Gladys Porter Zoo

▪ zoo, Brownsville, Texas, United States

      zoological park in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., which has one of the world's finest reptile collections. Opened in 1971, the 31-acre (12.5-hectare) park is owned by the city and operated by a local zoological society. It was named for one of the daughters of Earl C. Sams, a longtime president of the Penney Company (J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc.); Gladys Porter, who traveled widely with her husband, provided the main impetus for the zoo. It houses more than 1,500 specimens representing almost 400 species, nearly 50 of which are endangered in the wild. The zoo's exhibit area is divided according to continent, with tropical America, Indo-Australia, Asia, and Africa as the focal points. In addition to the Herpetarium and Aquatic Wing, the zoo features a children's zoo and nursery for newborn zoo animals needing special care, bear grottoes, California sea lions, and a free-flight aviary. Part of the world's herd of endangered Arabian oryx is maintained there. Since 1981 the zoo has been involved in sea turtle research and conservation efforts in Tamaulipas, Mexico, with regard to the endangered Atlantic (or Kemp's) ridley (Lepidochelys kempii).

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