#7 Brownsville’s Gladys Porter Zoo

We set out to go to a flea market in the border town of Brownsville, about 20 miles from our home away from home. Dutifully following the GPS route, we arrived in Brownsville and ……. no flea market. Just an ordinary neighborhood without even a garage sale. We asked around and found we had passed the flea market a few miles back.

Anne suggested we have a look at the Gladys Porter Zoo that she had read about, so we did. The GPS did much better getting us there, and we were soon driving through a suburban neighborhood when we came upon a modest parking lot and entrance to the zoo. It was misleading, because once inside we were treated to a huge variety of animals in some of the most natural zoo habitats we have ever seen.

Although confined to individual habitats, the animals are separated from the public by moats or by other natural barriers. Lush plantings with many trees and waterways provide authentic settings for the zoo animals.

The variety and number of animals housed in a relatively small zoo was amazing. Our favorite animals were a community of perhaps 12 Great Apes - Lowland Gorillas. Watching the boss man wander around his tribe, beat his chest and hoot was scary, even from the safety of our vantage point. The whole community listened to him, and some of the young adults made some obviously submissive gestures.

Though small, perhaps the size of the Lincoln Park Zoo, it was easy to get lost on one of the many paths through the various exhibits. We finally figured out that the designers wanted visitors to wander through the zoo, and not have a fixed walking route. It gives the feeling of many distinct areas within the zoo’s confines.

Numerous indigenous birds, exotic for us Midwesterners, were simply flying free and “visiting” the grounds, which were designed around a resaca - an old river bed. Many small monkeys, alligators, snakes, Mongolian horses, lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) all made for a unique zoo experience. The pictures tell the story better than we can ……..

This zoo was named after the daughter of the benefactor, Earl C Sams, one of the founding partners of the J C Penney Co. It was built in the early 70’s, and for us seems to us to be something of an architectural and zoological wonder. Anne later found that it is considered one of the 10 best zoos in the US, and it is at the very top of the list of our favorite zoos.

Another unexpected gem………