Posts Tagged ‘Zoo’

Feb
02

Babirusa Day at the Houston Zoo

Posted by in Events,Holidays,Mammals,Zoo News

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.

 

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Feb
02

Big Cats Don’t Make Good Pets, Part 4

Posted by in Carnivores,Conservation,Endangered,Keepers,Mammals,Zoo News

A student at Texas A & M University at Galveston where she studies marine biology, Kaitlin McGraw interned at the Houston Zoo last summer.   “When I came to the Zoo, I heard stories about the animals, and where they came from,” said Kaitlin. “I was surprised to learn how many of the animals in the Zoo’s Carnivore Department came from private owners who had kept them as pets,” Kaitlin added.   “I wanted to do something to help people understand that keeping big cats as pets is not a good idea,” Kaitlin added. The result was a series of video presentations profiling the ‘rescued cats’ at the Houston Zoo and recounting their individual stories. The videos were produced using a Canon PowerShot camera and edited on the iMovie platform.   “In the future, I hope to work with an organization like the Houston Zoo, promoting conservation education or traveling to new locales, working with marine and wildlife sanctuaries,” said Kaitlin.

 

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Jan
27

Big Cats Don’t Make Good Pets, Part 3

Posted by in Carnivores,Keepers,Mammals,Zoo News

A student at Texas A & M University at Galveston where she studies marine biology, Kaitlin McGraw interned at the Houston Zoo last summer.

“When I came to the Zoo, I heard stories about the animals, and where they came from,” said Kaitlin. “I was surprised to learn how many of the animals in the Zoo’s Carnivore Department came from private owners who had kept them as pets,” Kaitlin added.

“I wanted to do something to help people understand that keeping big cats as pets is not a good idea,” Kaitlin added. The result was a series of video presentations profiling the ‘rescued cats’ at the Houston Zoo and recounting their individual stories. The videos were produced using a Canon PowerShot camera and edited on the iMovie platform.

“In the future, I hope to work with an organization like the Houston Zoo, promoting conservation education or traveling to new locales, working with marine and wildlife sanctuaries,” said Kaitlin.

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Jan
14

Big Cats Don’t Make Good Pets, Part 2

Posted by in Animal Info,Carnivores,Keepers,Mammals,Zoo News

A student at Texas A & M University at Galveston where she studies marine biology, Kaitlin McGraw interned at the Houston Zoo last summer.

“When I came to the Zoo, I heard stories about the animals, and where they came from,” said Kaitlin.  “I was surprised to learn how many of the animals in the Zoo’s Carnivore Department came from private owners who had kept them as pets,” Kaitlin added.
“I wanted to do something to help people understand that keeping big cats as pets is not a good idea,” Kaitlin added.  The result was a series of video presentations profiling the ‘rescued cats’ at the Houston Zoo and recounting their individual stories.  The videos were produced using a Canon PowerShot camera and edited on the iMovie platform.

“In the future, I hope to work with an organization like the Houston Zoo, promoting conservation education or traveling to new locales, working with marine and wildlife sanctuaries,” said Kaitlin.

 

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Jan
13

Houston Zoo Featured in The Biodiversity Project

Posted by in Photography,Zoo News

West Usambara two-horned chameleon (Kinyongia multituberculata)

National Geographic magazine contributing photographer Joel Sartore has been working on a personal initiative, the Biodiversity Project, which has taken him around the world to document a wide range of animals.

Over the last six years he has created a collection of striking images of nearly 1,800 species. In December, Joel visited the Houston Zoo and this month he will be visiting several AZA-accredited zoos in an attempt to add another 25 species to the collection.
Joel is journaling his adventures on the National Geographic Society’s blog. To see some of the photos he captured during his Houston Zoo visit last month visit http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions/field-test/sartore-biodiversity/dispatch-6

Joel uses an interesting technique to ensure that all species receive the same engaging treatment in his photos – he shoots the animals using either a black or white background. Using this method, creatures of all sizes are given equal weight – and hopefully equal consideration by viewers. The idea is to show people, through beautiful images, what is at stake in terms of species loss and to inspire people to care.

The Biodiversity Project began while photographing endangered species in the United States, resulting in a 2009 story in the National Geographic magazine and a book in 2010 entitled Rare: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species. Joel shared some of his adventures at AZA’s 2010 Annual Conference in Houston, Texas.

His down to earth writing style and sense of humor make for an informative and amusing read. Check out his blog every day to see what Joel is up to, and please share the link with your colleagues!

To see more pictures from the Biodiversity Project, visit Joel’s website (http://www.joelsartore.com/galleries/the-biodiversity-project/).

