A vaccine against elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, a disease that affects Asian elephants, grew out of a partnership between the Houston Zoo and Baylor College of Medicine that began in 2009. The vaccine became available for captive elephants in 2024. The zoo also works to protect two endangered species, the Attwater's prairie chicken and the Houston toad, and supports dozens of conservation projects in more than a dozen countries.
The zoo covers 55 acres within Hermann Park. It holds more than four thousand animals representing over 500 species and drew about two million visitors in 2024.
It opened in 1922 as a park attraction with 40 animals and has also been known as the Hermann Park Zoo and the Houston Zoological Gardens. The city parks department ran it until 2002, when the non-profit Houston Zoo Inc. took over. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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