Houston Zoo Houston Zoo Master Plan Speculation

[TheImmigrant1]

Ever since I discovered Houston Zoo's Master Plan, https://s28164.pcdn.co/files/Strat_Plan_Book_MF_3.20.20_Web.pdf I have been obsessed with looking at it and speculating what the zoo could look like in the future. So in anticipation for my visit to the Houston Zoo's Galapagos Islands, I thought it would be a fun little brainstorming activity to show all of you my speculations for what I believe the Houston Zoo's Master Plan to look like.
This will be a mix of staying realistic but with a little bit of wishful thinking.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Let's start with what we already know: Entrance and Galapagos Islands
The Houston Zoo's opening act will be the much-anticipated Galapagos Islands. The picture above is quite outdated (doesn't even include penguins, and still has the Kipp Aquarium) but I am using it because it also shows what the zoo plans to do with the old sea lion enclosure. It will be completely destroyed and replaced with a plaza which will overlook the reflection pool and will be full of guest services and amenities such as food, drinks, stroller rentals, and family photographs. Additional shading also seems to be planned which will definitely help many people deal with the Houston heat. Not much else to add about this as the Galapagos Islands plans have stayed relatively consistent and I cannot wait for all of you to see it when I come back from my visit tomorrow.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

South America's Pantanal

Replacing a lackluster row of square hoof stock yards is the gorgeous South America's Pantanal. Being a quite recent addition, I also don't have much to say about it besides praise. Of course, it's a shame that a bunch of planned species didn't make it. Squirrel monkeys were probably a space/time constraint issue, Giant Armadillos are impossible to find in captivity worldwide let alone the US, Black Caiman had their area taken by the Whooping Cranes, and Maned Wolves were just entirely phased out. Despite all this, the Pantanal remains my absolute favorite part of the zoo, and I am so happy to see such excellent South American representation, an area that most zoos fail to display in such a way. Perhaps one day the grove used for animatronics will be repurposed as an addition to the Pantanal, but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Texas Wetlands

The Texas Wetlands was a brilliant reimagining of the old duck pond. Being a self-contained ecosystem is something you rarely see, and it enhances what once was nothing but a boring restaurant despite the small species list. This is definitely the exhibit that stayed closest to its concept art being almost a direct translation. Besides the waterplay area themed around the wetlands which we can do without honestly, especially since the pandemic hit just a year or so after the wetlands were completed. So, as big as that old waterplay area was for my childhood and all the fond memories I have of it, the zoo doesn't really need one.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Birds of the World and Ancient Relatives

Ancient Relatives along with the upcoming Birds of the World Garden is easily the most inconsistent and confusing of the Master Plan's expansions. This version depicts a large building akin to the old Tropical Bird House that would house small birds and reptiles inside, with outdoor enclosures for larger birds and reptiles, and a bird garden right above the Galapagos Islands.
Recently with the new announcements of the start of construction for this Bird Garden, it obvious there's been some changes.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Thanks to fellow zoochatter ZooUnk we not only got a sneak peek at the species who will be part of this Bird Garden, but also an updated map of where it will be located. In this new map, we can see the new updated flamingo exhibit on the left alongside two new mixed species aviaries, one of which has been confirmed to be an African one. As well as a backstage building which I assume to be a hatchery/nursery for both bird and reptile eggs. The thing about this new map though is that the space designated for the original Ancient Relatives building has been cut by half, replaced by the two new outdoor aviaries, so it will end up much smaller than originally intended. Despite this though, I am still very much looking forward to this new bird garden as Houston's avian collection is sorely lacking after the closing of both of their bird gardens and the Tropical Bird House, so it's about time birds come back to Houston in a state-of-the-art enclosure. If everything remains the same as the concept art, the African aviary will house Grey Crowned Cranes, African Pygmy Goose, Multiple species of Vulture, and what I assume to be Blue Breasted Rollers. The second smaller one I've labeled as Asian Aviary, which I believe is the most likely possibility. A South American Aviary would be kind of pointless with the Pantanal right there, same with a North American one with the Whooping Cranes so close by. I feel as though this prediction isn't too crazy and would probably house Peafowl, pheasants, and other Asian birds, but it could also end up being a Cassowary enclosure, a species I saw labeled in the background of the Galapagos Islands concept art.
As for Ancient Relatives, I do believe the building will still be happening, in fact I believe it'll be next thing done after the Bird Garden. This would not only finish off the area but also clear out the old Reptile House in order to be destroyed, leaving the space open for the Elephant enclosure to expand. Seeing as many birds and reptiles are being exhibited outside of their respective areas now such as the anaconda, and aviaries of the Pantanal, therefore cutting down the total number of species in the Ancient Relatives building it should be easy to fit them all nicely into a building even if it is smaller than expected. What I do wonder though is if the previously planned outdoor exhibits for larger birds and reptiles are still happening, if so then I could see the second member of the tortoise trio the African Spurr Thighed Tortoise being exhibited as well as Saddle-Billed Storks, Red Crowned Cranes, Iguanas, and possibly even the Komodo Dragon if they don't end up in Asia.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Madagascar

