The Houston Zoo’s annual gala this year took on the theme of Flights of Fancy, celebrating the fascinating world of birds and raising funds for the organization’s forthcoming Avian Conservation Center and its other ongoing preservation efforts. And what a high-flying event it was! Hundreds packed the Zoo’s Masihara Pavilion, which was transformed into an elegant ballroom for the evening. They mingled with special guests like Fiesta the llama, then enjoyed a colorful dinner by City Kitchen. Silent and live auctions, which included such prizes as the chance to name the Texas Wetlands exhibit’s three new alligators, helped bring the night’s total till to nearly $800,000.