Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Handsome Nadaya! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Do you know silverback gorilla Nadaya and the three females—Jamani, Jumoke and Olympia—that make up his western lowland gorilla family? If you don’t, you should! They may not be as active as Kwame and his family because they don’t have youngsters running around (at least not yet ... more on that later) but the animal keepers tell us this group is one of the most cohesive gorilla groups they’ve ever known, in part because all of them “click” and genuinely seem to like being with each other. Nadaya, who is 24 years old, is a wonderful silverback—a relaxed, calm and mature leader. He is responsible for maintaining a calm and secure atmosphere for his group of females and restoring peace and balance if and when there should be any disagreements between them. He doesn’t like to be without his females for any length of time and seems genuinely determined to be a steady and protective pr...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Howl about this? A new pack of gray wolves has just arrived at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo and guests will soon be able to see them in the Living Northwest Trail! The four 6-year-old male wolves, all brothers, were born at the California Wolf Center in southern California and have just arrived at Woodland Park Zoo. Zoo team members will be taking time to get to know them and look forward to sharing more on each brother soon.  “The zoo is a new environment for these wolves so it will take them some time to acclimate to their new surroundings and routine,” said Pat Owen, Animal Care Manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “As they adjust, they may be a bit shy and difficult for guests to spot. We kindly ask our guests to avoid howling at the wolves as it can cause stress for the animals.” The new family group represents a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, known as the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), ...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Ilanga and Tandie: Queen and King of the Savanna! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo If you haven’t seen lions Tandie and Ilanga in a while, here’s an update for you. Tandie, whose name means "fire," was born as a triplet at Woodland Park Zoo in 2014. He spent his early adult years at Oakland Zoo before making a royal homecoming in 2022 and inheriting the Savanna “kingdom” after his father passed away. For the last three years, the nearly-11-year-old (his birthday is in October) has shared the Savanna with 8-year-old lioness Ilanga. Recently we checked in with lead animal keeper Katie Graves to see what’s new with Tandie and Ilanga. Read on to learn all about this fabulous pair! Tandie is so handsome! This laid back lion lets his female companion Ilanga take the lead in most instances. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Tandie arrived back at Woodland Park Zoo in October 2022 to be Ilanga’s companion and prosp...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo We’d like to introduce you to some fabulous, feathered friends in the hornbill department! Three species have recently landed, and we can’t wait for you to get to know them.   Rhinoceros hornbill  Buceros rhinoceros    Jack has red eyes with a black ring around them. Biscuit has blueish-white eyes with a red ring around them. Meet Jack and Biscuit, our stunning male and female pair. Though they are similar in size and appearance, their eyes are distinctive. Jack has red eyes with a black rim. Biscuit has white eyes with a red rim. Hornbills mate for life and are extremely dedicated pairs. Visit them at Trail of Vines between siamangs—and fittingly— Glenn the rhino. Range: Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. Habitat: Primary and secondary tropical rainforest. They depend on large trees with adequately sized cavities for nesting. Diet: Rhinoceros Hornbills a...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications with Animal Keeper Maddie Weholt BFFs, Juniper and Fern, are doing BFF things as they prepare for fall. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo With Fall just around the corner, our thoughts turn to crisp weather, colorful leaves, apple picking and warm snuggles with blankets and cups of cocoa—the perfect hygge recipe! The coming of fall means changes for our brown bear besties too! They are turning their attention to all things related to food and upcoming nap opportunities. It’s an ideal time to check in with Animal Keeper Maddie on what autumn has in store for Juniper and Fern. WPZ: Juniper and Fern are both 3 years old now, turning 4 this coming winter—so almost full grown. How are they doing? Keeper Maddie: Both bears are doing well. It’s super cool to me to see that the personalities they’ve had since arriving here 3 years ago (in 2022) as youngsters have stayed incredibly consistent now that they are on the young side of adultho...