 

Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

 

Prevost's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) named "Walnut"

 

Damaraland mole rats (Cryptomys damarensis)

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Jan
12

Houston Zoo Welcomes Baby Bongo

Posted by in Babies,Hoofed Stock,Mammals,Zoo Births,Zoo News

Our new baby is Brody, born December 6, 2011. Brody weighed in at 18.3 kg (just over 40 pounds) at birth. He’s a big healthy boy with a good appetite as evidenced by his current weight 5 weeks later – 42 kg (just over 92 pounds).

Houston Zoo Welcomes new bongo calf "Brody"

Brody can be seen every day (weather permitting) on exhibit with his 3 year old mom Penelope. His favorite spot for resting and naps is in the front right hand corner of the exhibit.

Bongos are among the largest of the African forest antelope.

To the casual observer, all bongo calves look alike. But our keepers found a perfect way to tell them apart – they count the white stripes on their side. Bongo can have 10 to 14 white stripes on each side and each side can present a different configuration. For instance, Penelope has 11 stripes on each side.

So, you might ask – what’s a bongo? Well, a bongo is a type of antelope native to the lowlands and mountain forests of Kenya and western Africa. In the wild, bongos are shy and elusive but very social. In fact, bongos are the only forest antelope to form herds.

The Western or lowland bongo is classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the IUCN. The Eastern or mountain bongo is classified as endangered.

 

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Jan
05

Big Cats Don’t Make Good Pets

Posted by in Carnivores,Keepers,Mammals,Zoo News

Houston Zoo Intern’s Videos Tell the Real Stories

A student at Texas A & M University at Galveston where she studies marine biology, Kaitlin McGraw interned at the Houston Zoo last summer.

Through the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program, Kaitlin spent 8 weeks working with the Zoo’s carnivore staff.

Kaitlin has a special appreciation for predator species. “Ever since I was little I’ve loved animals and a special place in my heart has always been reserved for predators,” she said.

“When I came to the Zoo, I heard stories about the animals, and where they came from,” said Kaitlin. “I was surprised to learn how many of the animals in the Zoo’s Carnivore Department came from private owners who had kept them as pets,” Kaitlin added.

“I wanted to do something to help people understand that keeping big cats as pets is not a good idea,” Kaitlin added. The result was a series of video presentations profiling the ‘rescued cats’ at the Houston Zoo and recounting their individual stories. The videos were produced using a Canon PowerShot camera and edited on the iMovie platform.

“In the future, I hope to work with an organization like the Houston Zoo, promoting conservation education or traveling to new locales, working with marine and wildlife sanctuaries,” said Kaitlin.

Below is the first installment of Kaitlin’s videos featuring Houston Zoo big cats.  Stay tuned each week as we post a new video.

 

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Jan
04

Mangabeys Munching

Posted by in Primates

Mangabeys munching are a fun sight to see at the Houston Zoo. We have Red-capped mangabeys, native to central Africa; they are the most colorful of the mangabey species with a bright red “cap” on the top of their heads. These are very social animals that usually live in a harem, which consists of one male and several females and their offspring. These monkeys eat lots of fruits, nuts and leaves and occasionally bugs, small birds or lizards. When one member of the group finds a fruit or nut tree, they will alert the rest of the group where they are, so the entire group can have a snack too.

At the Houston Zoo, when the mangabeys see the keepers coming with their food, they will do a similar vocalization; we call it the “happy cackle” because they usually are excited about their food. In the wild, they usually cooperate and can sit together eating food peacefully, but in captivity, sometimes they aren’t too keen to share (especially the males – for some reason they think they should get all the good food! – sound familiar?), so keepers have to make sure to spread the food around as much as possible so that all group members get an equal share of the food and to prevent any “arguments”. Also, mothers will often share their food with their offspring, so they can learn what is good to eat and what isn’t.

Often keepers will hide some of the food, so the monkeys have to spend time finding their food, we call that foraging. In the wild, monkeys spend many hours foraging for food, so keepers try to recreate that in captivity. Sometimes the food can be hidden in pine bark, a paper bag, or in a cardboard box to name a few; it will be something different everyday.

 

When the mangabeys aren’t eating they are engaging in lots of social behaviors. When you visit the exhibit, you will most likely see them grooming
each other. Grooming isn’t just for removing dirt (and no, they don’t have fleas –those are just on dogs and cats) it is also very socially bonding. A subordinate animal will gain favors by grooming a more dominate animal. The mangabeys also have a strict social order and when one of the subordinate animals steps ‘over the line’ the dominate animal will have to discipline them; usually by way of chasing and screaming…you may have seen that too since it happens several times a day. Next time you are at the zoo, spend 15-20 minutes watching them; there’s a lot going on with the mangabeys…in addition to munching!

