At the Houston Zoo, Willie the 7-year-old chimp has been known to play with frosty ice pops for many hours, wrap himself in a blanket and lounge in his hammock. Asali, a baby giraffe, often runs around in laps while antagonizing the ostriches.
What is it about going to the zoo and observing animals that pique our curiosity? It’s a way to reconnect with our natural surroundings while learning about the species that share the planet with us.
Can’t get to the zoo? Don’t fret. The Houston Zoo has you covered.
There are many ways to enjoy the exhibits all day, all night, everyday, from your own home. Six webcams strategically placed in the new African Forest allows anyone to get up close and friendly with giraffes, rhinos and chimps. All and all, there are two webcams in each of these exhibits that are active around the clock.
There are many ways to enjoy the exhibits all day, all night, everyday, from your own home. Six webcams strategically placed in the new African Forest allows anyone to get up close and friendly with giraffes, rhinos and chimps.
Yes. That means 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We would just hate to miss them being cute or exhibiting behaviors that may just help us learn a bit about ourselves.
Courtesy of the immediacy of the Internet and social media channels, our world has never been smaller. Things that were previously just local can now be global.
And that’s a good thing, giving anyone an opportunity to enjoy the Houston Zoo, outside of the zoo.
Whether you are in the mood to chit chat with someone across the globe, research the mountain range of a land far away, or watch the Houston Zoo animals be themselves, anyone with a computer and web access can turn the virtual world into the real world, at the click of a button.
“We wanted a way for guests to extend their experience in the comfort of their own home,” said Kelly Russo, director of interactive marketing at the zoo. “It’s our way of building a global community of fans, carrying on a conversation about animals and conservation before and after visits and outside of Houston.”
The keepers also use the cams as a method to monitor what the animals are up to. Yes, the zoo is aptly equipped with surveillance but when it comes to observing behavior, the more the merrier.
When the new African Forest was designed, it was the Houston Zoo's desire to create an interactive display inside and outside its grounds. The infrastructure was prepared accordingly. Expect this type of resource to begin infiltrating all of the nonprofit’s facilities.
Tupelo and Baylor the elephants were not about to be left behind. The video of the duo splashing around in a kiddy pool went viral and has received close to one million views.
Future expansions will feature similar webcam-friendly amenities as well.
In the meantime, the Houston Zoo is using social media channels, including four Twitter accounts, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and four blogs — an education blog, an elephant blog, a conservation blog and a general zoo blog — with 30 bloggers, to tell stories of the remarkable things that happen at the zoo while keeping readers entertained with contests and trivia.
Curious to see what it’s like to care for Aurora, a baby orangutan, as she clings on to her caretakers? It’s on YouTube. After her story was featured on Good Morning America, Aurora is now a household name.
Tupelo and Baylor the elephants were not about to be left behind. The video of the duo splashing around in a kiddy pool went viral and has received close to one million views.
How about what happens when snowmen pay a visit to the chimps? There is a Twitter stream just for chimp lovers (@HZIChimps), in addition to @HoustonZoo, managed by an army of keepers eager to share their daily work.
“Our bird staff is very active,” Russo said. “Our bird curator chronicled and blogged the whole process of flamingo chicks as eggs, to the birth, to walking and exercising.”
When the Houston Zoo staff traveled to Nairobi to Johannesburg to Nelspruit (also known as Mbombela), South Africa, to bring three rhinos to Houston, they morphed into avid bloggers by capturing the whole adventure in the Rhinos Return Series.
There is also a way to bring the zoo home, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, while making a statement. Flamingo Flocking — think of it as this century’s version of teepeeing — means someone could wake up to a lawn full of pink flamingos. No paper is wasted and clean-up is included, and at only $50, you’ll feel good when proceeds benefit the zoo’s bird conservation efforts.
Great fun and an awesome cause, yes? Anyone you’d like to flamingo flock? Are you making a list?
See the YouTube video that captivated the nation: Tupelo and Baylor in their kiddy pool:
You never know when the Houston Zoo elephants might be doing something funny — or interesting.
