Guadalajara Zoo - Famous Inhabitants

Famous Inhabitants

Among the most famous animals in the zoo's collection are:

• Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). White tigers have been one of the zoo's main attractions almost since the park opened its doors. One of them, a snow white tigress, is actually the mother of Montecore, the tiger who mauled Roy Horn from Sigfried and Roy. Many of the white tigers used by Sigfried and Roy in their show are born in the Guadalajara zoo. The zoo also has normal coloured tigers. Six litters of Bengal tigers have been born in the zoo, all of them sired by the park's resident tiger Niño, who has the tiger's normal coloration but also white genes on his own heritage, which enables him to sire both orange and white cubs.

• Lowland Gorilla. Gorillas are among the zoo's most famous inhabitants. The silverback male, nicknamed "El Chato" by its handlers, escaped its enclosure once terrorizing visitors, but no one was hurt and the gorilla was eventually returned to its home. Lowland gorillas have reproduced twice in the Guadalajara zoo.

• Baird's tapir (Tapirus terrestris). The male tapir from the Guadalajara zoo, named Norton, was one of the tapirs used by Mel Gibson in the movie Apocalypto for the tapir hunt sequence at the beginning of the film. He is housed in the "Tropical Rainforest" section of the park, alongside with jaguars, monkeys, giant anteaters and river otters.

• Polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Famous for the subaquatic exhibition where the bears can be seen swimming and diving.

• Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletti). The most endangered crocodile in Mexico has reproduced well in the Guadalajara zoo. Many young crocodiles born to the zoo's reproductive couple Juanito and Rosita have been released in the Centla swamps, one of the Morelet's crocodile original habitats.

• A female Hippopotamus named Tequila was famous in the zoo because of its old age (40 years, which is the maximum lifespan for its species) and because it was part of the collection of the now disappeared Agua Azul zoological park. Tequila died recently, but new hippo calves have been born in the zoo.

• A male white alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) was a visitor to the zoo during the 90s. It was nicknamed El Gringo because of its white skin and blue eyes. This was one of 18 leucistic alligators known at the time.

The park is famous for several reasons, the most important being its collection of exotic wild animals, including some rare and endangered species including the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), African elephant (Loxodonta africana), Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris), and Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis).

It is also noted for being located on the Barranca of Huentitan (Huentitan Canyon), a natural park in the limits of the city which is in fact one of the natural spots the Zoo has been trying to preserve. Besides, the zoo is constantly opening new exhibits, both temporary and permanent.