Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren For the first time in our 126-year history, critically endangered hooded vultures are calling the zoo home The new hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) are a sub‑Saharan African species. The nearly 1year-old male’s name is Tutaonana (too-tah-oh-NAH-nah), Swahili for "see you later." The female will turn 2 this month and is named Kiara (kee-AH-rah), Swahili for “princess.” Welcome  Tutaonana and Kiara! The pair can be found across from the maned wolves, where they have quickly gotten comfortable in their new home and are enjoying snacking on their favorite treat of raw meatballs. These Old World birds are sure to stun guests with their dark brown plumage and the thin, bare skin on their heads and face that give them their “hooded” appearance. They also sport an impressive wingspan that’s well over 5 feet! The population of hooded vultures has dramatically declined over recent decades, making them one of A...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications The Komodo habitat is open again after undergoing significant improvements to make it better for the lizards, and for you!  Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Komodo dragons. They’re reptilian icons. They’re rare. They’re the largest lizards on the planet. And, visitors can discover these ambush predators at Woodland Park Zoo where two male Komodo dragons live. Their home has reopened after being closed all summer while undergoing extensive upgrades to improve their welfare, increase exhibit sustainability and enhance the visitor experience. Phoro: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo opened its Komodo dragon exhibit in 2000 with all the necessary comforts to meet the standards of care for the lizards. “However, in two decades we have come to understand the husbandry for these animals has advanced significantly and we needed to make changes to their home to ensure it evolves and matches the current state-of-th...

Posted by: Peter Zahler, Vice President of Conservation Initiatives Woodland Park Zoo is delighted to announce the good news that the highly threatened mountain gorilla has reached the point in its recovery that its status has been downgraded from Critically Endangered to Endangered. Mountain gorillas in the wild. Photo credit: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund The decision was made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the international organization that tracks the conservation status of animal and plant species. The decision shows the slow but steady increase in the population of this great ape due to concentrated protection efforts over the last few decades. There are still only about a thousand mountain gorillas left in the wild, found in a few scattered populations in the mountains of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in central Africa. The mountain gorillas have been facing threats from poaching, habitat destruction, and r...