Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Fred Koontz, PhD, Vice President of Field Conservation On behalf of Woodland Park Zoo Society Board of Directors and staff, I congratulate the citizens  of Washington for passing Initiative 1401, making Washington the first state in the country to help save 10 endangered animal species groups from extinction by a vote of the people. By creating tough new penalties for trafficking products made from these animals, Washington joins other major port states like California, New York and New Jersey in passing laws that close loopholes allowing the black market to thrive for endangered species products. As Washingtonians, we should be tremendously proud of what we have achieved. Tuesday’s overwhelming election result shows that when asked, Washington voters will stand up to protect species from the cruelty of poaching and illegal trade. This is a groundbreaking, grassroots effort – especially significant is that passing I-1401 undoubtedly will inspire other st...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Malayan tiger at Woodland Park Zoo. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Malayan tigers have officially been reclassified from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature , the leading authority on the risk of extinction. The change reflects the reality of dwindling population numbers coming in from research data. What it doesn’t reflect is the hope that we can turn this around. We know what we need to do to save tigers—protect their habitat, protect their prey base, and protect them from poachers. And thanks to your support, we have boots on the ground in Malaysia implementing these key strategies. Now the work must continue at home. Washington residents can help protect species facing extinction by voting #YESon1401 this November . The initiative seeks to curb the wildlife trafficking trade and sets a new model for citizen-driven conservation. It’s never been more critical.

Posted by: Fred Koontz, Vice President of Field Conservation This morning, I joined our Initiative 1401 partners, Vulcan, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Seattle Aquarium, to announce that 348,627 people signed the petition to get this groundbreaking initiative on the November ballot. We’re one step closer to taking this critical issue to the people of Washington state. Woodland Park Zoo Vice President of Field Conservation Dr. Fred Koontz at today's I-1401 press conference. If passed, I-1401 will strengthen laws that ban the trafficking of products made from endangered animals—animals that are being poached or exploited so much, they are facing extinction. Woodland Park Zoo is proud to join the thousands of Washingtonians who signed the petition sheets in support of I-1401. U.S. Fish and Wildlife confiscated ivory. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society. Earlier this year, Woodland Park Zoo drafted and advocated for legislatio...

Posted by: Kerston Swartz, Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager Today Woodland Park Zoo and our campaign partners announced Initiative 1401 , a citizens’ initiative to strengthen laws banning sales of endangered species products in Washington state. In November, the people of Washington will be able to vote YES on I-1401 , and significantly decrease our state’s contribution to the current unprecedented rate of tiger, elephant, rhino and lion poaching. Pangolin: Boniface Osujaki/ Tarangire Elephant Project , a Woodland Park Zoo Partner for Wildlife. African elephant: Peter Steward via Flickr. Malayan tiger: Razak Abu Bakar via Flickr. Rhino: Jim Frost via Flickr. These wild animals don’t roam our state, but parts of them certainly make their way into the U.S. and to our region. Washingtonians will not spot a lion stalking its prey on the San Juan Islands or see a rhino charging the wheat fields of the Palouse, but we might have the opportunity to buy an ivory trinket in Tac...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor We’re disappointed to share the news that legislation to #BanIvoryWA failed to pass in Olympia this year. Special interest groups opposing the bipartisan House and Senate bills fought hard to put the protection of ivory products above the protection of elephants. Which one will you fight to protect?  The African elephant will go extinct within 20 years if we don’t take unprecedented action to stop wildlife trafficking, which includes ending the legal loopholes that allow the ivory black market to continue right here in the United States. If you believe no one needs ivory more than elephants, then we need your help. Next year we’ll bring this legislation back to Olympia and we’ll need to be louder than before to contend with the opposition. We need voices all over the state—from Aberdeen to Zillah—to stand up for elephants. Talk to your friends, ask them to join the herd, and sign up for news at www.zoo.org/96elephants to be ...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Today Reps. Pettigrew (D), Buys (R) and Fitzgibbon (D) introduced bipartisan House Bill 1131 to put an end to illegal elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn trade in Washington state. In addition to federal law, state laws are needed to close loopholes that allow the black market to go unchecked. Which one is more precious? You got us this far! More than 7,000 Woodland Park Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium supporters joined together to raise our voices on this issue. Legislators are now listening. Let’s be heard! TAKE ACTION It’s time to use your voice once again! Leave a public comment on the Washington State Legislature website in SUPPORT of HB 1131.  You can use the following talking points in your comment: As your constituent, I am writing in support of Woodland Park Zoo’s and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s 96 Elephants campaign and ask you to support WA State HB 1131 to end the sale of illegal elephant ivory and ...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor What do elephants need ivory for?  Digging, lifting, pushing and defending. What do people need ivory for? Nothing. African elephants. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society. Today is Elephant Appreciation Day and already 5,200+ of you have shown your support by taking the pledge to end the ivory trade in Washington state . With 3,000 additional signatures coming in from our friends at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, together we’re reaching out again to elected officials to ask them to consider sponsoring legislation. The herd is being heard and we have the proclamation to show it! Governor Jay Inslee has proclaimed today Elephant Appreciation Day in Washington state: What a way to celebrate how far we have come in raising our voices for elephants! Let's keep the momentum going. Please share this post to your networks and encourage your friends to sign the pledge at www.zoo.org/96elephants . On behalf of the...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor End the ivory trade before it ends elephants. To stop the slaughter of elephants, we must stop the trade. To stop the trade, we must end the demand. Watch this video to see what's at stake: Click to play video. It's time to raise your voice and let Washington state leaders know you pledge never to buy, sell or trade ivory, and you want a moratorium on ivory sales here. Add your name to the list of thousands speaking up for wild elephants. Then on August 12—World Elephant Day—we'll deliver your pledges to our state leaders to make a big impression. Thank you! Video produced by Rebecca Whitham, elephant photo courtesy of Mustafa Hassanali/Tarangire Elephant Project, music by Tchakare Kanyembe.