Now we're at the part of this post that's entirely speculation as we have no further information about these areas besides the Master Plan itself. It seems as though Houston wanted an "Islands" theme for their opening exhibits as their current Carruth Natural Encounter will be renovated or replaced with a brand-new building showing off the diversity of the island of Madagascar. The Natural Encounters is a bit of mishmash of species with no real theme, you have an Asian river, a South American Jungle, an American Desert, a Coral Reef, and some Meerkats for good measure. The diversity is definitely charming but would be out of place is Houston's specialized area centered future. The concept shows outdoor exhibits with overpasses connecting them together obviously meant for lemurs. My prediction is that these will be for Sifaka Lemurs who will enjoy having a much larger area to explore as opposed to their boring cubed enclosure they currently have. As for the inside of the Madagascar building, I expect it to start with Madagascan Big Headed Turtles along with a few fish species in an open-air tank that holds a similar mix, after that you'd turn the corner and see the indoor habitat for Ring Tailed Lemurs, Crowned Lemurs, and the final member of the tortoise trio Radiated Tortoises. This enclosure can display these lemurs in a more natural setting that will more closely resemble their spiny forest homes rather than a tropical jungle. The enclosure would stay relatively the same as it is now besides the visual change, featuring many climbing opportunities for the lemurs above a little creek all the way at the bottom where the rising stars of the zoo the Pickles family of Radiated Tortoises would live. Of course, an outdoor area for the lemurs would be nice but it isn't necessary. Up next, the Asian Small Clawed Otter habitat should be remade for the apex predator of the island, the Fossa. This enclosure would be densely decorated with plant life, giving the fossa plenty of hiding spots to practice its stealth, plus having them right across from the lemurs would be an awesome predator and prey display. Now, this sounds extremely similar to the Bronx Zoo's own Madagascar House, and it'll be hard for Houston to compete with that marvelous exhibit, but one way I feel they could do so is by including the elusive Aye-Aye in their collection. The dark corner of the building which previously contained bats and now Brazilian Porcupines would be perfect for this creepy cryptid and potentially having this species here in Houston would be a dream come true. Speaking of bats though, the Master Plan explicitly lists them as being planned for the exhibit, all we need to figure out is whether these will be free tailed bats or flying foxes. It is just speculation, but since free tailed bats will have their own cave in the Children's Zoo, I'm willing to bet the latter will be the case. Finally, the exhibit can finish off with small tanks for tomato frogs, giant hissing cockroaches, panther chameleons, giant day geckos, and possibly even tenrecs if we're lucky. Overall, despite being an easy to overlook and forgettable part of this Master Plan, Madagascar has the potential to give us so much more than we could ever expect out of it, and I just hope it lives up to these expectations to truly stand among other Madagascar exhibits. Now let's talk about this exhibit's next-door neighbors.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Asian Elephants

Not much to say on this one either as besides the extra space with the Reptile House gone, it will definitely be a nice expansion for this growing family. Afterall, who doesn't want to see baby elephants running around, the more space for these giants the better. The plan also shows off an expansion to their swimming pool which appears to be more of a creek or small river, possibly meant for the baby elephants to learn to swim before moving on to the larger pool. It also shows off what appears to be a new barn, and with the expectations of more elephants joining Houston's herd and their incredibly successful breeding program it's no wonder why they'd need more places for them to sleep. On my last visit to the zoo, I talked with a keeper who said that Teddy would be the last calf for a while, as to not crowd up the exhibit with elephants, so this expansion will not only give them more space but also allow for this breeding program to continue to prosper in the future once some of the herd members part ways to different facilities. Lastly, the zoo wants to give the elephants a more natural forested environment, this most likely just means more trees around the perimeter of the enclosure since trees and grass don't tend to last particularly long in elephant enclosures. Glad to see the biggest residents of the zoo moving up in the world, as I can't wait to see them shine as the biggest stars of the Asian Islands, and that brings me to.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Asian Islands

“Long-term, we have some possibilities for doing some Southeast Asian animal exhibits that link with programs that we have here. For instance, our elephant breeding program, which is probably the most successful in the country right now.

