Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Hello, Zuna! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo  With World Gorilla Day coming up in just a few days (it’s September 24) this is the perfect time for an update on the youngest members of our western lowland gorilla family—Kitoko and Zuna! While mom Nadiri is trying to rest, Zuna uses that time to explore! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Little Zuna is nearly 8 months old right now and is doing great! She weighs around 11 ½ pounds now, which is double her birth weight. Zuna continues to become more and more active and while mama Nadiri tends to keep her close, she is on the move whenever she gets the chance. Sometimes, when Nadiri is trying to get some rest (because being a gorilla mama is a 24/7 job!) Zuna uses that time to venture out a bit—climbing or toddling around. She still takes bottles from the gorilla keepers a few times a day but is trying lots of solid foods now too, including cucumber, yams, carrots...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications The Komodo habitat is open again after undergoing significant improvements to make it better for the lizards, and for you!  Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Komodo dragons. They’re reptilian icons. They’re rare. They’re the largest lizards on the planet. And, visitors can discover these ambush predators at Woodland Park Zoo where two male Komodo dragons live. Their home has reopened after being closed all summer while undergoing extensive upgrades to improve their welfare, increase exhibit sustainability and enhance the visitor experience. Phoro: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo opened its Komodo dragon exhibit in 2000 with all the necessary comforts to meet the standards of care for the lizards. “However, in two decades we have come to understand the husbandry for these animals has advanced significantly and we needed to make changes to their home to ensure it evolves and matches the current state-of-th...

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Photos, Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Hello, Ande! World, meet Ande! Woodland Park Zoo’s baby Southern pudu, a male born in July , officially has a name. While Ande may be one of the world’s smallest deer, he’s actually named after the second-highest mountain range in the world—the Andes Mountains! It’s also where pudu like Ande are native to. Watch a video announcing the name here:  https://youtu.be/qAQD-zwI6TY Ande is growing very quickly! At about 2 months old, he’s already half as big as his parents. But even fully grown, pudu are only about 15 inches tall. Some of his favorite snacks are romaine lettuce, banana peels and nutritional grain. The spots on his coat have already started to fade and will continue to fade as he grows and matures into his adult coat. Ande loves snacking on romaine, in addition to banana peels and grain. Ande was named by Ellie Woodall, a budding animal lover from Richland, Wash., whose grandparents have been great zoo s...