Posted by: Dr. Deborah B. Jensen, President and CEO Dr. Deborah B. Jensen. Photo by Matt Hagen. Right now, you can help save wild elephants. In the few minutes it takes to read my message, your simple but remarkable action will alter the course of history for imperiled elephants and our world. Please join me and sign the pledge never to buy, sell or trade ivory and to support a moratorium on ivory products in Washington state. Together, we will help stop the killing, stop the demand, and stop the trade. With one unified voice, our community can make a difference. We already have a great running start. Just three hours after launching our 96 Elephants signature gathering effort, we soared right past our first 960 pledges. This community’s amazing groundswell of support and action is truly inspiring. Now, let’s multiply 960 over and over between now and August 12, World Elephant Day, when we’ll deliver all of the pledges to our elected officials to tell them Washingtonians ar...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications There are 96 words in this paragraph. Each one represents an African elephant killed today for its ivory. It’s a grim figure, but there’s hope. Thanks to your support, rangers are on the ground deterring poachers and protecting populations. Now the work must continue at home with you. We need state by state ivory moratoria to close the legal loopholes that conceal black market ivory in the U.S. Take the pledge to let the elected leaders of Washington state know we will not stand for being a loophole. Join the herd to make your voice heard. Take the Pledge To stop the killing of elephants, we must stop the ivory trade. To stop the trade, we must end the demand. I pledge never to buy, sell or trade ivory, and I support a moratorium on ivory products in Washington state. Why does my signature matter? The United States has one of the largest markets for ivory in the world with legal markets providing a front for illegal...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will crush six tons of confiscated ivory, representing thousands of elephants killed to fuel the illegal ivory trade all over the world, including the U.S. While the ivory destroyed was not actively in the market and won’t directly affect supply or demand, it does send a message: end the trade, save the elephants. Learn more about ivory trafficking. The good news from our conservation partner, the Tarangire Elephant Project in Tanzania, is that your support has helped them increase poaching patrols , which has led to the arrest of 10 poachers this year. With tougher laws and enforcement, increased efforts on the ground, and a commitment from you to never buy ivory, we can keep the good news coming. Share this post if you share hope with us that we can make a difference!

This Elephant Appreciation Day, we check in with Woodland Park Zoo Partner for Wildlife , the Tarangire Elephant Project  on news from the conservation frontlines. Here they report in from the field on their growing involvement in elephant territories beyond the borders of Tarangire National Park: In the past year we have become more involved in new territory: the Makame Wildlife Management Area (WMA), to the southeast of Tarangire National Park. This is a vast area, nearly 1.2 million acres in size (almost two times larger than Tarangire National Park), which is arid, hot, and sparsely populated. Wildlife Management Areas are community lands that have been set aside for wildlife conservation and tourism, in order to encourage communities to promote conservation and benefit from the natural resources on their land. Makame is of particular interest to us because it harbors an elephant population that migrates to Tarangire National Park in the dry season. However, unlike the...