Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications This October 3, nearly 60 breweries from around the Pacific Northwest are setting up shop at Woodland Park Zoo. But this isn’t just any beer-fest—it’s Brew at the Zoo —and each ticket sold raises money to save wildlife and their wild places locally and around the world. Beer is awesome, obviously. But it’s even more awesome when it supports a good cause. The breweries that are coming to Brew at the Zoo know that, which is why they show their support by donating their brews year after year.   One of those brews, an iconic Seattle ale, was born not far from Woodland Park Zoo’s 92-acre oasis. Perhaps you’ve heard of Mac & Jack’s African Amber—it’s one of the best-selling craft beers in the entire state of Washington. But in the early 1990s, it was just an unnamed brew created by Mac Rankin and Jack Schropp specifically for Park Pub, a Phinney Ridge hangout just down the street from the zoo. Bruce Springer, then-owner of P...

Posted by Carolyn Sellar, Animal Keeper Photos by Carolyn Sellar, Woodland Park Zoo “So today was a glorious day, again it was HOT and my legs were tired, and I can’t wait to get a full 8 hours of sleep, but being in the forest is so... incredible. It breathes, it’s so alive, and there is just such an amount of peacefulness while I am in here.” With beads of sweat dripping down her face, animal keeper Carolyn Sellar records into her video diary after a day of trekking in tiger forest. She never wants to forget how it feels to be seeing firsthand the habitat and wildlife she works so hard to protect. “ The heat the humidity, the fatigue, the trekking… doesn’t matter. There is something about being in the forest. All the life—being where tigers and elephants are just roaming in their own habitat—it’s so inspiring and it makes you want to help.” Carolyn works with Malayan tigers and orangutans here in Seattle at Woodland Park Zoo, and is a passionate advocate for endangere...

Posted by Barbara Segal, Intern Don’t you wish you had a fairy godmother who could transform your old stuff into something new and beautiful? Or maybe little elves that came out at night and made useful things for you from the odds and ends in your home? Someone at your zoo must have made a wish like that, because we have a whole guild of magicians who transform fallen trees, disassembled fences, and general almost-rubbish into things that our animals, keepers and guests use every day. Our exhibits team knows how to reuse, not only saving natural resources, but saving money so we can put more toward our animals and conservation.  Some of our Exhibits crew! Photo by Barbara Segal, Woodland Park Zoo Last winter, downed trees and branches were everywhere after the 2018 Snowpocalypse. Lots of us put them in our yard waste. But did our team? No way. All those great trunks and branches were put in storage yards, along with the remains of trees removed because they were sick or ha...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Mountain goats Daisy and mom Bluebelle shortly after Daisy's birth in June 2018. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo  We've spent a year watching this kid grow up, and now it's time for her and her mother to move to a new home! Last summer, Woodland Park Zoo hailed the birth of a mountain goat, the first one born at the zoo in 23 years. The female goat, Daisy, sparked excitement and her cuteness made us gave us all the feels. Now it's time for Daisy and mom Bluebelle to move to a new home. Mother and daughter will be heading to Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, N.D., where they will join a male mountain goat in a newly remodeled exhibit—but you can still come see them here through September 30.  Their departure will leave two mountain goats remaining at the zoo: Atlin, half-sister of Bluebelle, and Zeus, a young male.  Daisy (left) here with Zeus (right) in January 2019. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park...

Posted by Barbara Segal, Intern Grizzly bear with a salmon treat. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. Have you ever seen our bears daintily eat their salmon? Or watched as our hungry hippos chomp a melon? How about watching our warty pigs nibble on a wreath of roses? Every day at our zoo animals from snails to rhinos feast on the tasty and nutritious meals provided by their dedicated keepers. Meeting the snack needs of over 1,100 animals is no easy task. The powerhouse of this operation is the Commissary, our central food preparation station. And our Commissary staff have been thinking sustainability! The choices we make when sourcing and preparing food for our animals can have echoes in the natural habitats of animals worldwide. Let’s follow the trail of treats to see how they do it. First, our team is choosy about where the animals’ food comes from. They work hard to get produce, meats and more from sources that are as local as possible. Sourcing locally means...