Gladys Porter Zoo Gladys Porter Zoo News

Does anyone know anything about the zoo's off-site herd of bontebok/blesbok? In addition to the zoo's main location, they have USDA inspections for a H. Yturria Ranch in their name going back several years. The only species listed is bontebok/blesbok. The one big ranch I know of with that name is a hunting ranch that has beisa, scimitar-horned oryx, gemsbok, addax, gazelles, nyala, native species, etc.
 
Visited the zoo for the first time this week, while on a birding trip of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. I didn't have too much time to visit but greatly enjoyed it. Due to covid-19 the zoo now is only open on Friday afternoons and all day Saturday/Sunday.

First of all its got an amazing collection for its size (except for birds). Highlight species for me were harnessed bushbuck (saw 2,2), pileated gibbon, Peruvian spider monkey, northern greater galago, brown widow, Texas coral snake, and diamondback water snake (saw them in the wild the day before). They also have gaur (I saw 5) which are one of my favorite animals. :)

The exhibit are generally adequate bar a select few (lion, pygmy hippo, nocturnal house, bears). Many are not aesthetically pleasing although they serve there purpose. Sadly the winter storm last week seems to have killed off a lot of vegetation at the zoo, although I hope it recovers with the quickly rising temps.

The zoo has been described on here as stagnant in recent years, yet the zoo now seems to be moving forward on new and renovated exhibits. They just last year opened an excellent river otter exhibit in one of the former bear grottos. Next door they have a new mesh exhibit for Angolan colobus, linked via an aerial pathway to a holding building with 2 large dayrooms. The new exhibits in the South American section for capybara, capuchin, and southern screamer are high quality as well. Now the zoo is redeveloping the former sea lion exhibit and amphitheater for its African wild dogs. It's my prediction that this will allow an expansion of the tiny lion exhibit.

A few other updates (gonna use this map as a baseline. They have a newer map but it's not online).
  • The former bearded pig exhibit is now home to 2 warthog.
  • Didn't see white-tailed deer on my visit (this area is now the capybara/capuchin monkey exhibit).
  • Emu are no longer on display.
  • The red brocket deer exhibit now holds red-flanked duiker and kori bustard.
  • The Asian aviary is no longer a walkthrough and holds rhinoceros hornbill.
  • Dwarf caiman have been moved into a large new exhibit in the reptile house. This exhibit also holds caiman lizard and green iguana.
  • The small world petting zoo was closed due to covid.
 
nczoofan said:
Visited the zoo for the first time this week, while on a birding trip of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. I didn't have too much time to visit but greatly enjoyed it. Due to covid-19 the zoo now is only open on Friday afternoons and all day Saturday/Sunday.

First of all its got an amazing collection for its size (except for birds). Highlight species for me were harnessed bushbuck (saw 2,2), pileated gibbon, Peruvian spider monkey, northern greater galago, brown widow, Texas coral snake, and diamondback water snake (saw them in the wild the day before). They also have gaur (I saw 5) which are one of my favorite animals. :)

The exhibit are generally adequate bar a select few (lion, pygmy hippo, nocturnal house, bears). Many are not aesthetically pleasing although they serve there purpose. Sadly the winter storm last week seems to have killed off a lot of vegetation at the zoo, although I hope it recovers with the quickly rising temps.

The zoo has been described on here as stagnant in recent years, yet the zoo now seems to be moving forward on new and renovated exhibits. They just last year opened an excellent river otter exhibit in one of the former bear grottos. Next door they have a new mesh exhibit for Angolan colobus, linked via an aerial pathway to a holding building with 2 large dayrooms. The new exhibits in the South American section for capybara, capuchin, and southern screamer are high quality as well. Now the zoo is redeveloping the former sea lion exhibit and amphitheater for its African wild dogs. It's my prediction that this will allow an expansion of the tiny lion exhibit.

A few other updates (gonna use this map as a baseline. They have a newer map but it's not online).
  • The former bearded pig exhibit is now home to 2 warthog.
  • Didn't see white-tailed deer on my visit (this area is now the capybara/capuchin monkey exhibit).
  • Emu are no longer on display.
  • The red brocket deer exhibit now holds red-flanked duiker and kori bustard.
  • The Asian aviary is no longer a walkthrough and holds rhinoceros hornbill.
  • Dwarf caiman have been moved into a large new exhibit in the reptile house. This exhibit also holds caiman lizard and green iguana.
  • The small world petting zoo was closed due to covid.
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I'm glad to hear that there are new and upcoming updates. Interesting that the zoo is open so infrequently because of COVID, maybe it's because the Rio Grande Valley got hit especially hard. I'm hoping to do another visit in the summer and I'd like to get more photos than I did last time, to post here.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
I'm glad to hear that there are new and upcoming updates. Interesting that the zoo is open so infrequently because of COVID, maybe it's because the Rio Grande Valley got hit especially hard. I'm hoping to do another visit in the summer and I'd like to get more photos than I did last time, to post here.
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I can imagine those are the only days they traditionally made a profit. The zoo was pretty crowded when I visited on a Friday afternoon, which is good given how bad the zoos financial situation was last year. They did close for a long while last year due to as you said the RG valley was hit very hard. Was my first time in the region but I really enjoyed my time down there. Such as interesting culture and ecology compared to the rest of the state/country.
 
nczoofan said:
I can imagine those are the only days they traditionally made a profit. The zoo was pretty crowded when I visited on a Friday afternoon, which is good given how bad the zoos financial situation was last year. They did close for a long while last year due to as you said the RG valley was hit very hard. Was my first time in the region but I really enjoyed my time down there. Such as interesting culture and ecology compared to the rest of the state/country.
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I lived there up until I was about 12, I'm really hoping to move back. (if I wasn't terrible at job hunting I'd already be there lol) It's a very cool region, the ecology is great, there are nice beaches and marine life, and it's not an expensive area.

There's a birding festival there every year, it's a pretty big deal. It sounds like it's going to be in person this year and I'm hoping to attend.
 
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