Houston Zoo

Make That Elephant a Guinness!

Last Night: Negativland at Rice University

The Zoo Hunkers Down

Bungle in the Jungle

Beneath the pretty facade of the Houston Zoo lies a world where animals, and their keepers, are being shortchanged

The Houston Zoo's Got More Herpes Than A Motley Crue Groupies' Convention, PETA Says

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protested at the Houston Zoo Saturday, demanding that the zoo stop breeding elephants after the death of two-year-old Mac from the elephant herpesvirus.Hair Balls caught up with PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt at the protest. "PETA is appalled that yet anoth ... More >>

Houston Zoo Goes Ape Over Elephant-Abuse Claims

Turns out the Houston Zoo has plenty to say about In Defense of Animals naming it one of the "Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants." "The list is an annual effort by In Defense of Animals to draw attention to their narrow agenda - to remove elephants from zoos," zoo spokesman Brian Hill tells Hair Balls. "T ... More >>

Press Picks

Turns out the Houston Zoo has plenty to say about In Defense of Animals naming it one of the "Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants." "The list is an annual effort by In Defense of Animals to draw attention to their narrow agenda - to remove elephants from zoos," zoo spokesman Brian Hill tells Hair Balls. "T ... More >>

Press Picks

Turns out the Houston Zoo has plenty to say about In Defense of Animals naming it one of the "Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants." "The list is an annual effort by In Defense of Animals to draw attention to their narrow agenda - to remove elephants from zoos," zoo spokesman Brian Hill tells Hair Balls. "T ... More >>

Press Picks

Turns out the Houston Zoo has plenty to say about In Defense of Animals naming it one of the "Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants." "The list is an annual effort by In Defense of Animals to draw attention to their narrow agenda - to remove elephants from zoos," zoo spokesman Brian Hill tells Hair Balls. "T ... More >>

Houston Zoo: Wild for Love

Web exclusive!

Call of the Wild Lecture

Web exclusive!

Houston Zoo Free Admission Day

Start the New Year off with a freebie

Wild Winks Overnight

Web exclusive!

Walk on the Wild Side Tour

Web exclusive!

Museum District Day

Visit Houston’s temples of knowledge, speed-dating style

What's Up, Dog?

Visit Houston’s temples of knowledge, speed-dating style

Oh, You Animal

"Go Wild" with your honey at the Houston Zoo

A Fly Little Party

"Go Wild" with your honey at the Houston Zoo

Too Late, Baby

The zoo waited too long to feed at the trough

Image of the Week

Baby giraffe

Grass Routes

Spread your blanket and relax at these eight picnic spots

Best Place to Be Glad You're Alive

Spread your blanket and relax at these eight picnic spots

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Spread your blanket and relax at these eight picnic spots

Air Sic

In cargo holds or plane cabins, critters are taking more than flights of fancy

Target Free First Sunday: Surf's Up

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Death Of A Ladies' Man: R.I.P., Deano

Photo courtesy Houston ZooDeano, 26, with Cali, 5: That's what I love about these high school seals, man. I get older, they stay the same age. ​ The Animal God giveth, and the Animal God taketh away.Not long after the birth of the World's Cutest Giraffe, an old soul has left the Houston Zoo: Deano ... More >>

Get All Dressed Up

There's plenty of places to go this Halloween.

Get All Dressed Up

There's plenty of places to go this Halloween.

Get All Dressed Up

There's plenty of places to go this Halloween.

Get All Dressed Up

There's plenty of places to go this Halloween. Check out our updated listings.

"DINOSAURS! At the Houston Zoo"

Take a walk on the wild side

The Houston Zoo Cute-Off: Last Chance For First-Round Votes!!

The epic tournament of adorableness, also known as the Houston Zoo Cute-Off, is in full swing.Time is running out to cast your votes to see who makes it out of the first round.Will it be Hasani?Photos by Christopher Patronella, Jr.​

The Houston Zoo Cute-Off: The Final Four

The Final Four is here in the 2010 Houston Zoo Cute-Off, the cut-throat competition to determine just who is the cutest of all.Round two results were decisive, setting up a Final Four for the ages. It's1. Lou the tenrecPhotos by Christopher Patronella, Jr.​

Baylor The Baby Elephant: All Hail The Mighty Victor Of The Houston Zoo Cute-Off

The final match-up of the Houston Zoo Cute-Off, the comprehensive effort to find The One Cute to Rule Them All, was close. Very close. Votes coming in by comments and e-mail, though, showed what had been evident from the beginning: Baylor the baby elephant is just damn cute. So revel, citizens, in ... More >>

Leah White: The Houston Zoo Muse's Eight Favorite Animal Songs

See the video for "Beautiful Day" here.​Rocks Off does not have children, nor do we anticipate doing so anytime in the forseeable future. Frankly, the thought of being responsible for another living creature around the clock both terrifies and confounds us - just ask our cat, Neko. However, w ... More >>