“Then there are some of the primates and other animals from Southeast Asia that we have here at the zoo. These are not currently in state-of-the-art immersion habitats or linked together physically into a single experience like the Pantanal. So there is a whole tropical Asian component that we’d like to look at.”
Both of these quotes come directly from Lee Ehmke in the aforementioned interview, which gives us the insight that the Asian Islands will be focusing on Southeast Asia. The whole exhibit will be replacing the Wortham World of Primates and is designed like a circle giving off the appearance that each enclosure is truly isolated from the rest hence the islands name. Starting from the top, the existing Orangutan exhibit will be the last remnant of what was once the World of Primates, I expect it to stay the exact same as it is now with maybe minor adjustments to the glass viewing area. Continuing on down we arrive at a modest in size enclosure with what appears to be a barn, the perfect area for the Babirusa. A species that was unfortunately phased out of Houston and will now be returning for zoo nerds to gawk at and for visitors to confuse for a regular pig. Up next is an exhibit that confuses me, the large water area tells me otters, but it is WAY too big to be for otters alone, the climbing frames tell me Red Panda, but they'd be out of place is a Southeast Asian exhibit (and frankly if they aren't staying in their enclosure at the Bug House, I believe Red Pandas will be phased out of Houston entirely), so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this will be an enclosure for one of the few new species this master plan will give us, a bear. Out of the Asian bears, we can rule out Pandas right away, they'd be expensive and out of place in this exhibit. That leaves us with the Sun Bear, or the Sloth Bear and I'd honestly be ecstatic to have either of them. Of course, I could be very wrong about this, but Houston is lacking in the bear department after losing both Andean and Grizzlies, so adding another bear besides the North American Black would be a welcome addition. Right in the middle of the whole area is an enclosure I believe will house gibbons, or siamangs. These animals are beloved by zoo guests for their endless energy and adorable appearances, a must have in the Asian Islands. Next is a little enclosure hidden in the corner with trees all over the place. What animal could live in such an area? Well, who else but the Clouded Leopard. At the moment their habitat is quite lackluster, they definitely got the short end of the stick when it comes to cats at the Houston Zoo, so they are definitely in store for an upgrade. A larger habitat where they can show off their climbing abilities to their full extent would be perfect for these cats. Finally, the main event (don't tell the elephants), finishing off strong with the Malayan Tiger, this exhibit is surrounded by rock walls hiding a large indoor shelter behind them, and is easily the largest in size of this batch, the ideal home for the largest big cat of all, the true king of the jungle. One last thing before moving on though, the zoo's master plan lists Small Clawed Otters as part of this area, yet I could not find any suitable in size enclosure with water in this map, and I doubt they'd just be thrown into a mixed exhibit with the bears or orangutan. I'd definitely still expect them to show up here once this expansion comes along.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Children's Zoo: Texas!

