The El Paso Zoo Found a Wild Way to Celebrate the World Cup

As someone who's always happy to find an excuse to visit the El Paso Zoo, this might be one of my favorite World Cup celebrations yet.

You know the World Cup has completely taken over El Paso when even the animals are getting involved.

As the tournament heads into the Round of 16, the El Paso Zoo has found a creative way to celebrate soccer fever by pairing some of its animals with each of the remaining countries still chasing the World Cup trophy.

It's a fun twist on the world's biggest sporting event, but there's a much bigger goal behind every matchup. Each animal also serves as an ambassador for wildlife conservation, giving visitors a chance to learn about the challenges these species face and how they can help protect them.

The El Paso Zoo Has Its Own World Cup Roster

Forget team mascots. The El Paso Zoo has assembled an entire World Cup lineup.

Mexico is represented by the jaguar. Team USA has the mountain lion. Argentina gets the Magellanic penguin, while Brazil is represented by the golden lion tamarin.

Some countries even have substitute species stepping in, just like an injury replacement during the tournament. England, for example, is represented by the zoo's mini pig in place of a wild boar, while Austria's Radjah shelducks are filling in for the country's native common goldeneye.

It's a clever way to combine two things people love: cheering for their favorite team and discovering some of the incredible animals that call the El Paso Zoo home.

Every Matchup Has a Conservation Story

The World Cup theme may grab your attention, but conservation is the real mission behind the tournament.

The El Paso Zoo supports the Painted Dog Research Trust, which works to protect the species through research, education and conservation programs. One of the organization's most unique initiatives transforms wire snares once used to trap wildlife into works of art, with proceeds helping fund conservation efforts.

That's really the heart of this campaign.

The World Cup may be what catches people's attention, but the hope is they'll leave knowing a little more about the incredible animals that share our planet and maybe even inspired to help protect them.

Whether that's rounding up the change from a purchase at the zoo, supporting the zoo's Conservation Fund or simply learning about a species they've never heard of before, every small action helps.

Whether you're cheering for Mexico, Team USA or another country still chasing a championship, the El Paso Zoo hopes fans leave with a new appreciation for the animals representing each nation.

After all, only one country will lift the World Cup trophy, but every animal in the tournament is already helping score a win for conservation.