Located in El Paso Texas, this 14 ha facility houses several animals representing more than 220 species, including critically endangered Amur leopard, and the Aruba rattlesnake.

Home to a new African and sea lion exhibits as well as several exotic animals from around the world the El Paso Zoo; an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums features several other attractions such as the African Star train and the Hunt Family Desert Spring.

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Interesting Facts About El Paso Zoo

• The El Paso Zoo houses animals in three major areas; Animals of Africa, Animals of Asia, and Animals of the Americas.

• First opened in 2010, Animals of Africa featured exhibits include animals such as the African lion, giraffe, grey crowned crane, Egyptian geese, ostrich, Cape teal, meerkat and zebra. Later that year the exhibit was further developed to house eight new antelopes, kudu and Thomson’s gazelles.

• The El Paso Zoo Animals of Asia houses animals native to the Asian region including, Asian elephants, Amur leopards, Malayan tigers, Prezwalski’s horses Siamang gibbons and Sumatran orangutans. The inner section of the Animals of Asia features the zoo’s Asian Forest which houses a variety of small mammals including a Burmese python, slow loris, the Prevost’s squirrel, as well as several bird species including the bleeding heart pigeon, pink pigeons, Bali myna, and hooded cranes.

• The zoo’s Animals of the Americas exhibit features many animals from the Americas including Mexican grey wolves, spider monkey, sea lion and the South American Pavilion.

• In November 2010, the El Paso Zoo led by a panel of experts as part of an effort to save the endangered species shipped a female Mexican gray wolf to Tenino, Washington, to be bred with a male wolf. It is estimated that there are no more than 40 Mexican grey wolves left in the wild.

• The current director of the El Paso Zoo and chief operating officer for the past nine years is Steve Marshall. Marshall who is in charge of overseeing the zoo’s operations including human resource, construction, collection of the zoo’s animals, education, as well as maintenance and horticulture was once the executive director of The Parks at Chehaw in Albany, Georgia as well as held the post of director of interpretation at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi and education curator at Alabama’s Birmingham Zoo.

• In 1965 Dr. Lea Hutchinson, VMD, MS, was appointed the post of El Paso Zoo’s veterinarian. Hutchinson served as the zoo’s veterinarian until 1987, when he was promoted to director.

• During his first tenure Hutchinson’s oversaw several improvements including the expansion of the animal collection to introduce species native to America and Asia. In addition to spearheading many of the zoo’s new and renovated exhibits, he is also responsible for the zoo’s participation in the Species Survival Plan, the American Aviary, Asian expansion, the historic ‘Paraje’ as well as its re-accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

• Hutchinson served as the zoo director until 1997, later returning from retirement in 2004 to serve as the zoo’s interim director, a post he held until 2006. In 2008 Hutchinson was awarded the zoo’s first honorary director emeritus for his outstanding service and dedication. As director emeritus, Hutchinson presided over the construction of the zoo’s African Savannah exhibit featuring the giraffes, lions and zebras, completed in 2012.

El Paso Zoo Webcams

El Paso Zoo Giraffe Webcam

Click on the link below and get up close and personal with El Paso Zoo’s three male giraffes, AJ, Bonsu and Juma. Watch as they enjoy their special treats feed by the zookeepers and visiting friends.

View Giraffe Feeding webcam.

El Paso Zoo Meerkats Webcam

Click on the link below and enjoy a virtual visit with El Paso Zoo’s resident meerkats.

View Live Meerkats web camera.

Zoo Camera Tags:

• meerkat webcam