Focusing on native Texas farming and wildlife, the new Children's Zoo will be the North American area Houston has been lacking for so many years. Replacing the original Children's Zoo along with the old waterplay area is definitely a good idea in my book, if you look at Houston's current map the amount of empty and wasted space in this area is insane and I am so glad it is getting as much use of the space available as possible. Starting with what's staying the same, the Bug House which will receive no changes, what I am curious about though is the small indoor enclosure that's housed several kinds of animals in the past. From a wombat, to an aardvark, to a pair of ocelots, to now red pandas. I'm very unsure if the pandas will stay or if the enclosure will serve as a temporary home for rare animals like before. Moving on to the actual Texas area, starting off strong with UoH's mascots the Cougars, in a larger enclosure that seems to be divided in two and connected with an overpass similar to the zoo's existing Jaguar enclosure. Up ahead is a smaller habitat with a similar style so it being for a smaller cat like the Ocelot makes perfect sense to me. To the left of that is where the wishful thinking begins, a wooden bridge crosses over and separates two exhibits one is small a features a river and the larger one is a grassy meadow perfect for a large herbivore. This is where I believe bison will make their grand return to Houston. A bison named Earl was the first animal to arrive at the Houston Zoo 100 years ago, so this beautiful bovine is a historically important species to Houston. This hypothetical bison enclosure could pay homage to Earl the animal who started it all, I know its quite a reach but a man can dream. The little enclosure on the other side of the bridge could be for anything honestly but if I were to pick, I'd go with beavers. Up in the corner will be the new home for American Black Bears. Being larger than their current enclosure and having a pool to splash around in, these bears will be living good. This however, is why I believe Children's Zoo: Texas will be one of the last to expansions to be completed. The black bears just received an upgrade in 2018, so destroying their old habitat and moving them so soon would make that kinda pointless. Well anyways, after the bears we move on to several mesh enclosures in a row together and these could house any mix of prairie dog, burrowing owl, roadrunner, raccoon, porcupine, swift fox, desert tortoises, and black vulture.

Now, let's not forget about the other theme of this area: farming. That's why out of the whole petting zoo I believe the building at the top right will be a new barn with a goat yard. I feel as though the petting zoo is the one area of the original children's zoo that needs to stay based on its sheer popularity, when the zoo closed it down for the pandemic people were incredibly upset. It's a staple part of the zoo experience giving children a hands-on experience with an animal, so it can stay. After that we arrive at another grassy field divided by water and a bridge, and I'd say that this one would house White Tailed Deer along with Turkeys, a mix the zoo has previously had. Now we move on to the fan favorite North American River Otters which will be inhabiting the long and narrow enclosure in the top left corner with waters galore for them. This new otter habitat will be right next to a brand-new bat cave which will include Mexican Free Tailed Bats as well as several snakes, spiders, and amphibian species like Tiger Salamanders, Newts, and the native Houston Toad. Below this is what appears to be an amphitheater, most likely going to be used to show off ambassador animals to guests, such as porcupines, sloths, binturongs, and a hawk. Finally, is something that looks like I pulled it out of my ass, but the pdf. itself mentions stingrays to be planned for this area, and since the Galapagos Islands won't include a touch pool it's safe to assume the Children's Zoo will. Again, hands on experiences are some of the most memorable and impactful experiences a child can have at a zoo, so it's a perfect fit for a "Children's Zoo". The only thing I am rather dissapointed about is the fact that the there seems to be no plan to bring back the Mexican Grey Wolves, a species I think would be absolutely loved in the Houston Zoo. We need more canids after losing Maned Wolves, and only having African Wild Dogs left.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Africa

