Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: African Savanna zookeepers Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Chioke means “gift from above” and our big male giraffe was exactly that. He came to Woodland Park Zoo from Oakland Zoo in the spring of 2007, and right away you could tell he was a special guy. His full name is Chioke Biton Amani McKinley, though he had the nickname Toaster (as in the Brave Little Toaster) because he had health issues to overcome from when he was very young. Sadly, Chioke continued to have intermittent health concerns, and he passed away last month. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. It usually takes an animal a while to start to show trust in its keepers, but right from the get go Chioke, and his brother Kipande, showed great interest in what their keepers were up to, and that continued through his last days with us. Chioke’s willingness to interact with both the keepers and the public is what made him a fixture of our giraffe experience every year. Chioke met and connect

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Unlike the largely solitary snow leopard or jaguar, lions are the most social of the big cats, regularly living in groups known as prides. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Lions live in matriarchal societies, where lionesses make up the majority of the pride and take on various group responsibilities. In most prides, lionesses live among their cubs , sisters and female cousins. A few males live within the group, though most are unrelated. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Lionesses are slender, making them more agile and faster than the males, which is helpful since the females are the primary hunters within the pride. While females hunt, the males guard their territory and protect the cubs from larger predators. Once old enough, male offspring will be run out of the pride and forced to join a bachelor pride until they can dominate a pride of their own. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Have you visi

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Two of Woodland Park Zoo’s quadruplet lion cubs need names, and we need your help! Enter the naming contest for a chance to win an amazing zoo prize pack, including a private viewing at the lion exhibit with a zookeeper! We’re in search of Zulu or Sotho names for one male cub and one female cub. The languages reflect a part of the range where South African lions live. A judging panel of zoo staff will select the cubs’ names from your submissions. The other two cubs will also receive Zulu or Sotho names, this time chosen by zookeepers and long-time zoo donors who have helped bring big cats to Woodland Park Zoo. Need some inspiration? Here is a little bio on each of the two cubs to spark some ideas. Male cub. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. This male cub likes to rough around with his brother and often finds himself in mud. When not chasing his brother, sisters or mom, he can usually be spotted jumping on logs and wrestling st

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications The quadruplet lion cubs are ready for the big time. The cubs officially debut on exhibit this Sat., Feb. 16! Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. Starting Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily, the 3-month-old cubs and mom are scheduled to be on view in the lion shelter located in the award-winning African Savanna. Viewing hours may vary or may be canceled for the day due to weather and veterinary examinations, and will increase incrementally as the cubs continue growing. Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. The cubs spent their first weeks in a behind-the-scenes maternity den with mom Adia, then took their first steps outdoors earlier this month. For the past two weeks the cubs have been exploring the outdoors through a series of introduction sessions. Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. They adjusted to the outdoors right away, exploring all around, playing with sticks and trotting through mud. Their

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications We’re on the lookout for the wetlands version of a needle in a haystack: small beads, clumped together in tiny masses, hanging to the sides of sticks and logs, submerged under dark, muddy water. But the dozen wader-wearing volunteers in Carkeek Park on a Saturday morning are up for the task.  A trained volunteer wades into the wetlands at Carkeek Park. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. These are citizen scientists and they have studied and practiced for this—the search for amphibian egg masses in our own parks and backyards. Amphibians once occupied pristine wetlands across the Pacific Northwest. But now their marshy homes often flow into or crash up against urban and developing areas. Amphibians are closer than we often realize, and our actions impact them deeply. The endangered Oregon spotted frog is one of eight species the citizen scientists are monitoring. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. With their perm

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Want to see what the tree kangaroo joey is up to? Now you can watch joey and mom through a limited-engagement web cam , streaming live from the family’s behind-the-scenes maternity den! Screenshot taken from the live web cam (you can stare at it, but it won’t move in this pic!). Watch the tree kangaroos live at www.zoo.org/animalcam Born the size of a lima bean in June 2012, this tree kangaroo baby is just starting to emerge from its mother’s pouch. Through the video monitor, you can see the joey and its mom, Elanna, in a behind-the-scenes maternity enclosure. The cam is streaming live from one of their rooms, but the family has access to an adjacent room, so there may be times when they are not visible on camera. When's the best time to watch? Tree kangaroos are crepuscular, which means they are most active in the morning and at dusk.  Tree kangaroo joey emerging from pouch. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo.

Written by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications  Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo NOTE: While this is the story of the cubs’ first steps outside, please note that the cubs are not yet on view. Access to the lion exhibit viewing shelter is currently closed to visitors while introductions take place. We expect to open the space to visitors in the very near future, and will announce here when the cubs are ready for their public debut. Thanks for your patience and your help in giving the family the space they need right now to grow comfortable and confident in their outdoor home. Adia came through a doorway hidden behind a rocky wall and entered the outdoor exhibit Friday morning with a tiny tag-along by her side. The cubs had their very first chance to explore their outdoor exhibit yesterday. Leading up to the big day , keepers debated whether the cubs would be cautious and slow to emerge, or come bounding out with confidence. The answer came quickly when one, th