The Capital of Texas (COT) Zoo in Cedar Park is perfectly safe. I just want to say that before I talk of another volunteer who fed the mountain lion and then put her hand back in the cage to pet the big kitty.

Mountain Lion at COT Zoo.

See more pictures on the COT Zoo site.

The lion bit her hand and would not let go. The volunteer had a cell phone and called 911. It took forever for the dispatcher to get the volunteer calmed down enough to hear that a mountain lion had her hand in its mouth. If you want to hear this poor woman shriek, you may hear it on FOX Austin. The woman had a broken bone in her hand and some deep puncture wounds. The mountain lion was never loose, it never left its cage.

This is the second volunteer that was bitten by a mountain lion at the zoo. As you know, we should never get between an animal and its food. This means feed an animal and back away. Any move toward its food can be misconstrued as a threat. This is natural and normal for all animals, including dogs. Teach your children about this.

Hours The zoo is open everyday (10 am-530 pm) during the summer. Call for winter hours.

Admission

  • Teen and Adult (12 & up) $6.99
  • Children (2-11) $4.49
  • Toddlers (under 2) free
  • Family one-year membership $49.00

Membership in the Capital of Texas Zoological Association gives you and your family FREE admission to the zoo, including members-only events, and many more benefits! Buy a membership today!

Location and Directions
The address of the Capital of Texas Zoo:
376A Jenkins Road
Cedar Creek, TX 78612
(512) 303-6675

Located off of SR 71, 12 miles east of the Austin Bergstrom Airport. The final roads to the zoo (South Pope Bend and Jenkins road) are unpaved rural roads, so drive carefully.

Information

The zoo always is in need of volunteers and members:

Volunteers are essential to the Capital of Texas Zoo. They assist zoo staff in most aspects of zoo operations and support the zoo in our mission to create a sustainable future for wildlife. If you are dedicated to wildlife conservation and want to put this dedication into practice, we invite you to consider volunteering at Capital of Texas Zoo.