Woodland Park Zoo Blog

 Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Hey soon-to-be-mama, Olivia! Photo by Jeremy Dywer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. Our very pregnant giraffe, Olivia, has been put on 24-hour birth watch after showing signs late last week of approaching labor. The birth window began mid-March and extends until the end of April. “We’re definitely seeing signs of Olivia nearing labor—we think she’ll give birth any day now,” says Katie Ahl, a lead animal keeper at Woodland Park Zoo. “She’s more restless, there are noticeable changes in her udder, and she’s extending her tail and spreading her rear legs frequently. In addition, she and Dave are showing more affectionate behavior toward one another, a telltale sign of hormonal changes occurring in the expectant mom.” A pregnant Oliva, right, next to sister Tufani, left. Photo by Jeremy Dywer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. The zoo’s animal care staff are monitoring Olivia closely at the zoo and several times throughout the night via ba

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Seattle’s tallest baby is now Seattle’s tallest 1 year old giraffe! Happy birthday Lulu! We love you! Sometimes you CAN have your cake and eat it too! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo The birthday girl and her animal keepers celebrated the occasion with a specially-made giraffe cake: an ice fruit cake adorned with an assortment of her favorite treats, leaves, and leaf eater biscuits with her name carved out of apple slices and the centerpiece #1 carved out of sweet potato. Delicious and nutritious! A cake fit for a giraffe. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo.  Dad Dave, mom Tufani and aunt Olivia were all there to “help” her eat her cake! In September, Lulu will be old enough to move to a new zoo where she could eventually start her own family. Her future home will be Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska. This move is part of a recommendation made by the Giraffe Species Survival Plan, a conservation b

Come to the zoo this Saturday, April 14 for Spring Safari! Posted by Bobbi Miller, Conservation We're excited to see you at this year's Spring Safari. Here are 5 activities we think will get you pumped for an awesome day of conservation, animal encounters and springtime fun: Giraffe and friends, photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo 1. Learn about Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation programs in Africa! Check out how we’re working to save gorillas, giraffes, lions and more. The day will be filled with keeper talks and special treats for the animals in our African Savanna. Start the day by watching as our lions get a special meaty treat at 10 a.m. Come to our hippo talk with enrichment at 11:30 a.m., and don’t forget the giraffe experience—for $5 you can get up close from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. with our tallest residents. You can find a full list of all our keeper talks and enrichments here: https://www.zoo.org/events Benny, a Washington Department of Fis

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Happy Birthday Yola! Yola and her vine swing. Photo by Dennis Dow, Woodland Park Zoo. A very gorilla birthday Mischievous, playful, smart, curious, adorable and loved—that’s Yola. Today, November 20 is her second birthday. The 2-year-old gorilla won’t be getting a heart-shaped cake or streamers, she won’t be renting a bouncy house either—instead she’ll spend the day with her gorilla group, her family, doing what all 2-year-olds do best. She’ll push boundaries by stealing someone’s stick, she’ll snuggle up close to mom when she feels like it, she’ll play chase with her aunt Akenji, and undoubtedly she’ll investigate whatever Leo is up to—but most importantly she’ll be a gorilla. Being a gorilla is important. Gorillas are endangered. We hear that word a lot, but let’s think about what that really means. Their habitat and natural range is shrinking every day, and while we’ve made some progress in providing them protection —m

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Tufani has her eyes on our camera, and baby girl has her eyes on Tufani. They take their first steps outside of the barn and into the outdoors. It’s a little fenced area—a safe, controlled space to let them take in some fresh air but not overwhelm them. Baby girl’s ears twitch, she lifts her head to take in all the sights, and gets a little gallop in her step. “This is going to be fun!” her legs seem to be telling her, kicking up dirt as they get a feel for the ground. Video: Baby giraffe takes first steps outside. It’s not long before baby is stretching her legs and walking around under the watchful eyes of momma Tufani. But Tufani isn’t the only one watching. Poppa Dave is technically on the other side of the fence, but at 15 feet tall, he can stretch his neck over and nuzzle the baby. Dave seems to think this newest arrival is the best part of each day. He’s interested in watching baby’s every move and appears to be as smitten as we are