Now it's time for what I believe to be the last area that will be done of the Master Plan, which is a shame because it is probably the most popular and anticipated of them all. Africa is set to be completed in multiple waves, beginning back in 2010 wave 1 which gave us giraffes, ostriches, rhinos, and chimps, then wave 2 in 2015 with gorillas and red river hogs. After years of waiting for phase 3 (which never happened) we finally have an idea of what a finished Africa at Houston Zoo could look like. Starting from the right the existing Lion enclosure will stay generally the same only receiving minor changes to its barriers and viewing areas, plus it seems as though the underground lion viewing tunnel will sadly be retired. (Thank you for everything old friend) The new lion enclosure will apparently also include additional enclosures for hornbills and mongooses, I also believe that the small enclosure right above the lions will be for meerkats who will be able to see the lions from across the water. As the path continues you are led to a massive African styled lodge that will overlook a large savanna, but before that will be two enclosures right across from each other meant for the carnivore pair of Cheetah and African Wild Dog who both desperately need better enclosures than their current squares of mesh fence. If it were up to me, I'd actually swap the two species than how I have them listed. The African Wild Dogs would adore having a pool to splash around in and the Cheetahs having a mostly flat and very long exhibit for them to run in would allow them to show off their natural behaviors better, but the reason why I have them swapped is because the Master Plan indicates that the cheetahs will somehow have access to the giant mixed species savanna. Might just be a misunderstanding on my part, but if that is the case then I don't really know if I like the idea. I'm sure a predator and prey display with cheetahs and antelopes too big for them to hunt would be cool but I'd much rather just have them exhibited independently from each other. Speaking of this savanna though, this is one of the things I am most curious and excited about. Antelopes have become a rarity here in Houston, uncharacteristic for a zoo that has had several species throughout the years. Now they're down to only bongos, so seeing the return of species like Eland, Gerenuk, Nyala, Dorca's Gazelle, Speke's Gazelle, Kudu, and even new species like Sitatunga all in a large open savanna that you can overlook from a gigantic lodge would be an absolutely magical experience. This marvelous slice of Africa is also set to exhibit birds (possibly guinea fowl, marabou stork, ground hornbills, or even more grey crowned cranes), small mammals (I'm thinking warthogs), and my prediction is that Watusi cattle, wildebeest, and zebras will also be part of this savanna. Watusi cattle have been a staple species for the Houston Zoo for a while now, Wildebeest are a perfect fit for any African savanna, and zebras, despite their troublemaking reputation, are a fan favorite and iconic zoo species that Houston needs to keep. Of course, not all of these animals will be part of this enclosure, and some I might've missed could possibly be part of it, but what we can be sure of is that this enclosure will be a wonder to behold. Up next is another one of the most anticipated enclosures that I'm sure will be met with much fanfare, that being common hippos. Ever since the 80s, hippos have been beloved here in Houston and people still ask for them to this day. We may have had pygmy hippos as far back as 2002 and as recently as a few months ago (RIP Silas) but that still hasn't satisfied people's itch to see a huge hulking hippopotamus in its full glory. The master plan straight up confirms hippos first in a picture and then by listing them as part of Africa's wetland area alongside Shoebill storks!!! That's right! Shoebills are coming back to Houston baby! As cool as the South America's Pantanal's walkthrough aviary is, I can't help but still be heartbroken over losing this incredibly rare and beautiful bird, so having them return alongside hippos is sure to make a splash with both the general public and zoo nerds alike. Finally, we have a nice lush and forested habitat I assume will be for Okapi, a nice opening to prepare you for the African Forest.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

African Forest

Despite being almost a decade old, the African Forest still holds up as one of Houston's best and most immersive exhibits in the entire zoo. Their gorilla enclosure is one of the best in the country and provides a one-of-a-kind mix with Red River Hogs. The Great Ape Gallery gives guest a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet face to face with Great Apes. The only new addition here are two enclosures that are most likely meant for some species of African monkeys. As much as I'd like to see the return of Mandrills, its far more likely to be one of the African primates they already have such as Patas Monkeys, Allen's Swamp Monkeys, or De'Brazzas Monkeys.

Finally, there's the last of the African giants are the rhinos, giraffes, and ostriches. There should be no changes here as far as I know, maybe they'll add zebras to the giraffe enclosure again or some type of antelope in with the rhinos, but it isn't necessary at all, these enclosures are great as is.

And that is the end of my prediction for the Houston Zoo's Master Plan, this was a very fun brainstorming activity, and it only makes me more excited to see what Houston has in store for us in the future. The Galapagos Islands is only the beginning of this path to Houston becoming a "world class zoo". I look forward to seeing what you guys think about this little thread. Was I realistic? Was I too optimistic or wishful in my thinking? Please tell me what you guys think, see you guys at the Galapagos tomorrow!

 

[King of Komodo Dragons]

The Red Pandas should be permanent residents, they had their old enclosure made for them had to be demolished to expand the asian elephant, so they moved to the bug house, they recently welcomed a female for their male Take so I don't see any hint that the zoo plans to phase them out. I am excited to see what the zoo does next, but I worry as Natural Encounters and World of Primates has many cool species I don't want to the zoo to lose. I do hope the zoo adds a Australia section at some point and brings back Wombats, but I don't think the zoo has room for a new section.

(I knew the zoo wanted Giant Armadillo and was gutted when they didn't but I had no idea Black Caiman were in the plans too! that's a major gut punch)

 

[TheImmigrant1]

The Red Pandas should be permanent residents, they had their old enclosure made for them had to be demolished to expand the asian elephant, so they moved to the bug house, they recently welcomed a female for their male Take so I don't see any hint that the zoo plans to phase them out. I am excited to see what the zoo does next, but I worry as Natural Encounters and World of Primates has many cool species I don't want to the zoo to lose. I do hope the zoo adds a Australia section at some point and brings back Wombats, but I don't think the zoo has room for a new section.