Written by Dena Strange, Houston Zoo Primate Supervisor

 

 

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Dec
26

12 Days of Grub: Day 12 – Twelve Flamingos Flocking

Posted by in Birds,Gift of Grub,Holidays

On the Twelfth Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Twelve Flamingos Flocking, Eleven Meerkats Mobbing, Ten Chimps a Chasing, Nine Fruit Bats Flying, Eight Giraffes a Galloping, Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

Chilean Flamingos Feeding at the Houston Zoo

 

Here at the Houston Zoo, one of the most beautiful sights is our large flock of Chilean Flamingos. These brightly-colored birds are social, vocal and highly interesting. Amazingly, the size of our flock is nothing compared to the spectacular gatherings these birds would naturally form in the wild; Chilean Flamingos are known to form flocks numbering into the thousands!

 

Flamingos have grooves along the edges of their beaks used for filtering small food items from the water

Without question, one of the most intriguing aspects of these unique birds is the way they feed. Flamingos have a specialized beak designed to help “filter” small plants and animals out of the water, which are then consumed and metabolized to create the striking pink coloration! Flamingos will take in a mouth full of water (along with whatever happens to be in the water), and then use their tongue to push all the water through special grooves on their beak. The result is a mouthful of food that these birds will then eat!

Here at the Houston Zoo, our flamingos are fed a variety of different pelleted diets (depending on the time of year and their current metabolic needs). These pellets are made to be nutritionally complete, which could easily help contribute to the fact that several of our flamingos are in their forties and fifties!  Our flamingos also receive krill, a small species of shrimp that is relished as a treat.

A large group of animals can prove to be ravenous; Chilean Flamingos are no exception. Our flock of birds readily eats through 50+ cups of pelleted diet per day. In addition, 5lbs of krill per week are consumed by our flamingos. When temperatures hit lows in the winter, these amounts are increased to keep up with the metabolic needs of these amazing birds.

Give the Gift of Grub by December 31 to help provide our flamingos and the rest of the Zoo’s 6,000 animal residents with all the tasty and nutritious grub they need to stay happy and healthy in the New Year! 

Thank you to TXU Energy for generously matching the first $25,000 in donations this year!

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Dec
23

12 Days of Grub: Day 11 – Eleven Meerkats Mobbing

Posted by in Gift of Grub,Holidays,Meerkats,Natural Encounters

On the Eleventh Day of Grub, your zoo gift will help to feed…Eleven Meerkats Mobbing, Ten Chimps a Chasing, Nine Fruit Bats Flying, Eight Giraffes a Galloping, Seven Snakes a Slithering, Six Mole-rats Mining, Five Golden Frogs, Four Calling Birds, Three Wild Dogs, Two Grizzly Bears, and Darwin the Cassowary! CLICK HERE to read them all!

One of the most popular exhibits at the Houston Zoo is our meerkat yard. Located just outside the entrance to the Carruth Natural Encounters building, the meerkats are fun to watch as they go about their lives. And if you need a break from walking, the benches are a great place to sit and watch them.

Meerkats are small, African mammals related to the mongoose. They live in groups called “mobs,” which can have up to 40 meerkats, but it is more common for a mob to have 10 to 15 individuals. There is an alpha pair which includes the dominate members of the mob responsible for reproduction. When there is a new litter, each meerkat contributes to caring for the young by helping to find food, digging new burrows, and even babysitting the new litter. Acting as a lookout, called sentry, is another important job for meerkats. A sentry helps to protect the colony by looking out for predators and will sound the alarm if any threat is present.

In the wild, a meerkat will eat mostly insects, but it will also catch and eat reptiles, birds and other small mammals. A mob will even work together to catch venomous snakes and other larger prey.  The meerkats at the Houston Zoo love spending their days digging new burrows, exploring their enrichment, play wrestling with each other and sunbathing on exhibit. The next time you’re at the Houston Zoo, take a few minutes to enjoy the antics of the meerkats. Our meerkat yard is definitely an exhibit that is fun to see again and again!

Written By Kamryn Suttinger

Help provide tasty and nutritious grub for the Zoo’s meerkat mob and the rest of our animal family this holiday season: Give the Gift of Grub!

Thank you to TXU Energy for generously matching the first $25,000 in donations this year.  Our mob says that’s an offer you can’t refuse!

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