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications As you all have been patiently waiting, we’d like to give you a little update on our newest arrival. It’s a girl! Hello, beautiful! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo.  A beautiful, 5’9”, 149 lbs. bundle of joy. She is already bonding with mom and curious about all of the keepers and animal health staff who have been visiting her barn. The sweet new calf is dry, meaning her soft fur is now clean and dry from the birth.  Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. After a 4:03 a.m. birth on June 20, 2017 , our sweet mama Tufani began nursing her baby in the late afternoon. Nursing is a huge milestone for any new mother, but especially for Tufani who is a first time mom. Nursing is incredibly important for the health of the baby, and another sign that mom and baby are bonding.  In other good news, the calf received good scores on her first neonatal exam with our dedicated animal health team. Dr.

Posted by: Alissa Wolken, Communications Seattle’s tallest baby has arrived! After months of eager anticipation, Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce 8-year-old giraffe Tufani gave birth this morning. The calf, whose sex has not yet been determined, was born to the first-time mom in the giraffe barn at approximately 4:03 a.m. under the watchful eyes of zookeepers. Hello, baby! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Following the critical 72-hour window after birth, the zoo’s giraffe cam will go live, giving the public the opportunity to see Tufani and her baby as they bond in the barn. Viewers can access the giraffe cam once it goes live and see updates by visiting  zoo.org/tallestbaby  and following #tallestbaby on the zoo’s  Facebook ,  Instagram  and  Twitter . Video: Seattle's tallest baby. The unnamed calf and mother are off view in the barn to allow a quiet environment for maternal bonding and nursing. “Within a week or two, we expect

Posted by: Alissa Wolken, Communications Video and photo by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Spring has officially arrived, and it’s brought baby fever with it; giraffe baby fever to be specific!  Like many zoos around the country, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a giraffe calf after confirming earlier this year that 8-year-old  Tufani is expecting her first baby. With a gestation period of 14 to 15 months, we're expecting a tall delivery anywhere from mid-May to early July 2017. So, what does it take to keep a pregnant Tufani comfortable and healthy? Lead keeper, and giraffe doula, Katie Ahl gives us the scoop on a few tricks of the trade. VIDEO: Lead keeper Katie Ahl welcomes us to the giraffe barn where she explains the special enrichment and diet that goes into caring for a pregnant giraffe. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCGPkiqKVo0 ) Tufani (left) with her nephew Misawa in 2013.  The father is handsome 4-year-old Dave of course. This wil

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Tufani: Enjoys sweet grain snacks, has mastered the art of drooling and sports beautiful dark brown spots. Looking for love and another biscuit. Dave: Willing to stick his neck out for love. Cupid: Spotted the pair on the savanna. When it comes to cupid’s arrow hitting the mark, it appears that in at least one instance, the arrow stuck. Giraffes Dave and Tufani are expecting! Looking good, Dave! Photo by Dennis Dow, WPZ. Tufani (left) with her nephew Misawa in 2013. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ. This Valentine's-worthy news comes as keepers prepare for a long, long wait. Giraffe have one of the longest gestation periods for mammals: 14.5 to 15 months. While it is impossible to be 100% sure that Tufani is pregnant (without putting in a tall order for an ultrasound), keepers tell us that all the right signs are pointing to a new addition to the savanna sometime this summer. That is your cue to get excited. H

Posted by Stephanie Payne-Jacobs, gorilla keeper EDITOR'S NOTE: Adult male gorillas are known as silverbacks because of the striking silver hair that grows across their back all the way down to their hips. This is not only a mark of maturity (silver hairs appear around 12 years-old), but a sign that one might be strong and determined enough to protect his troop. In most gorilla troops, the silverback is the center of attention. He is responsible for guarding the troop against outsiders, finding choice feeding sites and playing mediator between the other gorillas in the group. While silver hairs, larger canines and handsome red crowns (in Western lowland gorillas) are all visual characteristics of a mighty silverback, it is the personality and behavior of these males that determine if they will lead. This is the story of how one such silverback, Leonel, has come into his own as a protector, leader and peacekeeper — in part with a little help from a tiny, adorable baby called Yo