Archive News ::: El Paso Zoo :::

Zoo volunteer designs new website

Site contains valuable information for teachers

Volunteers needed to help add additional content

November 22, 2004

Visitors to the El Paso Zoo in cyberspace can now enjoy a colorful new website featuring endangered animals from around the world and information on the Zoo's volunteer and education program. Just in time for the holidays there is also a Zoo Wish List and a children's activity page. The website was designed by volunteer Alfredo Rodas, who after five months and over 300 hours of hard work, completed the new online look for the Zoo at www.elpasozoo.org.

In designing the website Rodas's main objective was to use primary colors to enhance the information presented and to appeal to young audiences. According to Rodas "the website needs to be interesting to kids for the message to get across. There are very few complete circles and straight lines as in natural habitats and as in nature there are many surprises as one explores."

In choosing colors for the site Rodas chose blue, yellow and red so that the colors would identify with El Paso, even in winter. He also chose blue to represent the upcoming new sea lion exhibit. Several software programs were used in creating the site including Flash, Fireworks and Dreamweaver.

The website is sponsored by the El Paso Zoological Society in cooperation with the El Paso Zoo and is hosted by Polar Bear Media.

Donate your used cell phone and help raise funds to
save endangered elephants in Sumatra
December 23, 2003

The El Paso Zoo is now collecting used cell phones

Funds will help protect vanishing elephant habitat

The El Paso Zoo is asking cell phone users to answer the call and turn in their used cell phones to help raise funds for Zoo efforts to help save endangered Asian elephants. Over the past year the Zoo in cooperation with the El Paso Zoological Society and the World Wildlife Fund has been educating people about the endangered status of Asian elephants in Sumatra. The Zoo will receive $1.00 for each phone collected with 100% of the money collected going to support elephant conservation in Sumatra.

"The primary goal of our phone drive fundraiser is to collect wireless phones that consumers aren't using anymore," said Zoo Director, Dr. Bill Torgerson. "With more than 30 million used wireless phones lying idle in American homes and businesses, an individual can turn a used item into new funding that helps support our mission in a simple, but effective way."

Any portable cellular or PCS phone is accepted, excluding bag phones or vehicle-installed models. The Zoo will also take the phone's battery or charger, if available. All donors should deactivate the wireless service of any donated phones before turning them in.

"We're very excited about this new fundraising opportunity," said Torgerson. "Not only will it benefit Zoo conservation efforts to help save Asian elephants, but donated phones that can't be refurbished are properly recycled to benefit the environment as well."

The public may donate their used wireless phones by simply stopping at the Zoo during regular business hours and dropping them off at the front gate or by mailing their phones to: El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, El Paso, Texas 79905.

Over a thousand Zoo visitors have signed a petition calling on the Republic of Indonesia to create a Tesso Nilo protected area as a refuge for the last remaining sustainable herd of the Sumatran subspecies of Asian elephant. To learn more about the zoo conservation efforts and how you can help visit the Zoo's Take Action web pages at www.elpasozoo.org or call 915-351-5340.

Rare leopard cubs go on public
display this week

The Amur leopard is one of the rarest large animals in the world

March 20, 2004

Five cubs have been born at the Zoo since 2001

Click the image for a larger version

On Tuesday morning, March 23, three critically endangered Amur leopards cubs will be given their first opportunity to venture into their outdoor enclosure in the Asia section of the El Paso Zoo.

The cubs and their mother will have their first open house since they were born last December 9. Open house is a term used by zoo staff to describe how animals at the zoo are given the opportunity to go into either their outdoor enclosure or their indoor sleeping area. Until the cubs feel comfortable with their new surroundings outside, they will be able to freely move back and forth. This will mean that anyone coming to the zoo this week to see them will have to take their chances since the cubs could be either inside or outside. The cubs are still very young and are taking numerous naps throughout the day. This fact will also affect viewing opportunities.

The Amur leopard is one of the rarest large cats in the world with as few as 50 animals left in the wilds of the Amur River region of Russia and China. Major threats to their survival include depletion of prey, habitat loss, conflict with humans and the small wild population, which makes them vulnerable to inbreeding, and "catastrophes" like fire and disease. There are only 200 animals in captivity in some 36 zoos around the world.

The timing of the birth last December 9th was only two days off from the December 7th arrival of two cubs born at the Zoo in 2001.

Female leopards like most big cats raise their cubs on their own. The Zoo's adult four-year-old female is an excellent mother having successfully raised her first litter. Both cubs from 2001, a male and a female, were sent off to other zoos early last year. They now reside at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois and the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana.

Amur leopards live in an ecological region in Asia called the Ussuriland. The region is a meeting point of two major groups of animals, the Chinese and Siberian fauna. Living in deciduous and mixed conifer forests Amur leopard habitat is also occupied by Amur tigers (Siberian), Asian black bears, the very rare Siberian red dog, musk deer and Sitka deer, birds from the Chinese and Indo Malayan fauna and many other animals.

Click the image for a larger version

New Wolves arrive at the Zoo

December 22, 2004

Local representatives of a critically endangered species have taken up residence at the El Paso Zoo.

A small pack of Mexican wolves, three sisters born two and half years ago at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, arrived in November. After a 30-day quarantine period, they were moved to the Zoo's wolf exhibit that became empty in October when two older females were transferred to the Navajo Nations wolf facility in Arizona.

The El Paso Zoo is part of a group of zoos in partnership with a US Fish and Wildlife Service cooperative breeding program to save these endangered animals. Mexican wolves are moved between participating institutions depending upon the needs of the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). This program is designed to breed captive animals in support of a reintroduction project to restore the species to its native habitat in the wilds of Arizona and New Mexico. Approximately 50 animals now roam in the wild as a result of the effort.

