Woodland Park Zoo Blog

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 ...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo’s sloth bear cub, a 3-month-old girl named Bowie, will meet the public this weekend. Bowie, who shares the same birthday, January 8, as icon David Bowie, will be introduced to the outdoor habitat with her mom, Kushali. Outdoor time will be weather-dependent. Since she was born, Bowie has been living with mom in a maternity den away from visitors. Here in a private setting, she has been thriving and learning critical bear skills from mom. Kushali and Bowie will be given the choice to go outdoors, so visibility to zoo guests will be intermittent initially, explained Martin Ramirez, a mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “We want to give mom the opportunity to determine how much time Bowie spends exploring the outdoor habitat and when it’s time for a nap,” said Ramirez. “We know everyone’s excited to meet our new cub in person—bear cubs are irresistible and playful. However, we’ll a...