| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 1196 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, On March 2, 2023, Texas Independence Day, the Fort |
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| 6 | 6 | | Worth Zoo hosted a celebration in honor of its newest resident, baby |
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| 7 | 7 | | Asian elephant Travis, who was born on February 23, 2023; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Travis entered the world measuring 37 inches tall |
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| 9 | 9 | | and weighing 270 pounds, making him the zoo's biggest male calf to |
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| 10 | 10 | | date; continuing the tradition of new calves receiving names with |
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| 11 | 11 | | strong ties to the state, Travis is the fifth Asian elephant calf |
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| 12 | 12 | | born at the Fort Worth Zoo, joining his half-brother Brazos, his |
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| 13 | 13 | | mother Belle, his aunt Bluebonnet, and Bowie, who now resides at the |
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| 14 | 14 | | Oklahoma City Zoo; his father, Romeo, who is 30 years old, has lived |
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| 15 | 15 | | at the zoo since 2015; Travis is an important addition to the |
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| 16 | 16 | | family, and his bonding with his mother and family unit mimics how |
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| 17 | 17 | | herds behave in the wild; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The oldest continuous zoo site in Texas, the Fort |
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| 19 | 19 | | Worth Zoo was founded in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an |
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| 20 | 20 | | alligator, a coyote, a peacock, and a few rabbits; today, it is home |
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| 21 | 21 | | to more than 500 species, and it brings in approximately 1 million |
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| 22 | 22 | | visitors each year; moreover, it is one of only 65 zoological |
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| 23 | 23 | | facilities in the world to hold the distinction of being a Humane |
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| 24 | 24 | | Certified park; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In April 2021, the Fort Worth Zoo completed its |
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| 26 | 26 | | state-of-the-art Elephant Springs habitat, which features a |
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| 27 | 27 | | 400,000-gallon river, a climate-controlled environment, and 15 |
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| 28 | 28 | | stalls to give the animals their own individual spaces; the habitat |
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| 29 | 29 | | represents the zoo's commitment to the conservation of Asian |
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| 30 | 30 | | elephants, a critically endangered species and one of the most |
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| 31 | 31 | | poached animals in the world; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Through his presence at the Fort Worth Zoo, Travis |
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| 33 | 33 | | will provide visitors with the gift of being able to see firsthand |
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| 34 | 34 | | one of the world's most magnificent creatures, and it is fitting to |
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| 35 | 35 | | commend his handlers and the zoo's staff as they continue their work |
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| 36 | 36 | | to advocate for this vulnerable species; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 38 | 38 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the Fort Worth Zoo on the birth of |
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| 39 | 39 | | its newest elephant and extend to baby Travis a Texas-sized welcome |
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| 40 | 40 | | as a new citizen of the Lone Star State; and, be it further |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 42 | | prepared for the Fort Worth Zoo as an expression of high regard by |
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| 43 | 43 | | the Texas House of Representatives. |
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| 44 | 44 | | Goldman |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 47 | 47 | | I certify that H.R. No. 1196 was adopted by the House on April |
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| 48 | 48 | | 28, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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