Gladys Porter Zoo Gladys Porter Zoo News

Other 2023 News:

On January 27th, the zoo announced that they now have (1.1) chain catsharks in the aquatic nursery.

The aquarium nursery is currently housing a pair of juvenile chain cat sharks. They are currently about 6 inches long and spend their days resting at the... | By Gladys Porter Zoo - Facebook

On February 24th, the zoo announced that they acquired a (0.0.1) Aruba Island rattlesnake which is now on exhibit.

New on exhibit: the Aruba Island rattlesnake! There is estimated to be less than 250 of these snakes in the wild, making them critically endangered. #gpzoo #rattlesnake #reptiles #snake #endangeredspecies | Gladys Porter Zoo | Christian Davis · Snake Dance

On May 17th, the zoo announced that they started planting palm trees/doing other upgrades to almost every exhibit in the facility, starting with the southern cassowary exhibit.

The Palm Society of South Texas and the Zoo | The Gladys Porter Zoo and the Palm Society of South Texas are thrilled to be working together to enhance exhibits throughout the Zoo. The first project... | By Gladys Porter Zoo - Facebook

On May 24th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) western lowland gorilla named Penny passed away at age 36 on May 19th due to cardio-respiratory failure.

Gladys Porter Zoo
 
Don Farst, who was Director Emeritus of Gladys Porter Zoo, died last week at the age of 82. He began working for the zoo in 1970 and was named Zoo Director in 1974 and kept that position until 2007. His extraordinary length of time leading the zoo (33 years) saw many changes take place and a number of rare species bred.

Don Farst Obituary (1941 - 2023) - Medina, TX - Brownsville Herald
 
A baby orangutan has been born!

46 year old Dodie gave birth to her fourth infant on July 19th. The infant is a female and her sire is first time sire, 31 year old Mango.

Gladys Porter Zoo on Instagram: "We are thrilled to announce that Dodie, our 46-year-old Sumatran orangutan, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on July 19 at 3:00 a.m. Both mom and baby are doing well. Presently, they can be seen together on exhibit between 9:00 and 10:30 am. Their time outdoors will be gradually increased as the newborn adapts to outdoor temperatures. This is Dodie’s fourth baby. She is an experienced and attentive mother so she easily transitioned into her new maternal duties. The father is Mango, a 31-year-old Sumatran orangutan who came to us on a breeding loan from the Rolling Hills Zoo in Salina, Kansas. Dodie is also the mother of Kade, an adolescent female, who presently resides here with Dodie, Mango and the new baby. The Gladys Porter Zoo has had a long history with orangutans. In its 52-year history, there have been 25 successful orangutan births. The Zoo was the first on record to perform a cesarean section on a great ape. The historic procedure was done on a female orangutan in 1970 by a local obstetrician and the late Don Farst, DVM, the Zoo’s previous veterinarian, and then, director. Sumatran orangutans are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Their largest threat is habitat loss due large-scale conversion of forest to palm oil plantations, commercial logging, and farming. : Gunter Helmholz"
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IndianRhino said:
A baby orangutan has been born!

46 year old Dodie gave birth to her fourth infant on July 19th. The infant is a female and her sire is first time sire, 31 year old Mango.
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I think this is also a record age for an orangutan to give birth. Dodie is only nine years younger than the oldest living orang (Puppe at Toronto Zoo) in the world!
 
 
Piece of 2023 News Not Mentioned:

On July 11th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) brush-tailed bettong to the Los Angeles Zoo in California.

https://lazoo.org/wp-content/upload...ion-Report-Animal-Transaction-August-2023.pdf

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On August 24th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) Galapagos tortoise hatched.

Who’s that Pokémon?! Take a wild guess... - Gladys Porter Zoo

On September 3rd, the zoo announced that they acquired a (0.0.1) Mexican west-coast rattlesnake which is now on exhibit in the herpetarium.

We have a new species on exhibit in the herpetarium! The Mexican West Coast rattlesnake is the second largest rattlesnake in the world, measuring up to 7... | By Gladys Porter Zoo | Facebook
 
On November 9th, it was reported that the zoo hosted a groundbreaking ceremony and started construction on a new zip line attraction called the "Soaring Eagle Zip Line" which will open in summer 2024. The zipline will launch the facility's 10-year plan which includes a new exhibit for African lions and an indoor dining cafe.

https://myrgv.com/local-news/2023/11/09/gladys-porter-zoo-breaks-ground-on-new-zip-line-attraction/

On November 27th, the zoo announced they opened new exhibits for dwarf hermit crab, giant red hermit crab, pointed seastar, striped hermit crab, horseshoe crab, orange seastar, and swimming crab (species(s') not specified) in the Aquarium building to the public.

Theres some new critters in the... - Gladys Porter Zoo
 
 
Evirapo said:
and also confirmed that over 7 zoos are keeping this species Happy #WorldPangolinDay! Here are some fun facts about our scaly friends. 1. Pangolins have long, sticky tongues that are great for eating insects.... | By Gladys Porter Zoo | Facebook
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Is that right? I was under the impression that around that many received them several years ago in that big import, but almost all of them (everyone besides GP and Brookfield, and maybe Columbus?) had since lost theirs. Surely there aren't still 7 facilities that have pangolins in the US.
 
biggest_dreamer said:
Is that right? I was under the impression that around that many received them several years ago in that big import, but almost all of them (everyone besides GP and Brookfield, and maybe Columbus?) had since lost theirs. Surely there aren't still 7 facilities that have pangolins in the US.
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I don’t know, My bet is some zoos that holding panglions privately.
 
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