Dante - Texas Longhorn
Many of you know Dante, one of our three Texas Longhorns, but did you know he is the recipient of a revolutionary breakthrough in veterinary medicine for treating Longhorns.
You will definitely want to read all about the incredible treatment the doctors at Texas A&M designed to save one of Dante's horns.
Click on the link below to learn about Dante's experience!
https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/dante/
Happy Capy!
Gotta love a happy Capy!
Do you know who I am?
Do you recognize this resident of our Zoo?
No? It is Samr, our Visayann Warty Pig and he is having a great time rooting. Aside from fruits, the pig’s favorite food includes roots, tubers, and bulbs which they can locate even several feet underground due to their excellent sense of smell. Their rooting, in turn, aerates the soil which is beneficial in regenerating the forests.
This pig with a rock star mohawk is indigenous to six of the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines.
The Visayan warty pig is critically endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. It is believed to be extinct in four of the islands in its original native range, with only small surviving populations in Negros and Pa.
Only the male pigs have warts! Good news for the lady pigs!
Captive Visayan warty pigs can live up 18 years.
This species is sociable, mostly living in small groups.
Hop aboard our train, The Hillcountry Express, to say hello to Samr.
Armadillo Fun
Who is ready for some Armadillo fun?
Obviously, one of our six-banded Armadillos loves playing in the dirt.
We have two six-banded Armadillos at our Zoo, Brooklyn and Piper.
They came to us from another facility that found it necessary to rehome them.
We love having them as part of our animal family.
Did you know?
Armadillos have a powerful sense of smell.
Armadillo burrows are integral to the survival of many other species. The burrows are at a constant temperature year-round so many other species utilize them when it is very hot or cold.
The six-banded Armadillo does not roll into a ball (only three-banded can) when feeling threatened. Instead it tucks the vulnerable parts of its body under its shell and flattens out.
Six-banded Armadillos can also jump high and are quick to scare predators.
Brooklyn and Piper are located in the lower area of our Zoo in our Ellen Proctor habitat. They are nocturnal, but you might see them during the day.
Tune in tomorrow to find out the name of this adorable Armadillo!
Ferret Fun
Enrichment for our animals is vital for their well being!
Scotti and Dizzy, our Ferrets, two of our Education Animal Ambassadors love playing in this enrichment item.
Did you know, you can schedule an animal experience with an Animal Ambassador? Send an email to [email protected]!
Have a great evening everyone!!
Happy Capybara!
Capybaras love water! We have three at Austin Zoo. Diego, Enrique and Olivia.
Did you know?
* Standing close to 2 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 150 pounds, capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) are the largest rodents in the world.
* Capybaras have partially webbed feet, making them great swimmers.
* Capybaras have two long, front teeth, and like other rodents, these teeth never stop growing.
* Capybaras are a vegetarian mammal species.
* In order to get the most nutrition out of every meal, capybaras are autocoprophagous, meaning they eat their own feces. 😱
* Sometimes referred to as "nature's ottoman," capybaras have developed a reputation as being a nice place to take a load off.
Come and see us and our Capybara!
Happy Birthday Jazzy!
Jazzy was so excited about his birthday party, thank you to our Education Department for making his day so special.
Jazzy, 13 years old!
Jazzy is one of our Education Ambassadors. Click on the link below to learn all that our Education Department has to offer.
https://austinzoo.org/education-programs/
Have a great rest of your day everyone!
Wilbur our Bare-eyed Cockatoo has important news he wants to share!
Beat the Heat! Come see us early!
New Zoo hours! Beginning tomorrow, we will be opening every day at 9:00am.
Monday - Friday hours:
9:00am - 4:00pm, admission will close at 3:00pm.
Saturday hours: 9:00am - 6:00pm, admission closes at 5:00pm.
Sunday hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm, admission closes at 4:00pm.
New train hours!
Monday - Friday, the first train will depart at 10:30am, the last train of the day will leave the station at 3:00pm.
Saturday & Sunday :
10:30am - 4:00pm.
Nothing like a snack to get your morning started off right! Olivia, one of our Capybaras is certainly enjoying hers!
Our Capys are located adjacent to our Picnic Grove. Come see us and them today, we are open until 5:00pm.
Have a great day everyone!
You remember Jazzy our African Grey Parrot don't you?
Jazzy is one of our Austin Zoo Animal Ambassadors. Our Education Manager has been working with Jazzy to enhance his education.
Did you know you can schedule an animal experience with one of our Animal Ambassadors? Email [email protected] to find out all about meeting Jazzy or one of our other Animal Ambassadors.
Thinking of coming to the Zoo soon? We encourage you to arrive in the morning hours when our animals are most active.
Have a great day everyone!
If you ever wonder if we provide enrichment for our animals, check out our video with Jazzy, an African Grey.
