Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Kate Neville, Development Here’s your chance to help us save endangered turtles—all you have to do is cast a vote! Woodland Park Zoo has been selected as one of three local conservation organizations to participate in the 2009 Patagonia Voice Your Choice Program . From September 24 through October 24, customers at the downtown Seattle store will learn more about each of the three selected organizations. Customers can then vote for their favorite organization. Grants will be awarded based on the voting—First place: $2,500, Second place: $1,500, and Third place: $1,000. Proceeds from this program will go to Woodland Park Zoo's Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project , a collaborative, grass-roots effort to restore Western pond turtle populations in Washington state. Funds will help cover the costs of Woodland Park Zoo's headstarting program, in which baby turtles are reared in captivity, then released into the wild when they are large enough to be safe from predators. ...

Posted by: Ryan Hawk, Photographer The first Chilean flamingo chick born at Woodland Park Zoo continues to grow and develop. Its big legs, loud squawks, and fuzzy/downy white feathers make this little guy unique. (Seen here in the tub of water at 1 week old.) Now 2 weeks old, the chick has been introduced to water, as well as to solid foods in the form of a slurry which it has already learned to filter feed from. The chick is currently off public view. Photos by Ryan Hawk

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Woodland Park Zoo's conservationists and staff photographer traveled to Papua New Guinea in April this year to help celebrate the passage of PNG’s first national Conservation Area —a conservation milestone 12 years in the making with Woodland Park Zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program , partners , and PNG villagers and government. This video transports you to the Sing Sing celebration in the highland village of Teptep, Papua New Guinea, complete with songs and dances honoring this national achievement and the international unity behind it. Hear from the many Papua New Guinea nationals who have contributed their own land, time and dedication to this project. In the words of one PNG landowner you’ll see in the video, “I saw that people were destroying the land. But I said, save the land. Save it and look after it. Easy does it—step by step.” This is one huge step we are proud to be part of. Go here to learn more about the 187,000 acre Y...

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications We’ve got exciting news! A Chilean flamingo chick has hatched at Woodland Park Zoo, marking the first time the zoo has successfully hatched a Chilean flamingo in its 109-year history! The chick hatched in an incubator on August 25, following a 29-day incubation period. To ensure a higher chance of survival, a team of dedicated and expert staff are hand-raising and hand-feeding the chick off public exhibit for now. You might remember the arrival of a new flock of more than 25 flamingos last year. They debuted in a brand new 4,000-square-foot exhibit that opened in May 2008. This spring represented the first full breeding season for the new flock in the new exhibit as the graceful birds put on a striking show of synchronized courtship and ritualized behaviors for zoo guests – head flagging, wing saluting and marching in sequence and unison. This active display culminated with nest building, egg laying and one chick to date! Zoo guests can see the ...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Fall is around the corner, which means it’s time for Woodland Park Zoo’s annual Fall Fecal Fest. Garden enthusiasts and Zoo Doo loyalists, get ready to enter a drawing to purchase the highly coveted Zoo Doo. The pungent piles of poop make up the richest, most highly aromatic and exotic compost in the Pacific Northwest. This year there is less Zoo Doo to go around, making the lottery more competitive. How do you get your hands on this precious poop? Dr. Doo is accepting entry cards for Zoo Doo or Bedspread (a composted mulch made from the manures and bedding of the zoo’s non-primate herbivores) from September 11 through September 25 only . Entry cards will be randomly selected according to supply and demand. Dr. Doo will contact the lucky drawn entries only. The Fecal Fest traditionally sells out. The rules: Only one postcard per person is eligible for the drawing. Phone orders will not be taken. Send a standard postcard to Zoo Doo, Woodland P...