Surprise! The Gladys Porter Zoo capybara family just got a little bigger.

Mom Amber gave birth to two healthy babies on July 24th.

You can see the newest little ones on exhibit with mom and their siblings.

Brownsville, Texas (August 8, 2023) – Gladys Porter Zoo staff are thrilled to announce that Dodie, the Zoo’s 46-year-old Sumatran orangutan, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on July 19 at 3:00 a.m. Both mom and baby are doing well. Presently, they can be seen together on exhibit between 9:00 and 10:30 am.  Their time outdoors will be gradually increased as the newborn adapts to outdoor temperatures.   

Brownsville, Texas (March 9, 2023) – Staff at the Gladys Porter Zoo are overjoyed to announce that Amber, a 2-year-old capybara, gave birth to three healthy pups on Tuesday, February 7th. In addition to Amber being a first-time mom, this is also the first capy birth for the staff at the Gladys Porter Zoo. 

The Zoo last had capybaras in the early 1970s, however, they never reproduced. “It has been many years since we have had capybaras in our collection,” said Walter DuPree, the Zoo’s Curator of Mammals. “Then, in 2017, we placed an elderly pair of capybara on exhibit. They were very popular with our visitors, but too old to reproduce. What a treat for all of us to have a family of five on exhibit now!” 

Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas recently hatched two violaceous turacos. The first chick hatched on August 23rd. The second chick hatched on Tuesday, September 6th. Both are behind the scenes and doing well. This is the first live hatching of violaceous turacos for the Gladys Porter Zoo.

Brownsville, Texas (Aug 15, 2022) – Staff at the Gladys Porter Zoo are extremely proud to announce the historic hatching of six endangered Mangshan pit vipers. The Gladys Porter Zoo is now one of only three institutions in the United States to have successfully bred this rare species. There are only about 500 left in the wild which makes this hatching such a momentous event.

“The Herpetology Department is overjoyed to finally hatch this species! We have been working with them for over 12 years, and it was always a dream of ours to reach this point,” says Clint Guadiana, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians. 

These tiny lined seahorses will one day be as big as the adults - up to 7.5 inches long! Did you know baby seahorses are called fry? And due to some recent births, Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX currently has fry galore! Check them out at various stages in their development at the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center.

Western-lowland Gorilla dad Mbundi was chilling in a hammock at Gladys Porter Zoo when, suddenly, his son Burchfield dropped in for cuddles, literally.

2-year-old Burchfield, born Cinco de Mayo 2019, is the first of 3 babies Mbundi has sired at the Brownsville, Texas Zoo.

Stoic and strong, the Silverback is also very gentle with the babies.

Brownsville, TX’s Gladys Porter Zoo’s Cassowary chicks are 5 months old now and they’ve grown a lot in that time. DNA testing determined there are 2 males and 1 female. They will soon outgrow their temporary pen outside of the building where they hatched.  An exhibit area next to the parents, Clementine and Irwin, is being baby-proofed so that staff can soon move them onto display for our public to enjoy.

In Brownsville, TX, Gladys Porter Zoo’s three cassowary chicks hatched on May 20th, May 22nd and May 27th. The mother is Clementine (36 years old) and the father is Irwin (6 years old). Irwin is a first-time father. Clementine’s last successful brood was in 1997. It’s been 24 years since then so this is very exciting for everyone at the zoo, especially the Bird Department.  They’ve done an amazing job.

Three Pancake Tortoises have hatched at Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas. The first tortoise began to pip on March 31st, followed by two more hatchlings on April 1st and 10th. 

Found on rocky hills and savannas of east Africa, Pancake Tortoises have unusually flat and thin shells. These flexible and agile tortoises are excellent climbers, and escape from predation by fleeing or squeezing into tight crevices instead of hiding in their shells. Due to habitat loss and poaching, they are listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.  

Photo credits: Gladys Porter Zoo

In the wild, Pancake Tortoises live in isolated groups, and many individuals may be found sharing the same rocky crevice. Males compete for females during the breeding seaon in January and February, and nesting occurs in July and August. Females generally lay one egg at a time, but may lay several eggs over the course of a few months. In captivity, females will breed year-round, with an incubation period of four to six months.  The tiny young are independent as soon as they hatch.

Related articles

Update! Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla Gets Fuzzy Surrogates

Tiny Parrot Parrot Born at Prague Zoo

Rare Pygmy Hippo Baby Debuts at Gladys Porter Zoo

New Baby Orangutan Makes It Three Generations at Gladys Porter Zoo