(I knew the zoo wanted Giant Armadillo and was gutted when they didn't but I had no idea Black Caiman were in the plans too! that's a major gut punch)

Dude seriously, I love the Pantanal as is but squirrel monkeys! black caimán! AND GIANT ARMADILLOS. They would’ve made it a top ten zoo exhibit just like that.

I do think that if the red pandas were to stay they’d just be part of the Bug House permanently like you said. I just don’t see them fitting into the Asian Islands seeing just how specific to the Southeast Asia themed the area is. It’s not even a Baird’s Tapir in the Pantanal or Humboldt Penguin in the Galapagos situation either because there just isn’t any closely related animal the Red Pandas could substitute for.

I agree with you on the WWP and Natural Encounters as well. White Faced Saki, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Brazilian Porcupine, Naked Mole Rat, Electric Eel, Prevot’s Squirrel, Pygmy Marmoset, Goeldi’s Monkey, Cotton Top Tamarin, Red Tailed Monkey etc. and that’s not even naming others like the Pygmy Hippo and Bongo Antelope. It’s a shame most of them will probably be gone from the zoo once the Master Plan is completed due to their Quality over Quantity mindset. Lee Ehmke himself said that the zoo will probably end off with less species than they started with. I can see both the negative and positive sides of this but I am extremely confident Houston will not let us down.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

The Red Pandas should be permanent residents, they had their old enclosure made for them had to be demolished to expand the asian elephant, so they moved to the bug house, they recently welcomed a female for their male Take so I don't see any hint that the zoo plans to phase them out. I am excited to see what the zoo does next, but I worry as Natural Encounters and World of Primates has many cool species I don't want to the zoo to lose. I do hope the zoo adds a Australia section at some point and brings back Wombats, but I don't think the zoo has room for a new section.

(I knew the zoo wanted Giant Armadillo and was gutted when they didn't but I had no idea Black Caiman were in the plans too! that's a major gut punch)

I also agree with you on the Australia section man, the Houston heat would not bother these guys at all and if the zoo had just a few more acres I’m sure they’d be able to squeeze in some Aussie representation. Kangaroos, Koalas, Emus, Wombats, Wallabies, maybe even Dingos and Tasmanian Devils. The only hope we have for some Australian representatives are reptiles, and maybe some birds like kookaburras and hopefully cassowary.

 

[King of Komodo Dragons]

Dude seriously, I love the Pantanal as is but squirrel monkeys! black caimán! AND GIANT ARMADILLOS. They would’ve made it a top ten zoo exhibit just like that.

I do think that if the red pandas were to stay they’d just be part of the Bug House permanently like you said. I just don’t see them fitting into the Asian Islands seeing just how specific to the Southeast Asia themed the area is. It’s not even a Baird’s Tapir in the Pantanal or Humboldt Penguin in the Galapagos situation either because there just isn’t any closely related animal the Red Pandas could substitute for.

I agree with you on the WWP and Natural Encounters as well. White Faced Saki, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Brazilian Porcupine, Naked Mole Rat, Electric Eel, Prevot’s Squirrel, Pygmy Marmoset, Goeldi’s Monkey, Cotton Top Tamarin, Red Tailed Monkey etc. and that’s not even naming others like the Pygmy Hippo and Bongo Antelope. It’s a shame most of them will probably be gone from the zoo once the Master Plan is completed due to their Quality over Quantity mindset. Lee Ehmke himself said that the zoo will probably end off with less species than they started with. I can see both the negative and positive sides of this but I am extremely confident Houston will not let us down.

One species I hope they find room for in Africa phase 3 are the Banded Mongoose currently in the children's zoo, which is destined to become Texas themed.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

One species I hope they find room for in Africa phase 3 are the Banded Mongoose currently in the children's zoo, which is destined to become Texas themed.

I definitely think they’ll stick around, the zoos master plan mentions there being enclosures for hornbills, and mongooses whenever they get around to upgrading the lion exhibit.

 

[TexasZooMan]

This master plan looks great! I’ve visited the Galapagos twice and can’t get enough of it.

