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Goodbye to our beautiful gray wolf Kaya

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren and Dennis Dow Woodland Park Zoo Kaya on Living Northwest Trail in 2023 Woodland Park Zoo is mourning the loss of a female gray wolf named Kaya (KAI-yuh). The 13-year-old passed away while under anesthesia for a diagnostic procedure at the zoo’s veterinary hospital. In human care, the median life expectancy is 11–12 years old. At 13 years old, Kaya was a geriatric wolf. Woodland Park Zoo has been home to gray wolves for more than 70 years. Kaya arrived at the zoo in 2010 along with three of her sisters, all 1 year old at the time. Only one wolf, Shila (SHY-lah), a sister of Kaya, remains at the zoo; two of their sisters passed away over the last couple of years. Shila lives in the Living Northwest Trail, which is also home to the new Canada lynx, brown bears, snowy owls, elk, river otters, western pond turtles and more wildlife native to the Pacific Northwest. “For more than seven decades, gray wolves have always
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The world’s rarest goose makes its zoo debut—meet the nene!

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Meet the newest members of our Woodland Park Zoo family—a pair of nene (pronounced nay-nay) also known as the Hawaiian goose. This species is the rarest goose in the world and it's the first time we've had them here in the zoo’s 123-year-old history. The male, 11 years old, and female, 5 years old, can be seen in the zoo’s Conservation Aviary walk-through along with other bird species including tawny frogmouths and Nicobar pigeons. Found only in Hawaii, the nene is the largest native land animal in the state. With a current population of approximately 3,800 nene in its native range, it is the sixth most endangered waterfowl species worldwide. Once numbering in the thousands, the population dropped to only 30 birds by the early 1950s due to predation by invasive species such as feral dogs, cats, rats, and mongoose in addition to hunting. For the past six decades, breeding and reintroduction p

Two New Joeys on World Tree Kangaroo Day: Celebrating 50 years of the Endangered Species Act

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Get excited! This Sunday, May 21, is World Tree Kangaroo Day and Woodland Park Zoo is celebrating by announcing two new endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo joeys at the zoo.  Female tree kangaroos Elanna, 15, and Omari, 14, gave birth to the unnamed pair of joeys—the zoo’s male tree kangaroo Rocket, 9, fathered both. These joeys were actually born in August 2022 but have recently become large enough to be visible in their mother’s pouches. The arrival of these marvelous marsupials is particularly exciting because the zoo broke ground earlier this month on their future home. The new immersive, best-in-class exhibit will be home to Matschie’s tree kangaroos, red pandas, keas and forest reptiles. The exhibit, scheduled to open in 2026, will mark the first time visitors at Woodland Park Zoo will have an opportunity to see the tree kangaroos in a decade! Please note, tree kangaroos live in a behind

Catch the Buzz: Bug World is open again, with a new look and some new residents!

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Two brilliantly colored flamboyant flower beetles in Bug World.  After being closed for several months, Woodland Park Zoo's popular Bug World building has reopened with upgrades and the reintroduction of arthropods—the largest group of invertebrates. Admission to Bug World is included with general zoo admission. A garden fruit chafer insect. From the temperate forest and desert to the savanna and tropics, Bug World unleashes the world of 16 species of arthropods. Discover the Mexican red-knee tarantula, western horse lubber, two-spotted assassin bug, Peruvian fire walking stick, flamboyant flower beetle, fierce waterbug, emperor scorpion and many more, and develop a new appreciation for these animals. A new kind of lighting in this revamped space more closely replicates what all the species in Bug World would experience in their natural habitats—all the better for their care! One of the new feat

Newly hatched Humboldt penguin chicks—a symbol of hope for World Penguin Day!

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo These Humboldt Penguin chicks hatched on March 1 and March 17 to two different sets of parents. World Penguin Day is today, April 25, a special day to celebrate all 18 species of penguins on the planet and the recent hatching of two Humboldt penguins at Woodland Park Zoo. Two chicks, both females, hatched March 1 and March 17 to two different sets of parents. Incubation for penguins takes 39 to 41 days, with both parents sharing incubation duties in the nest and day-to-day care for their chicks. The parents of the oldest chick are mother Merlin and father Groucho. This is Merlin’s first chick while Groucho has had several offspring with his previous mate, now deceased. The parents of the second chick are mother Rosalita and father Leonardo; this prolific pair has had 13 chicks together since 2014. Most penguins mate for life. Penguin keeper, Celine holds one of the young chicks. The chicks are off e

Update on Kwame's family group

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Kwame shares a "smooch" with daughter Zuna as Yola looks on. We are lucky in Seattle to have two family groups of western lowland gorillas at Woodland Park Zoo—each led by its own silverback male. A couple weeks ago we gave you an update on silverback Nadaya’s group . So now it’s time to check in with silverback Kwame and his family. Kwame, who is 23 years old, lives with females Uzumma (15), Nadiri (27), Akenji (21), and Yola (7), plus the two youngsters, his 3-year-old son (with Uzumma) Kitoko and 2-year-old daughter (with Nadiri) Zuna. Kwame is a wonderful, attentive father and a steady, protective silverback for his family. Over the last few years, Kwame has proven to be a wonderful and attentive father to Kitoko and Zuna as well as a steady, protective, and calming presence for the females in his group—exactly what a silverback should be for his family. Our gorilla keepers describe

Nadaya and his Woodland Park Zoo family

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Nadaya is such a handsome silverback! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Lots of you have been asking for updates on our western lowland gorilla families. Let’s start with Nadaya, our silverback who is about to celebrate a birthday, turning 22 on April 4. Nadaya lives with three females, Olympia, Jamani and Jumoke. You may remember that Nadaya, Olympia and Jamani all arrived here at Woodland Park Zoo last year to form a new family group with Jumoke , who had been living alone since Vip (her male companion) died in 2021. We are happy to report that this group is doing great together, and they seem relaxed and at ease in each other’s company—a very good sign of bonding. Nadaya and Olympia. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Our gorilla keepers already know Jumoke—and they’re thrilled to see her thriving as an active part of a family group once again—but these last few months have given them time to get to know the individ