Zoo Buddy: Texas Longhorns!

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo’s Texas Longhorns! You can find this species in most of the world.

Originally, they were brought to the U.S. as a source of food.

“The Spanish settlers, when they were bringing cattle over, it was the Andalusian and Moorish cattle that they brought over to the Caribbean, southern Mexico, and later translated up to Texas,” says zookeeper Rami Petterson.

“People started hunting them and eating them and got them down to a low population,” explains General Curator Lisa Taylor. “The cattlemen stepped in and brought these guys back to the populations they need to be.”

From tip to tip, they say the horns can range from 6 ft to 8 ft.

“World record as of yet is 11 feet 9 inches with Bucklehead out of Texas,” says Petterson.

Their horns have a variety of shapes, and the zoo has the three most common ones. The horns are vascular in nature, which means they can use them to radiate heat out of their bodies and cool themselves off.

You can see these guys on the boat and train rides.

While construction continues on the new Louisiana Purchase Exhibit, the Reptile Building is closed. Until then, you can request some reptiles at educational programs or birthday parties or you might just see one at the zoo when staff are taking them on a stroll. Call 318-329-2400 for more information.

Due to weather delays, construction crews believe the new exhibit will be open sometime this spring.

You can also volunteer with the zoo. Contact the Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society through their Facebook page.

The zoo is open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get tickets to feed the budgies, feed the tortoises, ride the boat, or ride the train at the front office.

Click here for a breakdown of their prices.