Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications The naming contest ends this Saturday, but for right now, we’re calling our new Asian small-clawed otter pair mom and dad. That’s because the pair delivered pups on Tuesday, June 11 behind the scenes of their Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit! Mom and dad. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. In celebration of our new otter pop this Father’s Day, we’re giving away Otter Pops to zoo visitors on Sunday, June 16. Pick up a free Otter Pop while supplies last at the Rain Forest Food Pavilion. We’d love to be able to share photos of the new pups with you, but we haven’t seen much of them yet! The attentive parents are keeping them tucked away in their behind-the-scenes den. We can hear vocalizations and have an internal cam set up so keepers can keep a watchful eye on the family and hopefully get a pup count soon! While mom nurses the cubs, dad helps by gathering food and nesting material. He stands guard over the vulnerable pups, who a

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications This spring, we asked kids to complete the picture in our Tiger Tails drawing contest to get us pumped for phase two of the Bamboo Forest Reserve. Thanks to all of the amazing young artists who entered the contest through our MyZoo magazine kids section. We received over 130 entries, some from as far away as Germany. It was a tough decision, but we had a lot of help – 25 staff from across the zoo assisted in judging. We considered detail, use of color, perspective, inspiration and creativity. We were all thrilled with your imagination and talent! Below are the grand prize champs and their artwork. Drumroll please, and the prizes are… Zoo Favorite Age 2-5 “Sneaky Tiger” Logan Myers, 4 Zoo Favorite Age 6-12 “Bamboo Bengal” Samantha Schallon, 11  Logan and Samantha will both receive a zoo tiger adoption and plush, 4 giraffe feeding tickets and their framed drawing. Most Inspiring “Tiger and Friends

Posted by: Bamboo Forest Reserve team A huggable Asian small-clawed otter mascot greeted children at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday and grand opening celebrations on Saturday. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Zoo fans of all stripes shared an otterly huge success story last Friday. Hundreds of donors, zoo members, public officials, families and children gathered to celebrate Bamboo Forest Reserve Day, officially declared by members of the Seattle City Council. A swift snip of the vine signaled the official opening of our newest exhibit to an eager and deserving community. L-R: King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert; Seattle City Councilmember Jean Godden, King County Councilmember and zoo board member Larry Phillips; Jennifer Carter and Louisa Malatos, representing the Joshua Green Foundation; Nancy Pellegrino, WPZ Board Chair; Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles; Deborah Jensen, WPZ President and CEO; Bill Bryant, Seattle Port Commissioner, and Seattle City Councilm

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Sketching out exhibit layout ideas waaaaaay back when we first started designing Bamboo Forest Reserve. Designs for the new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit—including a new home for a pair of Asian small-clawed otters—started two years ago with a sketch on paper. The otters slowly emerged into their new exhibit this week. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Now that we’re seeing the design work turn into reality with phase one of the exhibit opening this weekend, we’re discovering that we aren't the only ones with ideas on how the exhibit should look. The otters have designs of their own! Tearing up the plants to make their bed. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. This week, the otters were introduced to their new home, and we watched them put the finishing touches on the exhibit themselves. Video: Otters rearrange the plants. Produced by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Narration by Caileigh Robertson/Woodl

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications As we gear up for the May 4th opening of phase one of our new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit, some of the details are starting to blossom! Here is a little sneak peek at the landscape horticulture elements that are part of the new exhibit. It’s all about landscape simulation—the zoo’s horticulture department seeks out plants that will thrive in our Pacific Northwest environment, while mimicking the flora found in the thick forests of Southeast Asia. Shaping a new exhibit’s greenery has three key components: 1.) the comfort and safety of the animals, 2.) allowing visitors to observe our animals in an environment inspired by natural habitats, 3.) and telling clearly the story of the entire biome, its diverse plant and animal species, and its conservation connections. Our horticulture team helps tell the conservation story of sharing the forest; the health of the forest being dependent on all its wildlife, from the fiercest tiger to the tinie

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications When you enter the new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit , your eyes might go directly to the otters , but it won’t be long before your ears pick up one of the other highlights of the exhibit—a sonorous aviary filled with the chirps, warbles and songs of five Asian tropical bird species. Nicobar pigeon. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. To find the birds, you’ll want to look up, down and all around the aviary, as the birds will be everywhere from high in the trees to low in the bushes. You’ll encounter the collared finchbill, white-rumped shama thrush, great argus, red-billed leiothrix and Nicobar pigeon. Great argus. Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. The five bird species are a loquacious crew and are host to an array of flamboyant plumage. From the call of the great argus as he prepares a spectacular dance for his mate to the sparkling metallic green feathers of the Nicobar pigeon, from the delicate porcelain songs of t

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Otter kisses. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. In just a few days, you’ll have the chance to meet the zoo’s new pair of Asian small-clawed otters when they make their debut in the Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit opening May 4 . These are two tiny mustelids you won’t be able to resist. Kids test out the new play area in Bamboo Forest Reserve. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The otters will debut alongside a tropical aviary and nature play area for kids—all part of phase one of the Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit complex. Atop a rocky ledge, looking out over the exhibit. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. To get ready for their debut, the otters have been exploring their new home, investigating every ledge, stream and den to find all the best spots for lounging, swimming, eating and playing. Here you can catch a glimpse of the agile fingers small-clawed otters use for hunting. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodlan

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo NOTE: The sloth bear exhibit is currently off view while construction is completed in the area. A temporary path will open on May 4 to give you access to see the cubs on exhibit. Until then, the cubs' time spent outside is off view to visitors. Thanks for your patience. We promise the cubs are worth the wait! Last Friday, our twin sloth bear cubs took their first steps outside. Technically, their very first moments outside weren't steps at all, as they rode out from their den clinging to mom's back. Their feet didn't hit the ground until a minute later, when the sights and smells piqued their curiosity and they hopped down to check out their new surroundings. Video: Sloth bear cubs outside for the first time. Produced by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The cubs are now 3 months old, and up until now, they have been glued to mom's side in their behind-the-scenes maternity d

Posted by: Steve Sullivan, Membership and New Ventures Asian small-clawed otters are coming to Woodland Park Zoo. Photo taken at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. On May 4, phase one of the Asian Tropical Forest initiative—Woodland Park Zoo’s most extreme makeover in the heart of the zoo since 1996—will be unveiled to the community. We’re so grateful to all of you who have made this major milestone in the More Wonder More Wild Campaign possible! Monica Lake, capital project manager and Erik McCormick, of Turnstone Construction express our zoo’s deepest gratitude for your support! (Turnstone is a rock work subcontractor of this project’s general contractor, Berschauer Philips.) Photo by Steve Sullivan/Woodland Park Zoo. Otterly awesome We broke ground on the new exhibit complex in September 2012, and hundreds of you joined us. Since then, construction crews, exhibit designer Studio Hanson/Roberts and the zoo’s exhibit team have made