Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo These Humboldt Penguin chicks hatched on March 1 and March 17 to two different sets of parents. World Penguin Day is today, April 25, a special day to celebrate all 18 species of penguins on the planet and the recent hatching of two Humboldt penguins at Woodland Park Zoo. Two chicks, both females, hatched March 1 and March 17 to two different sets of parents. Incubation for penguins takes 39 to 41 days, with both parents sharing incubation duties in the nest and day-to-day care for their chicks. The parents of the oldest chick are mother Merlin and father Groucho. This is Merlin’s first chick while Groucho has had several offspring with his previous mate, now deceased. The parents of the second chick are mother Rosalita and father Leonardo; this prolific pair has had 13 chicks together since 2014. Most penguins mate for life. Penguin keeper, Celine holds one of the young chicks. The chicks are off e

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Kwame shares a "smooch" with daughter Zuna as Yola looks on. We are lucky in Seattle to have two family groups of western lowland gorillas at Woodland Park Zoo—each led by its own silverback male. A couple weeks ago we gave you an update on silverback Nadaya’s group . So now it’s time to check in with silverback Kwame and his family. Kwame, who is 23 years old, lives with females Uzumma (15), Nadiri (27), Akenji (21), and Yola (7), plus the two youngsters, his 3-year-old son (with Uzumma) Kitoko and 2-year-old daughter (with Nadiri) Zuna. Kwame is a wonderful, attentive father and a steady, protective silverback for his family. Over the last few years, Kwame has proven to be a wonderful and attentive father to Kitoko and Zuna as well as a steady, protective, and calming presence for the females in his group—exactly what a silverback should be for his family. Our gorilla keepers describe