Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Looks like Woodland Park Zoo's new female siamang has taken to the trees after her recent introduction to the outdoor exhibit. Volunteer photographer Dennis Dow, who snapped these shots, said "She seemed very comfortable as well as athletic as she swung through the branches." You can find the siamangs in the Trail of Vines exhibit in Woodland Park Zoo's Tropical Asia biome. Photos by Dennis Dow.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Yesterday, Asian elephant Chai put some finishing touches on a painting for the Saturday premiere of Seattle's first ever animal art show . KING 5 Evening Magazine filmed as Chai used her trunk to apply a paintbrush to the canvas, with direction and reward from her keepers. Reward comes in the form of tasty apples and carrots, of course! The final piece, measuring in at a dramatic 4'x6' and titled "Tres, Trio, Drei," is a group effort by Woodland Park Zoo's three elephants. The left most portion was painted by African elephant Watoto, the middle by Asian elephant Bamboo, and the right by Chai. Both Bamboo and Chai also "signed" their portions with a trunk mark. "Tres, Trio, Drei" and more than 20 other paintings will be available for purchase at Art/Not Terminal Gallery through March 5. Photos by Ryan Hawk.

Meet Briony, Woodland Park Zoo’s new female siamang . Briony arrived at the zoo last fall in need of a new partner after having lost her previous mate. She has been adjusting well to life with Simon, Woodland Park Zoo’s male siamang. This week, Briony has been adventuring outside the familiarity of her indoor exhibit space to the beautiful outdoor landscape the siamangs share—though so far she has stayed pretty close to the door! Over time, as Briony builds her bond with Simon and becomes more comfortable with her outdoor exhibit, we hope to find the two high up in the treetops singing their new duet together. Siamang vocals are so powerful that many zoo neighbors in Phinney Ridge and Fremont are able to hear the siamangs’ song in their homes. Sutera, Simon’s previous partner, was called on a Species Survival Plan (SSP) mission to Little Rock Zoo to be matched with a 5-year-old male. This pair has been selected by the SSP as a good match to best preserve genetic diversity in the capti

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Woodland Park Zoo hit a major milestone this week in the construction of our new Humboldt penguin exhibit , opening in May: We've filled the penguin pool for the first and last time! Why is that important? Well, to help "green" the exhibit, instead of traditional fill and dump practices, we will fill the penguin pool only once. Then, we will use the earth’s natural systems to ensure a pristine water environment for these endangered birds while preventing stormwater runoff from entering our lakes, thus contributing to the health of Puget Sound. With the green technologies, the exhibit will save approximately 3,000,000 gallons of water and 75,000,000 BTUs of energy each year! That’s the equivalent of saving 24 million pints of drinking water, and heating five, new two-bedroom townhouses each year. How are we saving so much water and energy? The exhibit will filter stormwater on site in two ways. First, it will collect rainwater fr

Everyone's favorite ocelot kittens received their 18-week physical examination from Woodland Park Zoo's Animal Health staff last week. The female twins--named Novia and Corisandra--were weighed and measured, had their blood drawn and received their final set of vaccinations as kittens. All is well and the kittens will soon begin their introduction to the ocelot exhibit. Ocelot footprints were also taken during the exam for sale at the upcoming animal art show , opening this Saturday, 2/7.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Check out this must-see video of Towan, a 41-year-old orangutan, creating a work of art. Notice how he uses both his dextrous hands and his prehensile lips to manipulate his suite of artist's tools, which include paint brushes, markers, and even tooth brushes. You can see Towan's finished pieces at a fundraiser art show --the first art show of its kind in Seattle--at Art/Not Terminal Gallery Feb. 7 - March 5. And join us for opening night Feb. 7 to meet the keepers and hear more about Towan's and the other animal's artistic process.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Don't miss Seattle's first ever animal art show ! Not art about animals, but art by animals. You'll find more than 20 pieces on display and for sale Feb. 7 - March 5 at Art/Not Terminal Gallery (2045 Westlake Ave). From framed animal footprints, to colorful orangutan and elephant originals, this gallery presentation is unlike any art show you've ever seen. Join us for a wine & cheese reception (provided by PengWine ) on opening night Feb. 7, 7-10 p.m . Meet the keepers who will discuss the animals' art--their favorite techniques and independent styles--and the big idea behind it all: ongoing enrichment to engage and stimulate the animals in the zoo's care. Proceeds from the art show will help fund the combined conferences of the American Association of Zoo Keepers and International Congress of Zookeepers (AAZK/ICZ) being hosted by Woodland Park Zoo and the Puget Sound Chapter of AAZK in September 2009. This w

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali celebrated their 15th birthday this week with some thoughtful cards and treats from their keepers! You can catch the brothers in the zoo’s award-winning Northern Trail exhibit, or watch them at home on the Bear Cam . Photo by Pam Cox.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Looks like I wasn't the only one kicking up my heels to bring in the New Year... Volunteer photographer Dennis Dow snapped some terrific photos of the gazelles pronking and the zebras in action out in the zoo's award-winning African Savanna this past week. "I was walking past the African Savanna on Friday Jan. 2 in the late afternoon and noticed that the gazelles were playing and running after each other. Within a minute or so the oryx and zebras followed suit and were kicking up their heels and bounding around the savanna," said Dennis. What a fun start to the new year!

