Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Jenny Mears, Education Interested in pursuing your degree through the Advanced Inquiry Program? Join us for an informational forum on November 13! Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) has teamed up with Project Dragonfly from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to offer the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP), an exciting Master’s program for a broad range of environmental and education professionals, including classroom teachers, zoo and aquarium professionals, and informal educators. The AIP offers a ground-breaking graduate degree focused on inquiry-driven learning as a powerful agent for social change, public engagement, and ecological stewardship. Woodland Park Zoo is one of eight institutions across the country that offers the AIP Master’s. The first AIP cohort at WPZ started in 2011 (many of whom are graduating this December!) and students have already reported positive changes in their personal and professional lives. We asked Carole Parks, AIP graduate student and an instructo...

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Riddle me this, bat lovers: is there anything more awesome than a close up view of a colony of Indian flying foxes? Watch the Bat Cam now! This Halloween, we're introducing the newest Woodland Park Zoo webcam , streaming live 24/7 from the Adaptations Building. Now you can check in on the roost of furry winged Indian flying foxes  all day, or all night if you want! Watch the colony of six male fruit bats as they dine, groom each other and chill out upside down. The crew hanging out in the Adaptations Building. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. In celebration of the new webcam , and because bats need love all year (not just at Halloween!), let’s take a closer look at the awesomeness of bats and why they need your support.  There are about fifteen species of bat found in Washington alone, including the big brown bat many know, and bats with catchy names like hoary bat and Myotis evotis . With so many b...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications At almost three months old, it’s time for giraffe calf Misawa to stretch his long legs. Keepers have begun to give the giraffe calf, his mom Olivia and aunt Tufani access to the savanna for short introduction sessions on warmer days. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Last week Misawa took his very first steps onto the savanna exhibit. On day one, all the animals were cleared from the savanna except the easy-to-get-along-with gazelle and ducks. It was a foggy morning when Misawa emerged through the mists to find a world full of new sights, sounds and tastes surrounding him. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. He stuck close to mom’s side at first, but curiosity took over and he began to check out what the rest of the savanna had in store for him. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Day one didn’t last much longer than an hour, but he has been spending more and more time outside as the introductions continue. F...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Armed with a tiny toothbrush, zookeepers are determined to give our gila monster some minty, fresh breath.  Gila monster extreme close-up. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. We don’t recommend trying this at home—gila monsters are one of only a handful of venomous lizards—but do watch what it takes for the keepers to ensure the oral health of an aging, 43-year-old male gila monster here at Woodland Park Zoo. Video : Monster gets his teeth brushed. Produced by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo. The tooth brushing and regular antibiotics help with the gila monster’s gingivitis and gum inflammation, not uncommon in aging lizards. As you can see in the video, he’s quite cooperative, allowing one keeper to hold him in place while the other gently brushes. The toothpaste leaves him with that fresh-from-the-dentist gleam. When placed back into his exhibit, he always takes a big drink of water as if to rinse! Back on e...

Posted by: Deborah Jensen, President and CEO The Elephant Task Force —the citizens committee that has been evaluating our zoo’s elephant exhibit and program, including a health assessment of our elephants Chai, Watoto and Bamboo—has just released their final report. I wanted to make sure that you had the opportunity to review the report for yourself. Full report available online. In the report, you’ll find that the Task Force has unanimously adopted the medical assessment by the Expert Review Panel that recognizes the good health and well-being of our elephants, as well as providing multiple options for even better accommodations for our elephants. The report recognizes that the elephant program plays a vital role in the zoo’s conservation mission and concludes that the program efforts should continue and consider further expansion to provide even more value to conservation education. Chai, an Asian elephant at Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Ryan Hawk/WPZ. What’s nex...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Halloween comes to Woodland Park Zoo with Pumpkin Bash presented by Delta Dental of Washington just around the corner — coming up Oct. 26 & 27. Please, oh, please let there be fishes in this pumpkin. Photo: Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo. Pumpkins for the animals, trick-or-treating, and more are in store for little goblins and ghosts at Woodland Park Zoo’s family-friendly Pumpkin Bash. See how pumpkins bring out the animals’ wild instincts as hippos chomp, elephants smash, meerkats dig, and bears crunch their way through the festive treats. Activities free with zoo admission or membership. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Exclusive Discount: During Pumpkin Bash, one child 12 years and under in costume is admitted FREE with a paid adult (cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion). Need a jumpstart on a Halloween costume? Download one of our free masks and get crafting on a DIY animal costume. You...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications The lion cubs' first birthday is just weeks away, coming up November 8. The growing quadruplets have come a long way since their debut. Remember when they took their first steps outside at just three months old? The foursome stuck close to mom and tentatively explored all the new sights and smells that surrounded them. Now at 11 months old, the cubs run this space with total confidence. (Love that there’s one staring off into space in both photos!) Top: The lion cubs on their first day outside at 3 months old, photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo; Bottom: Now 11 months old, the lion cubs strut with confidence, photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. They are coming into the age now where they would begin to hunt. Those predatory behaviors we've watched them develop through play are starting to become more honed and skilled. Take a look at those no-joke claws. Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. It is easy to tell the two...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Did you know that whenever you buy a 12 oz. bag of Caffe Vita's Zoo Special Reserve coffee, Caffe Vita donates $1 of every purchase to Woodland Park Zoo? We love their commitment to helping the environment, which is why we serve this shade-grown, organic and Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee here at the zoo, too! Coffee : Grizzlies :: Catnip : Cats. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo Now through the month of October, when you buy a 12 oz. bag of Zoo Special Reserve at any Caffe Vita location, you will automatically be entered to win a Woodland Park Zoo Family Fun Pack good for two adult and two child zoo admission tickets to keep or to share! We recommend drinking the coffee, but the grizzlies have other ideas about the best way to use those grounds.

Posted by: Terry Blumer, ZooStore Photos by Terry Blumer/Woodland Park Zoo Editor’s Note: In this final installment, ZooStore manager Terry Blumer takes us inside the conservation commerce workshops in Mongolia he recently helped lead for local artisans, creating an eco-friendly income alternative to poaching in snow leopard habitat with the zoo’s conservation partner, the Snow Leopard Trust . See parts one and two to catch up with Terry’s travels and understand the role of conservation commerce in the zoo’s conservation mission. Four large work areas, lots and lots of wool and fifty-plus people make for an action packed and fun-filled day! Well, actually, five days—but time passes quickly when you are working hard AND having fun and that is exactly what we've been doing. Introducing new ideas and discussing techniques and topics is challenging enough in one language and twice as lengthy and challenging when going through a translator. Challenges aside, this is important...