Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Marabou storks are one of the world's largest stork species! Woodland Park Zoo is thrilled to welcome a pair of massive Marabou Storks! These feathery friends, native to Africa, stand between four to five feet tall and boast a wingspan of up to ten feet. The male, Olaf, 8, and the female, Abigail, 4, are now viewable to the public in the zoo's Temperate Forest across from the maned wolves, they’ll be sharing the same habitat as the zoo’s other new feathered residents—two critically endangered hooded vultures. These large birds are bald and beautiful with no feathers on their neck and head. Similar to vultures, the marabou storks are primarily scavengers feeding off dead animals, as well as fish, insects and food scraps from humans. The birds provide an essential ecosystem service by rapidly consuming animal remains, helping prevent the spread of disease. These large birds are bald and beaut...

Posted by Alejandro Grajal, President and CEO, Woodland Park Zoo Our nation is facing vigorous and necessary social discussions about racism, inclusion and equity. No person or organization can be part of the movement for equity without some tough, genuine self-reflection. So here I am to tell you as the President and CEO of Woodland Park Zoo: I know that we still have a lot of work ahead to transform our zoo into a dynamic space that truly represents our whole community, and we are committed. Inclusion is one of the zoo’s central values, and I’m proud of our ongoing work to remove economic, physical or ability-based barriers. For all the good work we want to do now and in the years ahead, we have to reconcile with the foundation we’re building on. And for zoos, that’s a quite literal foundation. We build exhibits that last decades, architectural monuments meant to sustain the lives of our resident animals and withstand weather and visitation by millions of people. So as the world chan...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications A spur-winged lapwing chick stands next to one of its parents. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Say hello to the newest members of our zoo family. These young birds that look like cotton balls on stilts are spur-winged lapwing chicks. The name is quite a big mouthful for such little cuties … and their hatching is a first for this species here at Woodland Park Zoo. Their sexes haven’t been determined yet. Spur-winged lapwings are all legs—as seen here on this chick. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Spur-winged lapwings are wading birds that can be found on the shores of a variety of habitats including marshes, mudflats and lakes. In nature, this species is native to the sub-Saharan belt across central Africa but are also found in some Middle Eastern and east Mediterranean countries, including Turkey. While not endangered, this species does face threats from loss of their wetland habitats related to...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Olive and Clover are 2 1/2 year old sisters who have recently joined our warthog group. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Say hello to the newest, most beautiful warthogs—Olive and Clover. These 2 ½ year old sisters made their debut in the warthog habitat last week after coming to Seattle from Jacksonville, Florida late last year. For now, the girls are getting comfortable on the public side of their new home—while behind the scenes, they’re slowly being introduced to Dennis, our resident male warthog who will be 9 years old this spring. Eventually these three not-so-little piggies will all have access to their yard together. Clover and her sister love rooting around through the ground in their exhibit. That big snout and those tusks are perfect rooting tools for a species that digs around for tubers, berries, grasses and bulbs! Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Common warthogs—as the species is called—are wild members of...

Our hippos are big fans of watermelon any time of the year! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. For all the animals in our care, we’re committed to their daily wellbeing. But we also dedicate ourselves to assuring they will continue to thrive through all the ages and stages of their lives still to come. That’s why after much discussion and consideration, zoo staff will begin the process of seeking new homes for our beloved hippos, Lily and Lupe. Lily and Lupe have been part of our zoo family for decades, and while we will be sad to see them move, we feel that this decision is the very best thing for two of our favorite hippos in the world. Lupe is at an appropriate age for breeding at 20 years old. Based on Lupe’s genetic makeup, she is recommended for breeding by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) so that she can help sustain a genetically healthy population. Our current hippo exhibit was designed 40 years ago to house two hippos. It was not i...