EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of El Paso announced the appointment of Gary Lunsford as the permanent Director of the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens following a national search.
Lunsford served as the Interim Director of the Zoo since September 2025, officials said.
“We are excited to name Gary Lunsford as the zoo’s permanent Director. With more than 30 years of experience in zoo operations and an unwavering dedication to our animals and the teams who care for them, makes him the ideal leader for the Zoo’s next chapter,” said City Manager Dionne Mack.
Officials said Lunsford has built a career as dynamic as the wildlife he protects. He’s served as an accreditation inspector for both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums.
Lunsford came to El Paso from Massachusetts, where he served as Director of the Buttonwood Park Zoo. Before that, he led the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
There, he reportedly oversaw a team that commissioned the Journey to Churchill exhibit, an award-winning $90 million transformation of 10 acres of the zoo to an immersive experience of northern culture and biodiversity.
In September 2025, the former Zoo Director, Joe Montisano, was placed on administrative leave after a series of controversies and sexual harassment allegations.
El Paso Zoo director placed on administrative leave
In November 2025, the City of El Paso told KTSM 9 News Montisano was “no longer employed.”
El Paso Zoo Director Joe Montisano ‘no longer employed with City’
Lunsford oversaw other zoos across the U.S. Those listed were in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Milwaukee County and New Bedford. He also worked in Canada at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
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