Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications The snuggle is real! Mom Kushali cuddles with sloth bear cub, Bowie, in a quiet off-view maternity den. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo As winter hangs on and people still immerse in hygge, a mama sloth bear is denning up with her new cub, a girl! The cub was born in January to mom Kushali and dad Bhutan. The gestation period for sloth bears is about six months. The zoo’s sloth bear team has named the cub Bowie as a tribute to the late David Bowie whose birthday is January 8, the same day the cub was born. The last birth of sloth bears at the zoo was in 2022 when Kushali gave birth to her first offspring—a son and daughter who continue to thrive at new homes. Woodland Park Zoo Animal Curator Martin Ramirez explained that Bowie is nursing regularly, she’s very vocal and she has a full, rounded tummy, all positive signs she’s healthy. Kushali and Bowie are currently living in an off-view maternity den for a more quiet, comfortable environment to encourage...

Posted by Joanna Klass, Woodland Park Zoo Animal Care Manager Editor's Note: In addition to being an Animal Care Manager at Woodland Park Zoo, Joanna serves as Vice Chair for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Anseriformes Taxon Advisory Group. She also volunteers with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which heads up the research project she writes about here. Emperor geese at Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo If anyone saw me walking through the airport last June, they would’ve thought ‘TSA is going to love her!’. The item in question was a portable incubator, which on the outside looks like a hard, black briefcase with wires and a temperature readout on the front. In other words, not your typical roller-bag luggage. So, why was I taking this unusual item through the TSA gauntlet? It had a very important place to be—the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska. I was invited by Tasha DiMarzio, a waterfowl biologist for the Alaska D...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto/Communications with Animal Keeper Maddie Weholt Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Happy 3rd birthday to Juniper and Fern! Since their arrival at Woodland Park Zoo in 2022, rescued brown bears Juniper and Fern have snuggled into just about every heart in the Puget Sound. They are now snuggled up in their very own den—dreaming of spring! The brown bears during a lazy wrestle sesh on a den-break in January 2025. Both cubs were rescued from their native habitats. Juniper is a coastal brown bear from Anchorage, Alaska; Fern is a grizzly bear from Montana. They were too young to survive on their own. It is estimated the cubs were each born in January 2022. An image from the den cam shows Fern and Juniper snug as can be! January 2025 Fern and Juniper bonded quickly after being introduced on Woodland Park Zoo's Living Northwest Trail in November 2022 and the rest is history. We can't believe these love muffins are turning three! While we don'...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications The Indianapolis Prize has named six distinguished conservationists as DeHaan Finalists for the 2025 award, and Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce that Lisa Dabek, PhD, senior conservation scientist at the zoo and founder of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program in Papua New Guinea, is among the six finalists.  Lisa Dabek, PhD, in Papua New Guinea with a Matschie's tree kangaroo. Photo by Jonathan Byers. The esteemed biennial award recognizes animal conservationists who have achieved major victories in saving an animal species or group of species. The DeHaan Finalists will each receive a $50,000 award to continue their efforts. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Indianapolis Prize is the world’s leading award for animal conservation, honoring individuals who are at the forefront of species protection and research. Nearly 30 years ago, Dabek traveled to the remote Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive Matschie’s ...

 Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Royal ball python, Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren | Woodland Park Zoo Lunar New Year ushers in 2025 with intelligence,  resilience  and renewal as we celebrate year of the snake! The symbol of the snake in the Chinese zodiac is known to represent charm, intuition and deep thinking. This year is also an Earth snake, which means 2025 could be a year for growth and creativity.    As snake enthusiasts, we also want to take this opportunity to celebrate snakes as the ecological powerhouses that they are. Snakes encourage biodiversity and are often ecosystem stabilizers as both predator and prey. There are more than 3,000 species of snake worldwide and around 150 species native to North America. At Woodland Park Zoo, we have a long history of caring for snakes and educating guests about their role in the ecosystem. We want you to get to know a few of our snakes—and hopefully you can channel their cool, chill, ectothermic vibes into 2025...