The Houston Zoo has opened a new exhibit inspired by the Galápagos Islands, marking the final phase of its $150 million capital campaign.
The world’s first exhibit to focus on the archipelago’s unique animals and habitats is home to Humboldt penguins, California sea lions and giant tortoises.
“After years of planning and construction, we can now say that our Houston Zoo is home to the first major Galápagos Islands exhibit in any zoo,” said the zoo’s president and CEO Lee Ehmke.
“With this new exhibit, our more than two million annual guests will learn how our shared ocean connects us to species in the Galápagos, and how our conservation actions here in Houston will lead to healthier oceans worldwide.”
As above, the exhibit is the final phase in the Houston Zoo’s $150m transformation project, which launched in 2018.
Since then, the 55-acre zoo in Texas has created and enhanced various exhibits, facilities and spaces. These include a renovated orangutan exhibit and a new black bear exhibit.
Per a press release, the Galápagos archipelago off the coast of Ecuador features some of the world’s most endangered species.
Around 97 percent of its reptiles and land mammals, 80 percent of its land birds, and more than 30 percent of its plants are endemic, meaning they can only be found there.
Protecting giant tortoises
Using funds from admission and memberships, the Houston Zoo is partnering with several Galápagos-based conservation organisations to protect some of the species seen in the exhibit in the wild.
It has provided training and support for the Giant Tortoise Movement Ecology Program and Ecology Project International Galápagos, which helps Galapagueño teenagers to become Galápagos conservation leaders.
Additionally, it provides funding and support for the monitoring of satellite-tagged giant tortoises, and the zoo’s staff have taken part in giant tortoise field studies.
For many years, the zoo has provided local conservation professionals with giant tortoise health training in the Galápagos Islands.
Images: Houston Zoo
