In subsequent years, Orangutan Island was enlarged, the Herpetarium was expanded with a new aquatic wing, and many other exhibits as well as facilities such as the gift shop, offices, and concession stands were remodeled or added. The zoo also received accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1978. Although only four classes were taught that summer, the program has expanded over the years and now includes classes in the spring and fall as well as summer.
#Stingrays gladys porter zoo trial
In 1978, the zoo launched its summer study programs on a trial basis with classes for children in grades 1 through 12. The naturalistic exhibits at the zoo won the 1979 Texas Building Branch of Associated General Contractors Outstanding Construction Award. The zoo published the first issue of its Zoo News (its official newsletter and now a quarterly publication) in January 1972. The zoo has been the single largest recipient from the foundation funds established by Sams. The first addition to its exhibits was the Herpetarium, which opened in April 1973. Sams Foundation to the City of Brownsville. The zoo was planned, built, stocked, and given by the Earl C. After its opening, the zoo was given to the city of Brownsville. Porter, a wildlife enthusiast, helped to plan and stock the zoo, which was entirely funded by the Earl C. The zoo is named after Gladys Porter, the daughter of Earl C. It is also the birthplace of Harambe, the gorilla. It is the first zoo to have successfully bred the endangered Jentink's duiker (although none are currently in captivity in the US). Situated on 31 acres (13 ha), the zoo houses about 400 animal species (including 47 endangered species) and over 250 tropical and neo-tropical species and subspecies. The zoo officially opened on September 3, 1971, and currently averages over 424,000 visitors annually. Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas, United States. In South Texas the weather is hot and sunny most of the year, so don’t forget the sunscreen! We visited in November and the temperature was still in the high 80’s during the afternoon. Gladys Porter is a relatively compact zoo, but you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes because you can do a lot of walking to see all of the exhibit areas. Overall, Gladys Porter Zoo is definitely worth a visit! At 26 acres, She was helpful in pointing visitors to areas of the zoo with rare, endangered animals or other animals of special interest. Our docent didn’t seem especially knowledgeable, but she was very pleasant, said “cool” a lot and the younger kids on the train seemed to enjoy her talk. The 45 minute ride is well worth the small extra fee ($2 for adults $1 for children), but I’d recommend riding it at the beginning of a visit to GPZ to get an overview of the zoo layout, rather than at the end.
We rode the zoo train at the end of our visit (to cool off and rest a bit) because we arrived before the train began its daily runs. There are three aviaries, a butterfly house, different species of apes, monkeys, lizards, kangaroos, crocodiles, a herpetarium and a number of rare, endangered species for visitors to enjoy. GPZ has lions and tigers and bears for kids of all ages to enjoy! The gorilla exhibit is particularly well done. New exhibits areas, including a marine exhibit building, are under construction and scheduled to open in early 2012. Animal areas are separated mostly by water and walls sculpted to look like natural rock and stone, rather than by cages and bars. GPZ was one of the first zoo’s to implement “cageless” animal exhibits. Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX, celebrated its 40th anniversary is September, 2011, but GPZ doesn’t feel like an “old” zoo.
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