Our Education Manager, Hope, works with Jazzy and other animal ambassadors to encourage interaction and also to stimulate their mental capabilities. Our animals' mental well-being is as important as their physical well-being.
Jazzy loves learning new sounds!
Did you know, you can schedule your very own private animal experience?
Email: [email protected] to learn all about it!
Korben really enjoys his lunch prepared by our Animal Care staff.
On the menu.....oranges, apples, berries, melons, pineapples, celery, corn, peppers, broccoli crowns, carrots, nutritional biscuits designed especially for bears and a variety of protein sources. Yum, yum!
Visit our Zoo next Wednesday and check out our Zookeeper Bear Talk at 11:30. Lots of fun and you will learn all about Korben, Tilly and Ruby and fun facts about North American Black Bears.
Stay warm and safe today everyone!
Our Education Manager has the most fun working with our Education animals!
She has been working with Jazzy, one of our African Greys. Jazzy is a new addition to our animal family, you recently met Jazzy in a recent FaceBook post.
Enrichment is an integral part of our animals well being. African Grey's are exceptionally intelligent, mental stimulation is critical for them.
Did you know you can schedule an animal experience? Please reach out to our Education Department at [email protected]. to find out all about the program.
Have a great evening everyone!!
Wondering if our Blue and Gold Macaw finally got that Christmas present open?
Well...........just couldn't get it open fast enough!
Happy Holidays!
Occasionally we trim trees around the Zoo and we know many of our animals love to play with the branches, even our Longhorns.
Check out our video of Dante playing with oak branches!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!!
All of us could use a smile these days! We hope our video of Dizzy and Scotti, two of our animal ambassadors, brings a smile to your face.
Of course, you know Dizzy and Scotti are Ferrets, but did you know.......
Ferrets are the most amazing little animals!
Ferrets love to sleep. They usually doze off for 14-18 hours in a day. If only humans could do this too.
The Latin name for Ferrets which is Mustelaputoriusfuro means “smelly little thief” which is quite appropriate. By nature, they are hoarders and love to steal things and hide them in secret places.
Ferrets have a reputation to be stinky and smelly. They have a distinctive musky odor which comes from their skin glands.
Ferrets have no inherent fear of humans and are considered very gregarious and social animals. They can learn tricks if trained properly.
One day you may have an opportunity to meet Scotti and Dizzy. Right now we have to be extremely careful with them, they are susceptible to the corona virus!
Have a great day everyone!
Get to know.........Dany! Dany is a member of our Education Department's Animal Ambassadors crew! Dany, short for Daenerys, (for those of you who know Game of Thrones you will recognize her name). Dany is a Chinchilla! We have another Chinchilla, Daphne, also an Animal Ambassador.
Dany is enjoying a rosehip this morning!
Everyone agrees Chinchillas are adorable, but did you know.....
Chinchillas are nocturnal.
Although chinchillas have eyes, they see best with their whiskers, which can be as long as their bodies.
Baby chinchillas are called kits, and they can be born in litters of up to six.
A group of Chinchillas is commonly referred to as a herd, but can also be called a colony.
Chinchillas have the thickest fur of any land animal, approximately 20,000 hairs per square inch. Wow!! Super soft!
Dany and Daphne were both privately owned and surrendered to us.
If you would like to meet Dany, send an email to: [email protected]
It's World Hedgehog Day!
In addition to World Ostrich Day, it is also World Hedgehog Day! These cute, cuddly, small mammals, well, maybe not so cuddly due to the fact that they are covered with dense spines on their backs, have become popular as pets. Hedgehogs have not been domesticated, they are wild animals and really don't make good pets.
The hedgehog was named because of its peculiar foraging methods. These animals root through hedges and other undergrowth in search of the small creatures that compose the bulk of their diet—insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes. As a hedgehog picks its way through the hedges it emits piglike grunts—thus, the hedgehog.
If attacked they will curl into a prickly and unappetizing ball that deters most predators. They usually sleep in this position during the day and awaken to search for food at night.
Did you know, baby hedgehogs are called hoglets? Totally adorable!
Whitten, our Hedgehog, loves being outside to explore!
Today is World Ostrich Day!
We think today is super special around our Zoo, because it is World Ostrich Day. Scott, our Director of Animal Care and Veterinary Services, shares lots of fun info about Ostriches. Enjoy!
International Raccoon Appreciation Day
Today is International Raccoon Appreciation Day! We love our one and only raccoon, Honey! These little masked bandits are amazing animals. Did you know, raccoons actually "see" with their hands as well as their eyes? Compared with most mammals, raccoons have four to five times more sensory cells in their paws, with 5 digits on each paw. This sense of touch comes in quite handy when hunting at night. You have to love that little masked face!
