Flushing, N.Y. – January 4, 2011 – A piece of the American southwest comes north as the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo welcomes a pair of majestic Texas longhorn cattle.

The Queens Zoo recently added an 8-month-old, 150-pound male calf and his mother, a 7-year old, 800-pound cow. These animals were brought to the zoo, which is dedicated to wildlife of North and South America, because they are signature of the American southwest region.

“As a zoo of the Americas, it is particularly nice for us to exhibit a breed of cattle that have been developed and made famous within the United States,” said Scott Silver, Director and Curator of the Queens Zoo. “Texas longhorns add diversity to our farm area where we showcase domestic breeds of animals that live in the Americas.”

The Texas longhorns will share space with Scottish highlanders, another breed of cattle.

Texas longhorns are a domestic breed of cattle known for their characteristic horns that can extend up to five feet, tip to tip. The breed developed originally as a result of cross breeding between feral and domestic cattle. The Texas longhorn is an animal that has long been known for its beauty, stature, and intelligence.

Contact:

Barbara Russo 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org
Steve Fairchild 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org


The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo – Open every day of the year. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10am to 5pm weekdays, and 10am – 5:30pm weekends, April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November through April. The Queens Zoo is located at 53-51 111th Street in Flushing Meadow’s Corona Park in Queens. For further information, call 718-271-1500 or visit www.queenszoo.com.