Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Lorikeets and lories are brilliantly colored parrots that primarily eat pollen and nectar. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Imagine ... a dazzling array of squawking lorikeets taking flight in search of nectar. Curious goats leaning in for a scratch. Aldabra giant tortoises walking slowly, steadily toward you. These unforgettable moments will come to life in Wild Encounters, where Woodland Park Zoo’s Family Farm will transform into a new and refreshed hub for up-close animal experiences for guests of all ages.  Phase one to open this summer. Located at the site of the current Family Farm, Wild Encounters will be designed around the concept, where everyone cares like a keeper. The space will be reimagined to give guests of all ages hands-on and up-close experiences with animals and animal care activities. “Our animal keepers are caretakers for wildlife, and everyone who feels a connection with animals can be inspired to care in t...

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 Woodland Park Zoo Communications Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is pleased to announce a $7.15 million grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) to advance and expand the zoo’s Advancing Empathy Initiative that fosters empathy for animals in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited organizations. This three-year grant continues the zoo’s long-term partnership with MACP and organizations across the country to build strong empathic connections between humans and animals through research-based effective empathy practices, while also amplifying the zoo’s mission to save wildlife and inspire everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Emerging behavioral science is showing that there are social and emotional components to changing our behaviors. Feeling empathy is an often overlooked but necessary step between learning about the need for change and taking action on ...