Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Hello, prickly friends! Bristles aside, zoo-goers can encounter from a safe distance a “prickle” of African crested porcupines at Woodland Park Zoo in the African Savanna’s former hippo habitat. A group of porcupines is known as a prickle! The porcupines were seized as part of a suspected neglect case in Oregon and are receiving housing and care at Woodland Park Zoo while that case is ongoing. While being housed at the zoo since the end of May, the prickle has multiplied with the birth of a pair of porcupettes (baby porcupines) born on July 24. These prickly cuties were seized as part of a suspected neglect case and are receiving housing and dedicated care at Woodland Park Zoo while that case is ongoing. “While performing a morning routine for the porcupines, including checking on, feeding and cleaning the den, a member of the animal care team came upon the two baby porcupines, known as porcupet...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher These Goliath beetles are ... well ... Goliath! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo They’re big! They’re super cool! They’re the current rockstars of Bug World—the BEETLES! Goliath beetles ( Goliathus goliatus ) are among the largest and heaviest of all insects with some mature males measuring in at more than 4 inches long! These gentle giants (males can be aggressive towards rival male beetles but are generally harmless to humans) are native to central and west Africa. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo These beetles spend much of their short lives as a larva then a pupa before finally emerging as adults with the entire life cycle lasting up to a year or so.  Dedicated Bug World keeper, Maria, gently holds the Goliath beetle larva —and YES, it is bigger than her finger! Photo: Courtesy of Maria Buckner/Woodland Park Zoo Check our the hand-sized clay/sand pupal structure from which an adult Goliath beetle will emerge!  Photo: C...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Hello, Fezzik! We're already in love with this Hoffmann's two-toed sloth. Some news to keep you on your toes! For the first time in five years, a new sloth is calling Woodland Park Zoo home. The sloth, named Fezzik after a character in The Princess Bride, is 10 years old and recently arrived from Milwaukee County Zoo. Fezzik is a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth—Choloepus hoffmanni—they are solitary, tree-dwelling mammals named for their two long, curved claws on each of their front feet. These slow-moving nocturnal creatures spend the majority of their time hanging upside down in forest canopies where fruit, leaves and flowers are plentiful for munching. From every angle, Fezzik is perfection! Sloths, all of which are found in Central and South America, generally have very gentle dispositions and Fezzik is no exception! “We’re thrilled to bring a sloth species back to the zoo and Fezzik is busy l...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications A remote camera station in the North Cascades spots a visitor: a rare red fox! A carnivore in the North Cascades has lived up to its reputation—crafty as a fox. During a recent visit to a high-elevation camera station (~6,500 feet) in the North Cascades, Woodland Park Zoo field biologists discovered photos of a red fox that stopped by in early March. Given the station’s remote mountainous location, scientists are hopeful that this rare visitor was a native Cascade red fox ( Vulpes vulpes cascadensis ), a subspecies of red fox that is currently listed as Endangered in Washington state. Because Cascade red foxes are not visually distinctive from non-native red foxes, genetic information is required to determine if a fox is a Cascade red fox. The field biologists, Robert Long, PhD, and Paula MacKay, deployed the cameras last summer as part of their leadership role with the Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Program , a highly collaborative, long-term mon...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Welcome, Tuah! We're already smitten with you! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Last month Woodland Park Zoo heralded the arrival of a new female Malayan tapir, Binti. Now, her future companion, a male named Tuah, has completed the cross-country trek from Minnesota and is settling into his new digs at the zoo. Tuah, whose name means “good fortune or luck” in Malay, will turn 5 on August 8. The new tapir moved from Minnesota Zoo under a breeding recommendation by the Malayan Tapir Species Survival Plan. Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding programs across accredited zoos to help ensure healthy, genetically diverse populations of select species or subspecies. Tapirs are among the most primitive large mammals in the world, changing little in appearance for millions of years. These prehistoric-looking animals are long and similar to the weight of a light horse and look like a massive pig with a long snout. Because they h...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Hello, Binti! There’s a new tapir in town at Woodland Park Zoo! Meet Binti, a female Malayan tapir. Binti, which means “daughter of” in Malay, will celebrate her 2nd birthday in July. Binti arrived from Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas under the Malayan Tapir Species Survival Plan and will be paired with a male tapir scheduled to arrive in July. Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding programs across accredited zoos to help ensure healthy, genetically diverse populations of select species or subspecies. “We’re getting to know Binti and she’s getting to know her care team. She’s curious and very friendly as she gets to know you. She likes her snacks, particularly willow browse, and being scratched,” said Erin Sullivan, an animal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “During food preparation, she squeals and whistles loudly to let us know she’s ready for her breakfast. We are very happy she is here!”...

