Woodland Park Zoo Blog

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Zoo prepares gorilla Kitoko for move to new home: Visit him in Seattle by August 31

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Kitoko in January, 2026. Photo by Beth Keplinger/Woodland Park Zoo Be sure to swing by Woodland Park Zoo and share good vibes and feels with 6-year-old Kitoko (ki-TOE-koh), a male western lowland gorilla, as he gets ready to embark on a new chapter of his life by moving to a new home. The last day to see Kitoko and show him some love will be Monday, August 31. Kitoko, whose name means beautiful or handsome in the African languages, Lingala (lin-gah-lah)/Kikongo (key-KON-goh), has reached the subadult stage of a gorilla when males naturally leave their natal group (birth family) or are driven out to form bachelor groups with other young adult males. This "bachelor stage" of life can last several years while they learn from each other how to navigate gorilla society before eventually maturing into a silverback (adult male) who may be able to lead his own group of females and start a family. April 2022, Kit...

New month-long All For Access program: Nominate deserving community members for free zoo tickets!

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce a new one-month program inviting the public to nominate deserving community members, friends and family for free general admission zoo tickets. The zoo wants to be a place for all people and recognizes that financial, cultural or ability barriers can sometimes make access to the zoo a challenge. This month, community members are invited to help expand access to Woodland Park Zoo by nominating an individual or family who could benefit from a free, joyful and uplifting zoo experience as part of the All for Access nomination program. The All for Access nomination program is one of several ways community members can participate in Woodland Park Zoo's All for Animals campaign. The campaign celebrates the many ways people can support wildlife, conservation, and meaningful connections with nature while helping ensure the zoo remains welcoming and accessible to ...

Hang Time Doubled: Woodland Park Zoo Welcomes Second Sloth!

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Welcome, Jessie! We're excited to hang with you! Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of Jessie, a female Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, who is joining Fezzik, the male sloth who arrived last year. Jessie, 26, was born September 10, 1999, at Philadelphia Zoo and has had three offspring. Her arrival marks an exciting new chapter for the zoo and gives guests another opportunity to connect with this elusive tree-dwelling species. Jessie, who is 26 years old, recently arrived from Philadelphia Zoo. Jessie and Fezzik,11, are Hoffmann’s two-toed sloths— Choloepus hoffmanni —a species known for its slow-moving, upside-down lifestyle in the forest canopy. Named for the two long, curved claws on each front foot, these nocturnal mammals spend much of their time resting, climbing and browsing on leaves, fruit and flowers. Sloths are found in Central and South America and are generally known fo...

Hatched Happiness: Woodland Park Zoo Welcomes New Humboldt Penguin Chick!

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo We are eggstatic to announce the arrival of a new Humboldt penguin chick! The chick hatched June 20 to mom Merlin and dad Tucker; she represents the first chick between the 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. Most penguins mate for life. The yet-to-be named chick remains in a nesting burrow where she is under the care of mom and dad. Staff routinely weigh her to ensure she’s achieving growth milestones with minimal disturbance to the parents. The chick will join the colony in the outdoor habitat later this summer. Thanks to the expertise and dedication of the penguin care staff, Woodland Park Zoo has one of the most successful Humboldt penguin breeding programs in North America. Since the zoo’s first breeding season in 2010, a year after the new penguin habitat opened, the zoo has success...

Zoo’s baby gorillas have names: Say hello to Kadre and Oku!

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Editors note: a previous version of this blog incorrectly stated that western lowland gorillas live in the range where Mandinka is spoken. They do not. The information has been corrected below. Jamani, holding baby Oku is on the left. Olympia holding Kadre on the right. Photo: Beth Keplinger/Woodland Park Zoo With a little help from friends, Woodland Park Zoo’s western lowland baby gorillas, both males, have been officially named: Kadre (ka-DRAY) and Oku (OH-koo). Western lowland gorillas live in lowland tropical forests and swampy clearings in Central Africa. Kadre was born on May 18 to mom Jamani. The opportunity to name him was given to Woodland Park Zoo Board member Jill Walker and her husband, Scott Walker, as a small token of gratitude for their long-time, generous support of the zoo. “We’re so honored to have the privilege of naming the baby gorilla. Kadre, meaning ‘helper’ and ‘supporter’ in the Mandinka language, feels fittin...

A small cat joins the zoo’s wave of new animals—meet the manul!

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Hello Goose! This particular cat species may not meow, but it has attitude and a grumpy face to back it up. Meet the newest animal member at Woodland Park Zoo, a manul (MAH-nool, rhymes with cool) named Goose. The male feline arrived from Columbus Zoo in Ohio and just turned 2 years old. Just one glance at the manul’s face and it’s no wonder grumpy cat comes to mind. With a flat-looking face, wide-set ears and round pupils, this cat displays some of the funniest expressions in the feline kingdom. More commonly known as Pallas’s cat, manul is the cat's name in the Mongolian language. Woodland Park Zoo received its first manul, two females, in 1992 as a gift from Chongqing Zoo as part of the Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association. The last manul at Woodland Park Zoo passed away in 2005 of age-related causes. “People may be curious about his peculiar name, Goose, for a cat. He was named Goose at...