Houston Zoo forced to remove 'no guns' sign by city



PHOTOS: Take a Google Streetview tour of the Houston Zoo ... less The Houston Zoo was required to remove a "no guns" sign posted to visitors due to a law that allows licensed concealed handgun carriers to bring their weapons on publicly-owned property. The zoo is privately owned, but the land it sits on is owned by the City of Houston. The Houston Zoo was required to remove a "no guns" sign posted to visitors due to a law that allows licensed concealed handgun carriers to bring their weapons on publicly-owned property. The zoo is privately ... more Image 1 of / 51 Caption Close Houston Zoo forced to remove 'no guns' sign by city 1 / 51 Back to Gallery

At the behest of the City of Houston which was prompted by a prominent Texas gun rights group, the Houston Zoo has been forced to remove all "no guns" signage from its premises.

Attorney Edwin Walker with Texas Law Shield, a legal services firm for gun owners, sent a demand letter to the Houston Zoo and its corporate entity and the city's parks and recreation department on Sept. 3 asking that they take down all 30.06 (guns prohibited) signs at the zoo.

A 30.06 sign can be used by a business owner to prohibit a CHL holder from bringing a firearm into business. The signs refer to Texas Penal Code 30.06 which forbids CHL holders from bringing firearms into locales with 30.06 signs in plain sight at the entrance or a "conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public."

Walker noted in his letter that the zoo's 30.06 sign was in violation of Texas Government Code §411.209 because, though the zoo is privately owned, it sits on property owned by the City of Houston

Accordingly, it is not a place where firearms or concealed handguns may be prohibited under Texas Penal Code §46.03 or §46.035.

Walker planned on taking his complaint to the Office of the Texas Attorney General before the city stepped in.

By Sunday, the signs were gone.

RELATED: 'Can I bring my gun to the zoo?' and other questions you might only hear in Texas

On Monday, zoo officials said in a statement that they were "investigating the legal implications of the request" as they honored it in the meantime.

"We do recognize that this has the potential to confuse or concern our guests and members and we want to emphasize that this will not alter our number-one priority, which is the safety of our guests, employees and animals.”

Zoo spokesperson Jackie Wallace said the zoo has not yet heard what will happen in January when Texas’ new open carry laws go into effect.