2022 Community Impact Report
Houston Zoo
Community Impact Report
The Houston Zoo is a leading conservation and education nonprofit providing care to thousands of animals and is one of the most highly attended zoos in the country. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the world’s preeminent professional organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums.
Houston Zoo, Inc (HZI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established when the City of Houston contracted to transfer operational responsibility in 2002. Since then, HZI has invested over $308 million of private sector funds for capital improvements to the Zoo, which remains the property of the City of Houston. As required by the Lease and Services Agreement with the City, HZI has built a Maintenance Reserve Fund of $14.3 million, and annually invests approximately $9 million in direct costs for exhibit and facilities maintenance. In return, the City pays HZI an annual management fee, as specified in the 50-year Lease entered into in 2002.
The Zoo is governed by a 35-member Board of Directors, including seven positions appointed by the Mayor.
MISSION
Connect communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife.
VISION
Be a leader in the global movement to save wildlife.
STAFF 2022 396 full-time VOLUNTEERS 524 31,736 hours in 2022 ANIMALS 6k + in our care 52 part-time seasonal GUESTS 1.8 million in 2022 ESTABLISHED 1922
FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
Thanks to the commitment and confidence of the City of Houston and its leaders, the Houston Zoo receives steady support from the City based on its 50-Year Lease and Services Agreement. These funds are critical to leveraging the Zoo’s ability to maintain the 100-year old City-owned facility, sustain growth and remain accessible.
Capital Investment
$308,483,063
in improvements funded privately with earned and contributed revenue since 2002
2022 Operating Revenue
$60,159,824
18.3% City management fee
ECONOMIC IMPACT $242,435,755
to the Houston area economy in 2018
Through steady increases in guest engagement, visitation, employment levels, construction and business activity, a deep-rooted culture of conservation, and great community events, the Houston Zoo has become an economic engine and cultural icon for Houston.
COMMUNITY
Houston Zoo
GUESTS
1.8 M in 2022 MEMBERS
44,350 households in 2022
LONE STAR CARD
146,646 guests in 2022
FREE DAYS
61,098 guests in 2022
HISPANIC OR LATINO ASIAN AFRICAN AMERICAN WHITE OTHER 16% 36% 40% 2% 6% *Source: Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 American Community Survey 2.1% 17% 37.6% 35.5% 7.8%
The Zoo is a cherished destination for Houston’s diverse communities who come to experience our incredible animals and ecosystems Visitor Demographics
Houston MSA Demographics*
Field trips to the Zoo are free to all schools in the Houston city limits; in 2022 more than 47,599 students attended the Zoo free of charge. Due to COVID, field trips were paused in 2020 and 2021, but resumed in early 2022.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
15 programs
566,507 participants in 2022
EDUCATION SUSTAINABILITY
2022 HIGHLIGHTS
Twelve staff members earned their LEED Green Associate credential. There are now 28 LEED professionals on staff.
RECYCLED IN 2022
11.3 tons of paper
2.42 tons of plastic
26.6 tons of metal
64.58 tons of cardboard
FIELD TRIPS
50,611 students in 2022 (paid and free)
The Zoo continued to minimize water usage and improve water monitoring through new meters, leak detection, and refinements to irrigation systems.
2.24 tons of glass
1,705 lbs of electronics
1,635 lbs of holiday lights
ANIMAL CARE
These efforts translate to:
The Zoo eliminated single use plastic packaging in all gift shops. The Zoo had previously eliminated plastic straws and bags.
37 metric tons of emissions prevented 447,080 kWh of electricity saved 1,046 mature trees conserved 531,145 gallons of water saved Diverted 78% of Zoo waste from landfills
Animals at the Zoo receive the highest quality of care. Many are vulnerable, threatened or endangered in the wild. These animals serve as “ambassadors,” helping to inform guests and inspire action to save their wild counterparts.
SAVING WILDLIFE
The Zoo is dedicated to supporting wildlife conservation efforts and education programs around the world that empower local people to take action to save wildlife.
6k + animals in our care
31 wildlife conservation projects
16 countries
2022 HOUSTON ZOO HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating our Centennial
The Houston Zoo turned 100 in 2022 with a big birthday bash extravaganza on April 30. The celebration continued all year with a Centennial Mural Project, monthly Centennial Saturdays, a Centennial book documenting 100 years, and so much more. The Centennial year closed out in April 2023 with the opening of the Galápagos Islands exhibit.
Baby Betty
In 2022 the Zoo welcomed a tiny Goeldi’s monkey, Betty, named after the late Betty White. Due to being significantly smaller at birth, she was hand-raised by animal care professionals before being reunited with her parents. Betty can be seen on exhibit with her family in the outdoor rainforest exhibit in our Natural Encounters building.
Record-Breaking Zoo Ball
Top Honors in Exhibit Design for South America’s Pantanal
The Zoo was recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) with Top Honors in Exhibit Design for its work on the South America’s Pantanal exhibit. This marks the second consecutive year the Houston Zoo received Top Honors for Exhibit Design, winning in 2021 for the Kathrine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands exhibit, a feat that has only been accomplished twice before in the history of the awards.
The Centennial Ball – Once in a Lifetime presented by Phillips 66 raised vital funds for the Houston Zoo. A record-breaking crowd of more than 700 Houstonians celebrated 100 years of the Houston Zoo and raised $2.3 million to support the Zoo’s wildlife-saving mission, a record for Zoo Ball history.
Cougar Cubs
In November 2022, we welcomed two new cougar cubs to our Zoo family after they were found orphaned in Washington state. Shasta VII and his brother, Louie, now call the Houston Zoo home and will carry the long-standing tradition in partnership with the University of Houston Alumni Association and be ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild while faithfully representing the cougar spirit of the University of Houston.
Saving Texas Species in the Wild
Since 1995, the Zoo has worked tirelessly to save a Texas native, the Attwater’s prairie chicken, from extinction. In 2022 the Zoo released 52 Attwater’s prairie chickens, bred at the Zoo, back into the wild. That year we also released over 1,157,800 Houston toad eggs, 876 tadpoles, and 1,688 toadlets into the Texas wild, and provided medical care and support for over 60 injured or stranded wild sea turtles.
Saving Animals in the Wild Around the World
The Zoo has partnered with the Niassa Carnivore Project in northern Mozambique since 2009. In 2022 they celebrated protecting 76 lions in 16 different prides. The Zoo supports direct, sustained protection of Mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo with our partners at Gorilla Doctors through daily anti-poaching patrols, snare removal, and expert veterinary care for sick and injured gorillas.
The Houston Zoo has proudly printed this report on post-consumer recycled paper with soy-based inks.