 

[TexasZooMan]

Just a few things I would like to see within this master plan
- I would love to see a touch pool of some kind within the Galapagos section eventually. There’s plenty of empty space in multiple rooms for one.
- An Asian Islands section is sure to eventually replace the world of primates, but with this (and a potential Madagascar section) you are moving lots of cats from the big cats section (tigers, fossa’s, clouded leopard) so I’m curious as to see what could be done there (Australia??)
- Within the Asia section, I think moving the red panda & otters is good, but I’d also like to see sloth bears. Houston has been lacking on bears since the death of their grizzlies, and this is a perfect spot to add a new species.
- Australia could fit perfect where the big cats used to be. I’d love to see Houston bring home wombats, as they used to be in the zoo for a period of time. Tasmanian devils would also be a good fit!
- Now confirmed is the new birds of the world area, but I’m not sure if it’s still the ancient relatives concept, but I’d love to see Houston also return the shoebill stork. Plenty of room for it
- The children’s zoo is already set up to be Texas themed, so I’m sure that is up pretty soon here. The boat with pelicans could serve as a Galveston section, and the caves and rocks could serve as west Texas, while the hoof stock/current otter, bobcat, turkey, and eagle could represent east Texas.
- Lastly, I think Houston is desperately in need of a new reptile set up. Whether that is a whole new reptile house, or just sprinkled in each section, it should be pretty high on their list. Maybe even a large crocodilian in the Australia section or new African section.

 

[TheImmigrant1]

Just a few things I would like to see within this master plan
- I would love to see a touch pool of some kind within the Galapagos section eventually. There’s plenty of empty space in multiple rooms for one.
- An Asian Islands section is sure to eventually replace the world of primates, but with this (and a potential Madagascar section) you are moving lots of cats from the big cats section (tigers, fossa’s, clouded leopard) so I’m curious as to see what could be done there (Australia??)
- Within the Asia section, I think moving the red panda & otters is good, but I’d also like to see sloth bears. Houston has been lacking on bears since the death of their grizzlies, and this is a perfect spot to add a new species.
- Australia could fit perfect where the big cats used to be. I’d love to see Houston bring home wombats, as they used to be in the zoo for a period of time. Tasmanian devils would also be a good fit!
- Now confirmed is the new birds of the world area, but I’m not sure if it’s still the ancient relatives concept, but I’d love to see Houston also return the shoebill stork. Plenty of room for it
- The children’s zoo is already set up to be Texas themed, so I’m sure that is up pretty soon here. The boat with pelicans could serve as a Galveston section, and the caves and rocks could serve as west Texas, while the hoof stock/current otter, bobcat, turkey, and eagle could represent east Texas.
- Lastly, I think Houston is desperately in need of a new reptile set up. Whether that is a whole new reptile house, or just sprinkled in each section, it should be pretty high on their list. Maybe even a large crocodilian in the Australia section or new African section.

Honestly everything you recommended is best case scenario and would be a dream come true in my eyes. Unfortunately it seems as though the new Asian islands area wouldn’t just replace the World or Primates but also half of of the Big Cat/Carnivore area (Vultures/Cougars/Tigers) meanwhile Africa would take up the other half (Komodo Dragons/Black Bears/Small Cats) with an area for backstage keeper buildings as well. Leaving Houston Zoo with no real space for an Australian area despite the demand for it and how perfect Houston’s weather would be for Aussie animals.
If it somehow were to happen though, kangaroos, emus, wombats, koalas, and perhaps even dingoes and Tasmanian devils would fit right in. If only Houston had just a few extra acres for them.
I’m also very surprised about the lack of a touch pool in the Galápagos Islands, one in the Submerged Worlds area with the Sally Lightfoots would’ve fit right in.
I’m still fairly hopeful about ancient relatives coming to fruition, it seems like Houston is taking care of the outdoor bird Garden before the main Reptile/Bird house for now but I’m sure we’ll see their outdated Reptile house see itself out for a new area where the flamingo terrace currently is. This shouldn’t be too hard even with the small room seeing as Houston already displays birds and reptiles in other areas.
As for shoebills, the master plan has them but not in Birds of the World. We’re gonna have to wait until they get around to Africa again to get these birds back in Houston sadly.
Despite already being Texas themed like you mentioned I would still love to see the Children’s Zoo completely redone, especially if it would mean getting species like the Bison and Mexican Wolf back in Houston.
Finally, large crocodilians. Houston originally planned for Nile Crocodiles to be part of phase 3 of the African Forest. So let’s hope they still make their way into Africa once Houston gets around to that. The alligators in the Texas Wetlands are nice, but not enough. We need big crocs in this house.