Posted by Farrah Paul, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo has welcomed a trio of llamas and six African crested porcupines. The animals were seized as part of a suspected neglect case in Oregon and are receiving housing and care at Woodland Park Zoo while that case is ongoing. As is standard with any new animals arriving at the zoo, the llamas and porcupines are under veterinary observation and quarantine. The three llamas are spending time quarantining together in a grassy yard near the Wildlife Theater. Guests may catch a glimpse from the Main Loop Path! The six African crested porcupines are quarantining together in an off-view area. It has yet to be determined if or when they will be moved into a publicly-visible habitat. Two Woodland Park Zoo Animal Care team staff made two trips to Oregon to pick up the llamas and porcupines. They also assisted Oregon officials in safely catching and loading additional animals destined for other ca...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Beautiful Helen — mother, grandmother and matriarch of Woodland Park Zoo's snow leopards. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is mourning the passing of snow leopard Helen, its 20-year-old matriarch and grandmother to three cubs born exactly one year ago and currently living at the zoo. Helen was humanely euthanized today due to declining health at her advanced age. She was diagnosed two years ago with kidney disease, which is not uncommon in geriatric animals, especially felines. “For the past couple of years, we have been treating Helen for kidney disease, which we were able to diagnose because her caretakers successfully trained her to allow veterinary technicians to collect blood samples from her tail while receiving treats. After we determined that her kidneys were failing, we were able to follow the progression of her blood values and treat her with intermittent fluid supplementation for a long period of tim...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Beautiful Tasha was 20 years old, which is geriatric for a sloth bear. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is mourning the loss of Tasha, a 20-year-old, female sloth bear. The elderly bear was humanely euthanized after cancer was discovered during a diagnostic exam. Showing signs of rapidly declining health, lack of appetite, and lethargy, Tasha underwent an urgent diagnostic exam which revealed a large amount of free fluid in her abdomen containing malignant tumor cells. This indicated a diagnosis of advanced cancer with severe systemic effects, explained Dr. Tim Storms, Director of Animal Health at Woodland Park Zoo. “Considering the severity of her condition and a grave prognosis, we made the humane decision to euthanize Tasha,” said Storms. “Tasha was possibly our most beautiful sloth bear. Her long shaggy coat was always perfectly arranged and flowed in the wind when she walked. Her expressive hazel eyes appeared full of de...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Bumi, a Malayan tiger at Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is pleased to announce it will distribute $3.3 million in new empathy for wildlife project grants to build capacity at 14 zoos and aquariums across the western U.S.  In partnership with Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Woodland Park Zoo developed the capacity to become a grantmaking intermediary in 2020; the grants are distributed through the zoo’s Advancing Empathy Grant Program. This fifth round of grantmaking builds on the long-term commitment (AZA) accredited grantees to drive positive social change by taking on ambitious, multi-year projects to foster empathy and build zoo and aquarium guest connections with wildlife. “Our grantees are helping transform zoos and aquariums into places where research-based empathy practices shape how people connect with animals and with their communities,” said Dr. Marta Burnet, Director of Advancin...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Happy World Penguin Day! April 25 is World Penguin Day, held annually around the world to celebrate all 18 species of penguins on the planet! And what better way to mark this special occasion than by introducing Woodland Park Zoo's newest Humboldt penguin chick. The chick, a female, hatched March 28 to mom Mini and dad Gomez; she represents the fourth chick between the 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. Most penguins mate for life. This Humboldt penguin chick hatched March 28th. The yet-to-be named chick remains in a nesting burrow where she is under the care of mom and dad. Staff routinely weigh her to ensure she’s achieving growth milestones with minimal disturbance to the parents. The chick will join the colony in the outdoor habitat in early summer. Thanks to the expertise and de...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Yola is a young adult now. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Editor’s note: Big thanks to gorilla keepers Judy Sievert, Kate Gordon, Stephanie Payne and Tesh Hunter for contributing so much to this update! The warmer temperatures of spring mean more play time for the youngest members of Kwame’s western lowland gorilla family—two of whom recently celebrated birthdays. Zuna (daughter of Nadiri and Kwame) is now 4 years old, and big brother Kitoko (son of Uzumma and Kwame) just turned 5. These siblings are still enthusiastic playmates but their “growing up gorilla” experiences are shaping their budding personalities in very different ways! Zuna is a very independent and clever girl! She is everyone’s sweetheart (both among the gorillas and the gorilla keepers), gets along with all members of her family and is quite socially savvy. She is confident enough to spend time by herself and sometimes in the company of her “bestie” (a piece ...