Local News
Blanco the White Alligator is Retiring from the Houston Zoo
Blanco the white alligator has called the Houston Zoo home since 1992, and finally, he will be retiring to the Crocodile Encounter complex near Texas 288 for the rest of his days.
At 11 feet long, Blanco is a hefty animal packing on 180 pounds of pure beauty. He came to the Houston Zoo in 1992 as part of a hatchling relocation when he was found outside Houma, Louisiana. He was born in 1987 and he’ll be celebrating his 29th birthday this year. No, he’s really turning 29, we swear.
Blanco, contrary to popular belief, isn’t an albino alligator and instead is a leucistic animal, as the Houston Chronicle reported, which means “there is no skin pigment, but there is eye pigment. Albino alligator eyes are red.”
While the staff will be extremely sad to see him go, especially because of his easy going and fairly content personality, they knew it was the right decision to move him to a cozy spot where he can live out his days in peace.
Stan Mays, the reptile and amphibian curator at the Houston Zoo, says that “he will miss seeing Blanco every day at work…but it’s not a long drive so he will be easy to visit.”
