86R33394 JGH-D

By: Goldman H.R. No. 1676

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The Fort Worth Zoo has been ranked fourth on USA Today's 2019 list of the 10 Best Zoos in North America; and

WHEREAS, The publication has conducted its Best Zoo poll for the past three years, and the Fort Worth Zoo has placed in the top five each time; the top 20 were chosen by a panel of travel and lifestyle industry experts, and the top 10 were selected by public poll; and

WHEREAS, Established in 1909, the Fort Worth Zoo is one of the oldest continuously operating zoos in the Lone Star State; it is home to more than 540 species of animals from around the globe, including representatives of all four species of great apes and the most successful breeding colony of lesser flamingos in the world; the zoo also houses one of the largest collections of reptiles in the United States, and it is an international leader in Asian elephant conservation; and

WHEREAS, More than 100 species at the zoo are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan, including 68 endangered or threatened species; the zoo's new African Savannah exhibit features giraffes, zebras, hippos, and rhinoceroses, and in 2011, the zoo received top honors from the AZA for excellence in the areas of live animal display and exhibit design; and

WHEREAS, For more than a century, the Fort Worth Zoo has been delighting and informing visitors about the wonders of the animal kingdom while maintaining the highest professional standards, and it is truly deserving of this special recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate the Fort Worth Zoo on being named the fourth best zoo in North America by USA Today and extend to the zoo's staff sincere best wishes for continued success in their important work; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Fort Worth Zoo as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.