Pizza, Beer and Pixie Sticks: Partying at the Houston Zoo

​Last Thursday, animal enthusiasts and party crashers alike crowded the Houston Zoo's Duck Pond for their Flock of Seagulls 80s themed party. Guests were encouraged to dress up in their craziest 80s attire and nibble on mini appetizers, Saint Arnold'S Beer and 42 Below Vodka drinks while the D ... More >>

Tupelo: New Baby Elephant To Challenge Baylor's Cuteness Crown

Courtesy Houston ZooTupelo says move over, Baylor​Mere months afte winning the epic Houston Zoo Cute-Off, Baylorthe baby elephant is seeing his reign challenged by the arrival of Tupelo, an equally cute -- and younger -- rival.Such us the hard life of the jungle. Or the zoo.Tupelo entered the wor ... More >>

Zoo Boo

Courtesy Houston ZooTupelo says move over, Baylor​Mere months afte winning the epic Houston Zoo Cute-Off, Baylorthe baby elephant is seeing his reign challenged by the arrival of Tupelo, an equally cute -- and younger -- rival.Such us the hard life of the jungle. Or the zoo.Tupelo entered the wor ... More >>

Feast with the Beasts at the Houston Zoo

​See the spread of gourmet food at the zoo in our slideshow. Over the past five years word must have spread that the Houston Zoo's annual "Feast with the Beasts" is one of the city's most unique and entertaining fundraisers ($95 regular admission, $150 VIP). Last Friday night, approximately 3 ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

Photo by Dennis J.This arrangement of lemons symbolizes the New Year. If you don't get how, you're just not hip enough, man.​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where our Christmas leftovers are starting to get a little ripe. The week or so leading up to Christmas this ... More >>

New Zoo Baby Sports One Heck of a Nose

Courtesy Houston ZooHe smells trouble​Nature has blessed the Houston Zoo with a new duiker, and nature has blessed that baby duiker with one hell of a nose. Komet was born December 12, but he's just making his public web debut now, partly because duikers don't really care for publicity.

Toby the Red Panda Digs His Valentine's Day Gift: A Guide to Help You Score, Too

By Houston Zoo​Now that's the kind of satisfied and excited look you want in the face of whoever gets your Valentine's Day gift this year. Toby, a red panda at the Houston Zoo, is allegedly enjoying some fruit here, but we think it looks more like a pair of sexy granny panties (Not an oxymoro ... More >>

The Miracle of Giraffe Birth: Video of Baby Giraffe Being Born from Houston Zoo

Is this how plush toys are born too, mommy?​As Don Henley once said, "There's a new kid in town" or, in this case, a calf in the form of a baby giraffe at the Houston Zoo. A couple years ago, everyone oohed and ahed over photos of another newborn giraffe at the zoo, but we wonder if your resp ... More >>

The Houston Zoo's 10 Cutest Baby-Animal Pictures

The Houston Zoo has a new calf, Sam, according to a tweet today. The Zoo is getting pretty efficient at spreading the news of cutie-wootie widdle baby animals, and who can blame them? We decided to comb the Zoo's Flickr page for 10 of the best zoo-baby pictures. 10. Cocquerel's sifaka This smells ... More >>

The Absolute Best "Baby Elephants In A Swimming Pool" Video Ever

We've only today come across this Houston Zoo video, but as the drought returns it's well worth a look. Baylor and Tupelo, the Zoo's baby elephants, have never looked cuter or funnier than in this clip. And we all know how cute Baylor can be: He swept the field in our Houston Zoo Cute-Off tournamen ... More >>

Plant Earth: From Pole to Pole

We've only today come across this Houston Zoo video, but as the drought returns it's well worth a look. Baylor and Tupelo, the Zoo's baby elephants, have never looked cuter or funnier than in this clip. And we all know how cute Baylor can be: He swept the field in our Houston Zoo Cute-Off tournamen ... More >>

2011 Call of the Wild Speaker Series: Dr. Colleen Begg

We've only today come across this Houston Zoo video, but as the drought returns it's well worth a look. Baylor and Tupelo, the Zoo's baby elephants, have never looked cuter or funnier than in this clip. And we all know how cute Baylor can be: He swept the field in our Houston Zoo Cute-Off tournamen ... More >>

Houston Zoo Boo

We've only today come across this Houston Zoo video, but as the drought returns it's well worth a look. Baylor and Tupelo, the Zoo's baby elephants, have never looked cuter or funnier than in this clip. And we all know how cute Baylor can be: He swept the field in our Houston Zoo Cute-Off tournamen ... More >>

The 6th Annual Feast with the Beasts at the Houston Zoo

Photos by Mai PhamFestive zoo-goers wearing "beastly" caps, all smiles in the VIP lounge​Check out all the tasty-looking dishes in out slideshow from Feast With The Beasts. For the last six years, the Houston Zoo has been home to an autumnal fundraiser and eating extravaganza cheekily referre ... More >>

ROCO: Peter and the Wolf at The Houston Zoo

Photos by Mai PhamFestive zoo-goers wearing "beastly" caps, all smiles in the VIP lounge​Check out all the tasty-looking dishes in out slideshow from Feast With The Beasts. For the last six years, the Houston Zoo has been home to an autumnal fundraiser and eating extravaganza cheekily referre ... More >>