Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo’s sloth bear cub, a 3-month-old girl named Bowie, will meet the public this weekend. Bowie, who shares the same birthday, January 8, as icon David Bowie, will be introduced to the outdoor habitat with her mom, Kushali. Outdoor time will be weather-dependent. Since she was born, Bowie has been living with mom in a maternity den away from visitors. Here in a private setting, she has been thriving and learning critical bear skills from mom. Kushali and Bowie will be given the choice to go outdoors, so visibility to zoo guests will be intermittent initially, explained Martin Ramirez, a mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “We want to give mom the opportunity to determine how much time Bowie spends exploring the outdoor habitat and when it’s time for a nap,” said Ramirez. “We know everyone’s excited to meet our new cub in person—bear cubs are irresistible and playful. However, we’ll a...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Ulan, with her calf Sempurna, in 2020. At the end of the month, Woodland Park Zoo will say goodbye to its last remaining Malayan tapir, Ulan. The 12-year-old female will head to Fresno Chaffee Zoo, an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited zoo in Fresno, California. The last day to show Ulan some love will be August 27 in the Trail of Vines habitat. Tapirs are among the most primitive large mammals in the world, changing little in appearance for millions of years. These prehistoric-looking animals are long and similar to the weight of a light horse. They have a short, prehensile nose which they use to pluck leaves and fruit. Tapirs are excellent swimmers and use their snouts as snorkels! Because they have an odd number of toes (four toes on each front foot, three on each back foot), their closest relatives are horses and rhinos. Ulan and her daughter, Sempurna, sit side by side in 2020. Ulan arrived at Wo...