Where the Wild Things are!

Where can you feed giraffes, watch elephants take a bath, and sneak past a sleeping lion? At the Houston Zoo! The Houston Zoo is home to 6000 animals on 55 acres located within Hermann Park. It all started in 1922 when a Bison named Earl was donated to the City of Houston by a traveling circus. The Zoo quickly expanded from there and today welcomes over 1.8 million visitors a year.

Flamingo enclosure; fun fact: flamingos depend on carotenoids for their pink color

Reflection pool near the main entrance of zoo leading to the world of the primates

Even with the weather being in the high 90's, the shade from the tree lined paths provided relief from the sun. At times, it felt like you were in a tropical lagoon or dense bamboo forest far away from a city.

Duck Lake with its namesake floating along

Mike's Memorial Garden next to Duck Lake

Take a ride on the Wildlife Carousel

An example of how to build your own bee nest box. Drill a variety of sized holes into untreated wood. Learn more here

Can you spy the Crowned Lemurs?

Bamboo lines the Paths in the World of Primates. New sprouts of Bamboo can grow 3-4 feet per week, reaching up to 20 ft in just 3 years.

This little Patas monkey just wanted a nap. Don't let him fool you. Patas are the fastest monkeys with speeds reaching 34mph!

The majestic Asian Elephant having a snack

Another type of Green Elephants lounging under the shade of live oak trees

Jonathan the Lion taking a nap. His roar can be heard up to 5 miles away.

Who is sleeping in his cave? The Speckled Bear! The Speckled Bear is the only Bear species from South America

The beautiful entrance to the new African forest 

Lanterns hang from trees in the Gorilla enclave

Enjoy paddle boats when you leave the Zoo at the McGovern Lake in Hermann Park

How can you say no to horses playing beautiful music in front of a hanging plant garden as you say goodbye? Band: The Charlie Horse

Keep Exploring!
xoxo,
The Bayou Botanist