The Houston Zoo has just announced the opening date for their latest expansion: the all-new Texas Wetlands exhibit. The Kathrine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands at the Houston Zoo will open on Friday, May 24 for the big Memorial Day weekend. If it’s time your family spent a day at the zoo, now’s the perfect chance to see what these native Texas habitats have to offer with this unique exhibit.
The new Texas Wetlands exhibit was created in the center of the zoo where the duck pond was formerly located. That duck pond has been replaced with a true wetland full of living plants that filter water for the many animals who live in it and to provide invaluable flood protection for the Texas bayous like we have here around Galveston Bay.
The new Texas Wetlands area features a boardwalk to allow guests the chance to get up-close and personal with the many plants and animals in the exhibit including gar, snapping turtles, whooping cranes, bald eagles, American alligators, and thousands of other fish, insects, and tiny creatures that make natural wetlands so diverse and important for the environment. Many of these species including the bald eagle, whooping crane, and American alligator, are close to extinction in the wild here in the Lone Star State.
The new Texas Wetlands exhibit is part of the Houston Zoo’s ongoing dedication to protecting wildlife both locally and globally. To date, the zoo has released millions of animals into the wild to save native Texas species from extinction.
In 2022, the Houston Zoo will celebrate 100 years of providing the Houston community with one-of-a-kind experiences and educational opportunities. The zoo’s centennial will be celebrated through a $150 fundraising campaign which will see new projects like the Texas Wetlands exhibit open to the public.