Mexican wolves were hunted almost to extinction on into the 1970s when the last of their kind were rescued from the wild and moved to breeding facilities. El Pasoans can support the recovery effort by traveling to recovery sites in both states and letting local people know that they have come to look for wild wolves. One of the big problems in restoring the species has been opposition to the effort by people living in the reintroduction area. The long-range effect of ecotourism helps to give the effort to save the species a boost.

Endangered black rhino goes on display
November 19, 2004

The El Paso Zoo recently had an unusual guest. A huge black rhino sculpture, an endangered species and one of the most rare large animals on earth, was on display near the Front Gate of the Zoo. What made this one most unusual is that it is 50% larger than life, weighing nearly 3 tons, and made entirely of bronze!

Local artist Julio Sanchez de Alba created the bronze sculpture in hopes of raising awareness about animals from all over the world. According to the International Rhino Foundation “the Black Rhino has suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species. Between 1970 and 1992, the population of this species decreased 96%. In 1970, it was estimated that there were approximately 65,000 Black Rhinos in Africa, but by 1992-93, there were only 2,300 surviving in the wild. However, since 1996, the intense anti-poaching efforts have had encouraging results. Numbers have been recovering and are now back up to about 3,610 and still increasing. Nevertheless, the poaching threat remains great and there is no cause for complacency.”

Alba plans to continue creating sculptures that bring awareness to the plight of many different species from around the world. His current work can be seen at The Art Galleria, located at 1700 N Mesa (at Schuster). It was with the generosity of Hughs Butterworth Jr., CEO of Land America Lawyers Title of El Paso, that the sculpture was moved to the El Paso Zoo. While viewing Alba’s work at the gallery, Mr. Butterworth offered to pay for the relocation so it could be seen by the city's youth.

All five species of rhino in Africa and Asia are endangered. For more information visit the International Rhino Foundation at www.rhinos-irf.org. For more information about the El Paso Zoo visit www.elpasozoo.org.

City of El Paso Press Release

El Paso Zoo Website Wins "Best on the Border" Award
Site Designed by Zoo Volunteer for Teachers and other Visitors

EL PASO, TEXAS - November 4, 2004 - The El Paso Zoo won a distinctive honor for its website recently when www.elpasozoo.org took top honors in Southwest Airlines' "Best Little Website on the Border" contest during the Hispanic Chamber's BizTech Conference. The website was designed by volunteer Alfredo Rodas, who spent five months and over 400 hours of hard work completing the new online look for the Zoo. The Zoo site was selected over hundreds of others submitted and the award was announced during the BizTech Hall of Fame Luncheon which featured new City Manager Joyce Wilson as keynote speaker.

Visitors to the site now enjoy a colorful new website featuring endangered animals from around the world and information on the Zoo's volunteer and education program. The site is ideal for teachers wanting to expose their students to wildlife from around the world, and there is also a Zoo Wish List and a children's activity page.

In designing the website Rodas's main objective was to use primary colors to enhance the information presented and to appeal to young audiences. According to Rodas, "the website needs to be interesting to kids for the message to get across. There are very few complete circles and straight lines as in natural habitats and as in nature there are many surprises as one explores."

In choosing colors for the site Rodas chose blue, yellow and red so that the colors would identify with El Paso, even in winter. He also chose blue to represent the new sea lion exhibit. Several software programs were used in creating the site including Flash, Fireworks and Dreamweaver.

The website is sponsored by the El Paso Zoological Society in cooperation with the El Paso Zoo and is hosted by Polar Bear Media

Go Wild and help protect habitat

Habitat for Wildlife Weekend, March 12-13

Six Conservation Action Stations
Safari Rama Family Game Show at 1pm and 2pm
Zoo visitors encouraged to recycle used cell phones
One child admission free with each paid adult
Activities include behind the scenes guided tours
and sea lion programs

February 24, 2005

Staff and volunteers at the El Paso Zoo will host the third annual Habitat for Wildlife Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13 from 11am to 3pm. Habitat for Wildlife Weekend at the Zoo focuses on the importance of protecting habitats around the world.

To help encourage families to get involved with wildlife conservation, a variety of activities are planned including a family game show called Safari-Rama at 1pm and 2pm and six different conservation stations where individuals can help protect the habitats of critically endangered Mexican wolves, Amur leopards, Sumatran orangutans and Asian elephants. Volunteers and staff will be available to help individuals and families make a difference while enjoying the Zoo. Currently there are 21 species on the Zoo's endangered species list, six of which are critically endangered.

During the event and throughout the year the El Paso Zoo is asking cell phone users to answer the call and turn in their used cell phones to help raise funds for Zoo efforts to help save endangered Asian elephants. Over the past three years the Zoo in cooperation with the El Paso Zoological Society and the World Wildlife Fund has been educating people about the endangered status of Asian elephants in Sumatra. The Zoo receives $1.00 for each phone collected with 100% of the money collected going to support protecting wildlife habitat at the Tesso Nilo National Park in Sumatra. Any portable cellular or PCS phone is accepted, excluding bag phones or vehicle-installed models. The public may donate their used wireless phones during the event or by simply stopping at the Zoo during regular business hours and dropping them off at the front gate. Used cell phones can also be mailed to: El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, El Paso, Texas 79905.

It has been estimated that in the next 30 years over 70 percent of the earth's land surface will be affected by the impacts of man. Many biologists predict that human activities, including urban sprawl, deforestation and over fishing, will have significant impact on the survival of many species inhabiting the planet. Over twenty species of animals at the El Paso Zoo are endangered. Unless governments take urgent action to protect habitats, many animals could become extinct in our lifetimes.