Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/1099222
24 t m c ยป p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 9 Q | How do you see the zoo fitting in with Hermann Park and the medical center? A | In Hermann Park's master plan, one of the issues they're trying to address is the congestion and parking challenges we all share. One of the solutions would be to look at some space that's park land on the other side of Cambridge Street and do a pedestrian overpass into the park that would lead people to the west side of the zoo. When that happens, we could rethink the west entry, and that would become more of a main gate as opposed to a secondary gate, which it is now. The whole edge of the zoo along Cambridge is something we'd like to make more inviting. Cambridge Street can be viewed as a barrier. The zoo is really, really close [to the medical center]. We'd love for people in the area to take advantage of it even more than they currently do. We're a great refuge for the patients and families using the medical center. Every day you can see people who've maybe had a tough time, and coming to the zoo is such a great outlet. The proximity allows that to happen. Q | What international work has the Houston Zoo been doing lately? A | I just got back from Rwanda. I got to meet with several of our partners over there on gorilla conservation issues. We've been supporting a group in Rwanda, called the Gorilla Doctors, who are veterinarians helping to take care of the wild gorillas in national parks in Africa. Some zoos hire a lot of scientists to become the field arm of the zoo. We tend to look for people in those countries already, who are doing good work, and find ways to support them. In some ways, that support is financial, but other times it's about setting up a website or a business plan or PR efforts. We use all the expertise of our staff. It's not just the biologists. Q | Are there any animals the Houston Zoo is lacking that you'd love to have? A | I think hippos are pretty awesome. We hear that from the guests, too. We used to have a hippo, probably more than 20 years ago. But, like many animals 20 or 30 years ago, it wasn't housed in a way that was appropriate, to be honest. Hippos are a challenge because in the wild they live in big herds. They're not solitary animals. And although everyone thinks of hippos being underwater, the other half of their life is spent grazing. At night, they go miles from the water and eat grass, and that's what their primary food is. How do you do a hippo exhibit that really shows the full range of their behavior in a 55-acre zoo? Q | There's a close connection between the zoo and the Texas Medical Center. Spotlight 7515-Pomona_TMC Pulse_Ad_8.75x5.8125_MECH.pdf 1 3/12/19 4:45 PM ... we're a great refuge for the patients and families using the medical center. Every day you can see people who've maybe had a tough time, and coming to the zoo is such a great outlet. The proximity allows that to happen.