Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren There is a new billy goat in town and his name is Albert. Hey, Albert! Albert, a young male Rocky Mountain goat, made his debut on the Northern Trail on October 27th. His sure-footedness and intuitive climbing abilities makes him perfectly adapted to his new home on the high rocky outcrop of the exhibit. We think Albert's woolly coat is quite striking against this mossy backdrop. Albert was born in May of 2014 at Calgary Zoo where he lived until moving to Seattle. He now joins the ranks with the oldest mountain goat in North America,  our 20 year old female, CK, who was born here at Woodland Park Zoo. At a year and half old, Albert is much younger than his woolly friend, so keepers are refraining from putting them together (think pre-teen and great, great grandmother). While they are not on exhibit together, they have visual and vocal access to each other in the barn and seem to get alo

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, communications Photo and Video by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren On September 17, three tiny white birds hatched in a quiet behind-the-scenes area of Woodland Park Zoo as part of the zoo’s conservation breeding program. The chicks, downy fluff balls with snow-colored plumage, are a big deal: they represent the first successful hatches of the critically endangered Bali mynah here at the zoo in 22 years! They also act as a powerful symbol of hope for their species. This shy chick gave our photographer a run for his money. The nest box is the perfect hiding spot. A curious look outside of the nest gives us a better view of a chick. Endemic to Bali, Indonesia (an island smaller than Rhode Island), Bali mynahs are threatened primarily due to illegal pet collection and trade. Their stunning white feathers and gorgeous cobalt blue patch around the eyes make this beauty especially attractive to bird collectors, despite their endangered status. On top of

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo The two tiniest members of our Humboldt penguin colony received their first exam last week at the Animal Health Department. The chicks—the 49th and 50th Humboldt penguins to hatch at Woodland Park Zoo since 2010—were given a clean bill of health by our animal care experts and Associate Veterinarian Dr. Kelly Helmick. The chicks hatched in July, just days apart, so they are both right at the two month mark. While keepers have been weighing and monitoring their growth and health all along, their first official neonatal exam is an important milestone in their development. The exam consisted of anesthetizing the young birds to allow veterinary technicians to collect a blood sample, taking a cloacal culture, giving appropriate vaccinations, and injecting a small transponder under the skin. The blood work tells the vets a lot about the health of the penguin chicks, and it’s also the best way t

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo unless otherwise noted Last October 24, 2014, three little lion cubs were born to mom Adia and dad Xerxes. Since then, the cubs have stolen more than a few hearts as we've watched them grow into rough and tumble pre-teens. Then and Now: at two weeks old and at ten months old. At just two weeks old , the lion cubs were already curious enough to keep Adia busy in the den. Filling their bellies with milk and going on tiny scouting adventures was supplemented with lots and lots of cat naps. Cublets Mandla and Gandia at two weeks old. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. At six weeks old, the cubs aced their veterinary exam with flying colors, proving to be feisty and strong and by 11 weeks old they were ready to explore the outdoor exhibit with mom and dad. They went Beast Mode in January... And later that month, Xerxes picked out names for his three sons (with just a l

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Conservationists and rangers are real heroes working to protect tigers and their habitat. In May, we asked young MyZoo magazine readers to create their own thank you posters and we’d send them straight to our colleagues in the tropical forests of Malaysia. Drum roll please… Suhyeon Choi, age 8, won the Grand prize (ages 7-10) which includes a zoo Overnight Adventure on August 15, 2015. Congratulations Suhyeon! This is what Suhyeon had to say about tigers, "I love tigers because they are cute yet fierce and I love animals all the same". We couldn’t agree more. Suhyeon’s creativity and her rainbow palette really stood out to the judges. Ella Gruner, age 6, won the Grand prize (ages 3-6) which includes a tiger ZooParent adoption and plush! When asked why she loves tigers, Ella said, “I love tigers because they live in one of my favorite places, the jungle.” We really loved her delicate tiger drawing as well

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Kirsten Pisto/WPZ. The delicate petal of a sweet rose, the crisp stem on a freshly cut camellia and a mouth full of luscious nasturtiums leaves! The zoo’s browse gardens are bursting with color and we are celebrating this summer yield with a special delivery of mouthwatering garden plants to our resident herbivores. This is the fifth summer of cross-department collaboration between horticulture, animal management, ZooCorps and the commissary. The program has been a great success in ensuring the animals receive fresh summer treats as well as providing an excellent learning opportunity for our ZooCorps teens. Cat nip is attractive to our big cats, just as it is to a house cat. The plant contains the feline attractant nepetalactone. This honey bee seems to enjoy it as well!  Fennel, mint and sugar-snap peas grow together in the browse garden behind the Tropical Rain Forest unit. Browse gardens are scattered througho