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Home Sweet Home Thanks to Seattle Park District Funds

Posted by Kizz Prusia, Communications
Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo

There really is no place like home. Home is where we rest, relax and where we go to recharge. For our residents—the 1,200 animals who call Woodland Park Zoo home— home is where they snooze, play, explore and snack.

Seeing Woodland Park Zoo as a home is crucial to how we care for our animals—and just like your home—the zoo needs improvement from time to time to stay in top condition.

We are extremely grateful to Seattle voters for passing the Seattle Park District ballot measure nearly three years ago. The funding provided by the Park District—about $1.8 million a year—goes toward maintaining our dens, trees, caves, hot rocks, roofs and watering holes.

With this funding, we are able to update old parts of the zoo and keep new parts well-maintained. We consider this “home improvement” to also be preventative maintenance. We’d like to highlight a couple of important projects we have done around the zoo this year.  


Keep warm, keep well 



Some of our favorite memories are made around warmth. Snuggled up under blankets, cozy and sharing the heat with people we love. Baby gorilla Yola and mom Nadiri share the warmth with each other in the gorilla den they call home.

The gorilla dens at the zoo just got a major upgrade. With the design and final installation of a new air-handling and heating system, the gorillas will be cozy for months to come. These additions were completed at the end of September. This type of improvement allows the zoo to continue to provide excellent welfare just in time for the winter months. Thanks to Seattle Park District funding for making it possible to stay cozy. 


Walk this way



The zoo’s Northern Trail Boardwalk replacement project has begun! With Seattle Park District funding, Woodland Park Zoo will be able to entirely replace the original wood structure which has stood since 1993.

The Northern Trail mimics the habitat of Alaska’s tundra and taiga region and features animals that make this area their home including: brown bears, Roosevelt elk, river otters, snowy owls, mountain goat and Steller’s sea eagles. The new design was completed in June of 2017, followed by construction, which will continue throughout the end of the year. The new boardwalk leading in and out of the area will make it easier for guests to visit the animals and was made possible by Park District funding.

Could I trouble you for some browse?



When we are not busy making changes for home improvement and preventative maintenance we are busy sharing meals with those we love. At the zoo meals for several animals is browse—branches, twigs, and other forms of vegetation—and is typically collected by the horticulture team. 

This past month the zoo’s Horticulture team received a helping hand from City of Seattle Parks and Recreation. After hearing from the zoo, Parks promptly responded and helped the zoo collect willow and alder to be shared by #seattlestallestdad Dave. In all, two truckloads of browse were dumped at the giraffe barn.

Although there is an existing connection to Parks through the Seattle Parks District, this food gathering was a unique experience. This was the first joint collection of browse between Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle Parks for Dave. We plan on continuing this collection work together moving forward.

We are very thankful to Seattle voters and Seattle Parks for helping us make the zoo a better home for all of our animals! 

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