Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Hello, Zuna! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo  With World Gorilla Day coming up in just a few days (it’s September 24) this is the perfect time for an update on the youngest members of our western lowland gorilla family—Kitoko and Zuna! While mom Nadiri is trying to rest, Zuna uses that time to explore! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Little Zuna is nearly 8 months old right now and is doing great! She weighs around 11 ½ pounds now, which is double her birth weight. Zuna continues to become more and more active and while mama Nadiri tends to keep her close, she is on the move whenever she gets the chance. Sometimes, when Nadiri is trying to get some rest (because being a gorilla mama is a 24/7 job!) Zuna uses that time to venture out a bit—climbing or toddling around. She still takes bottles from the gorilla keepers a few times a day but is trying lots of solid foods now too, including cucumber, yams, carrots and

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications The Komodo habitat is open again after undergoing significant improvements to make it better for the lizards, and for you!  Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Komodo dragons. They’re reptilian icons. They’re rare. They’re the largest lizards on the planet. And, visitors can discover these ambush predators at Woodland Park Zoo where two male Komodo dragons live. Their home has reopened after being closed all summer while undergoing extensive upgrades to improve their welfare, increase exhibit sustainability and enhance the visitor experience. Phoro: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo opened its Komodo dragon exhibit in 2000 with all the necessary comforts to meet the standards of care for the lizards. “However, in two decades we have come to understand the husbandry for these animals has advanced significantly and we needed to make changes to their home to ensure it evolves and matches the current state-of-the-ar

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Photos, Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Hello, Ande! World, meet Ande! Woodland Park Zoo’s baby Southern pudu, a male born in July , officially has a name. While Ande may be one of the world’s smallest deer, he’s actually named after the second-highest mountain range in the world—the Andes Mountains! It’s also where pudu like Ande are native to. Watch a video announcing the name here:  https://youtu.be/qAQD-zwI6TY Ande is growing very quickly! At about 2 months old, he’s already half as big as his parents. But even fully grown, pudu are only about 15 inches tall. Some of his favorite snacks are romaine lettuce, banana peels and nutritional grain. The spots on his coat have already started to fade and will continue to fade as he grows and matures into his adult coat. Ande loves snacking on romaine, in addition to banana peels and grain. Ande was named by Ellie Woodall, a budding animal lover from Richland, Wash., whose grandparents have been great zoo suppo

Posted by: Stephen Reed, Communications. Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Youngsters attending Woodland Park Zoo Summer Camp are calling on U.S. Representatives in Congress to pass H.R. 263, the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Currently in the United States, five states lack any laws restricting ownership of big cats such as tigers and lions. The Big Cat Public Safety Act would create federal guidelines for the ownership and display of big cats and bolster efforts to prevent trafficking these highly dangerous and extremely endangered animals. “Starting at a very young age, children have an innate curiosity about and affinity toward animals. Zoos offer an extraordinary opportunity for them to have up-close experiences with animals and to foster empathy,” said Woodland Park Zoo Wildlife Conservation Manager Bobbi Miller. “Teaching youth about the importance of actively advocating for the preservation of wildlife and halting wildlife trafficking is a critical step toward nurt

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Felicity (on the right) and Oceane (on the left) rest in a tree. Photo: HUTAN Today, on International Orangutan Day, we are getting word about something that’s never happened before—and it’s incredible! For the first known time, an orangutan has adopted another orangutan in the wild after the 5-year-old youngster tragically lost her mother. Meet Felicity and Oceane, two orangutans whose relationship proves that sometimes love can defy one’s wildest expectations. Scientists with Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation partner HUTAN have been observing wild orangutans in Borneo for decades, but had never observed a bond formed like this. Marc Ancrenaz, Scientific Director for HUTAN, watched the relationship blossom between then-14-year-old Felicity and 5-year-old Oceane before his very eyes. Ancrenaz says that after the loss of Oceane’s mother Jenny, it was a silver lining that no one was expecting. Jenny, seen here in 2012, was the dominant female at

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo A group of native, endangered western pond turtles were released into a protected wetland in Pierce County today. Today was graduation day of sorts for our “class of 2021” western pond turtles. 35 of the endangered youngsters—one of only two turtle species native to Washington state—were released back into the wild this morning in a protected wetland in Pierce County. It’s all part of Woodland Park Zoo’s Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project , which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. It’s an occasion that hasn’t gone unnoticed by state leaders, as Governor Jay Inslee has proclaimed August 8–14, 2021 as “Western Pond Turtle Recovery Week.” For 30 years, Woodland Park Zoo has been head starting these turtles until they're big enough to escape the mouths of non-native predatory bullfrogs. In 1990, there were only about 150 western pond turtles left in Washington, and the species nearly went e