be updating the post between 3:00 and 4:00 pm this afternoon with the answer so make sure to check back and see if you were right! This is a change from last week’s Mystery Image Monday- but ya’ll uncovered that one out so fast that we just had to raise the bar!

With that being said, we are proud to present…

 

This Week’s Image, a.k.a #2:

 

The Clues

1. I like being outside. I like being indoors. May favorite, though? Doing both!

2. I can sometimes smell the tasty food served at the Cypress Circle Café.

3. If you don’t visit my home at the Houston Zoo- your trip may be ruined!

Psst- here’s bonus hint: all the photos are Chill Out-themed!

 

Good Luck Everyone! Come back this afternoon to check your answers! Happy (Scavenger) Hunting!

The Answer

That’s right, you guessed it! These decorative carving can be seen in the open-air portion of the Tropical Bird House, along the roof of some Rainforest Ruins. (How’s that for some alliteration!?) Located just alongside the Reflection Pool, the Tropical Bird House is one of our three habitat areas that is home to 800 specimens, belonging to approximately 250 different species.

Our Tropical Bird House is where you find many of our rare avian friends, like the Micronesian Kingfisher from the Western Pacific Marianas Islands. The subspecies from Guam is completely extinct in the wild, due to the accidental introduction of the Brown Tree Snake on the island, and survives only in captivity in a select number of zoos around the country.  The Houston Zoo belongs to the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for this kingfisher and has raised a number of these birds over the years.

The relaxing atmosphere in the Tropical Bird House combined with the cool air conditioning make this one fly place to visit during your next trip to the Zoo. Hope to see you soon!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this second installment of Mystery Image Mondays at the Houston Zoo! Come back next Monday, and every Monday throughout our TXU Energy presents Chill Out at the Houston!

 

 

 

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May
02

The African Forest Display at the Houston Visitor’s Center

Posted by in African Forest

Despite the space shuttle snub, we think Houston is a pretty great place to visit, and we aren’t the only ones who feel that way! Of course, the new African Forest at the Houston Zoo is one of the best parts of the city.

When Houston visitors need advice on where to go, they should stop by the Visitor’s Center downtown at the offices of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitor’s Center. In honor of the opening of The African Forest, we have created an eye-catching 3D display in the visitor’s center.

So when you have out of town guests, or if you want to explore the possibilities of your own “stay-cation”, swing by the visitor’s center to find out everything that Houston has to offer. And of course, come check out the new, award-winning African Forest here at the Houston Zoo.

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