Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Pudu Maggie with the fawn she had in 2022 Woodland Park Zoo is mourning the loss of its female pudu, Maggie. The 7-year-old animal passed away while recovering from anesthesia following a routine tooth extraction at the zoo’s veterinary hospital. Pudu are the smallest deer species in the world and are native to South America. The small deer stands only 14 to 18 inches high at the shoulder and weighs between 14 and 30 pounds. The median life expectancy for pudus in zoos is 8 years old; pudus can live 8 to 10 years old in the wild. Maggie was barely bigger than a pumpkin. Adult pudu are only 12" - 18" high at the shoulder and weigh between 14 - 30lbs. “The tooth was extracted without complications and Maggie did well under anesthesia. She was being closely monitored as she began to recover,” said Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, an associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo. “As her recovery progressed,...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications That face! Welcome to the world, little one! Photo by Rachel Vass/Woodland Park Zoo Following a nine-month gestation period, the release of ultrasound images, a birth watch that began two weeks ago, and a flurry of excitement around its pregnant gorilla, Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce that Akenji gave birth on June 28, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (PT) to her first baby…and it’s a boy! The zoo’s gorilla and animal health staff closely observed the birth and post-birth behaviors in the off-view bedrooms. Unfortunately, Akenji did not show appropriate maternal behaviors despite the months-long maternal skills training the gorilla care team provided. Within an hour after delivery, the animal care team intervened for the baby’s safety and well-being. A neonatal exam was performed to ensure the yet-to-be-named infant was healthy. “The average weight for a gorilla at birth is 4 pounds and we’re pleased to report our new boy weighs 4.4 pounds. His vital s...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Akenji is expecting her first baby soon! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Recently, we shared with you that Akenji, one of our female western lowland gorillas who will be 23 years old in July, is pregnant with her first baby With a birth just weeks away now—expected by the end of June or early July—we are thrilled to share for the first time, stunning ultrasound video images and stills of the little gorilla baby that will soon be joining Akenji’s extended gorilla family.  Watch video: https://youtu.be/tNNSdWwqDEQ The ultrasound procedure was overseen by Woodland Park Zoo associate veterinarian Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, and the images from it are just amazing! We can see a little hand (in a sort of “fist-bump” pose), ribs, a beating heart and some general wiggling around. Dr. Yousuf Jafarey, our associate veterinarian who oversaw the successful ultrasound procedure, tells us it's OK to interpret the above image as Akenji's ba...