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications What are your unforgettable 2008 zoo moments? Share with us in the comments! Here’s my personal countdown of favorite zoo happenings in 2008: 8. A New Giraffe is Here! 7. Year of the Frog kicks off 6. Zoo goes pink with flamingos 5. Making way for penguins 4. Baby gorilla gets helping hand from Children’s Hospital 3. Whoop-de-zoo! Orangutans celebrate their 40th 2. Headstarted endangered turtles graduate into the wild 1. Ocelot kittens brighten the day

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Savvy zoo visitors know that while snowfall at the zoo might make it hard to spot some of the animals, others are picture perfect out in the elements. The novel weather brings out the inquisitive nature in many zoo animals and creates a beautiful backdrop for shutterbugs. Here are some of my favorite photos our zoo photographers have snapped of Woodland Park Zoo’s residents in the Seattle snow: If you snap any great snow photos at the zoo, please upload them to our Facebook page fan photo album or add them to the slideshow featured on our blog sidebar by tagging them on flickr.com with the phrase “woodlandparkzoo.” Photos by Ryan Hawk and Dennis Dow.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications No art collection is complete without an original painting by Woodland Park Zoo's 40-year-old orangutan, Towan. And with the holidays here, now's your chance to give a unique gift to the animal lover in your life. Towan's latest work, a 16"x20" painting done in festive acrylic red and green to reflect the theme of the holiday season, comes framed behind glass in a matte black wood frame. Included is a certificate of authenticity. Bidding has begun on eBay , ending December 12 at 10:36:30 PST. Don't miss your chance! Funds raised through this eBay auction will help support the 2009 conference of the Third Annual International Congress of Zookeepers/36th American Association of Zookeepers National Conference to be held at Woodland Park Zoo. This combined ICZ/AAZK conference represents the first time these two professional zoo keeper organizations have joined to bring together animal care professionals from around the w

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications We've been updating you frequently with behind-the-scenes photos of the two ocelot kittens. And while it's easy (and fun) to get caught up in how cute they are, it's important to remember that these kittens are also ambassadors for their endangered wild counterparts. Ocelots are still in high demand for the fur industries in Europe and Asia, which leads to abuse of the already existing laws protecting ocelots and other small cats. Ocelot numbers are also decreasing rapidly as a result of habitat destruction and the black market pet trade. Threatened throughout their entire range, ocelots are also becoming exceedingly rare in several areas. In the U.S., ocelots once ranged throughout the southwest from Arizona to Louisiana, yet now less than 100 ocelots are estimated to be left in the U.S. For simple ways to help save endangered species, visit our How You Can Help webpage. Photos: Ocelots at 8 weeks, by Ryan Hawk.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications The 5-week-old galago babies received another vet check-up this morning, which gave us a chance to snap some photos of the tiny primates who are quickly growing. (Remember these photos from when they were just one week old?) The two galago babies are out on view now in the Night Exhibit, which is kept in darkness during the day so visitors can watch nocturnal animals in their element. Look for them in the nesting box inside the Night Exhibit.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications What happens when the Ballard Pudus—a local youth soccer team—meet the Woodland Park Zoo pudus? Pure, pudu magic. The Ballard Pudus, an official Ballard Youth Soccer team made up of 7-8 year olds, got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet their namesake behind the scenes at Woodland Park Zoo last month. The pudu, a South American deer, and, in fact, the world’s smallest species of deer, may not always get the spotlight. But 7-year-old Anna has had a lifelong love of pudus, making them her number one animal to look for whenever she visits the zoo. So when her Ballard Youth Soccer Team had a chance to come up with a team name, Anna used her pudu-passion to convince her teammates to take on the unique moniker. The oddly named soccer team may draw some puzzled looks on the field, but their team name actually helps to promote knowledge about this little known endangered species. After meeting the zoo’s pudus and talking to their keepers, the soc

Watch the bushbabies (also known as galagos) get their vet exam under the care of our animal health team and zookeepers. Turn up the sound to learn more about what you're seeing: The galago babies are on view now in the Night Exhibit. You'll most likely spot them in a nesting box in their exhibit space.

Watch the 5-week-old ocelots during their weekly exam with their zookeepers: As you can imagine, these early weeks are critical to the ocelots’ growth, so they remain quietly and safely off view with their mother. But thanks to the great work of our keepers, vets, and staff photographer, you get to watch the kittens grow behind-the-scenes as we post more photos, videos and stories. Want to be the first to see new videos? Subscribe to our popular YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/woodlandparkzoo .

Here's the latest snapshot of the two ocelot kittens--now 5 weeks old--taken Tuesday at their weekly weigh-in. The ocelots are doing well behind-the-scenes with their mother. Their father is out on exhibit now in the Tropical Rain Forest building.

Uzumma, who turned one year old this October, has been boldly venturing away from her mother and exploring the new trees recently installed in the gorilla exhibit. Many of us have spotted her playing around the base of the trees before, but this weekend, one of our photographers caught Uzumma testing her climbing skills on the 30 ft tall trees. Word is she made it about half way up several times! Have you seen her go higher? Let us know! Photos by Dennis Dow.

Last weekend's Pumpkin Prowl was a howling success with three nights of spooky fun (and some pretty great treats, too!).