Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Roxanne Murphy, Community Relations Here at Woodland Park Zoo, we develop many sizes of partnerships with all sorts of community organizations, but sometimes the sweetest of such partnerships are the simplest and directly in our neck of the woods. This is exactly what we realized when we recently got a call from Herkimer Coffee , located just a few blocks away from the zoo on Phinney Avenue. Sure, several zoo staffers and volunteers get their morning or afternoon pick-me-ups here, but Herkimer manager Chad Smith was thinking about the zoo on a deeper level. He and his family not only love the zoo as members, they’ve also spent time here and on their own learning about orangutans . They share our same strong affinity for these inspiring and intelligent primates. Chad specifically noticed that we use burlap bags in our orangutan and gorilla exhibits. In case you didn’t know, orangutans are arboreal, living in treetops, and they rarely come down from the trees. When they do, o

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications The way to an otter’s heart is an ice pop made with a splash of fruit juice, a handful of smelt, a sprinkling of carrots and a whole lotta love. Enjoy this video of Woodland Park Zoo’s pair of river otters —Sunny, the 14-year-old female, and Duncan, the 12-year-old male—as they frolic with their custom-made, heart-shaped ice pops for an early Valentine’s Day celebration: Other zoo animals will celebrate Valentine’s Day presented by Franz Bakeries with heart-shaped ice pops, herbal bouquets, heart-shaped steaks, and more on Saturday, Feb. 13, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Full schedule of enrichment activities is available online so you can plan your perfect Valentine’s date! The special treats are part of the zoo’s ongoing enrichment program to help enrich the lives of the animals by promoting natural animal behavior, such as foraging, playing and exploring, keeping animals mentally and physically stimulated and engaging zoo visitors. Photos: R

Posted by: Ric Brewer, Communications You may remember the   high-flying tale   of Leonel, Woodland Park Zoo’s newest   western lowland gorilla , from back when he arrived via Fed-Ex in the winter. We promised you an update, and, though Leonel is still behind the scenes, he has certainly been making strides toward adjusting to his new life at Woodland Park Zoo. Hugh Bailey, lead keeper for the gorilla unit says that Leonel has adapted "better than expected" to his new situation. "He had a lot to get used to," remarked Bailey, saying that Leo has become comfortable with a host of new sounds including the roar of nearby lions, and new people. Leo is also getting used to new gorillas in his life. Due to the nature of gorilla social dynamics, the keepers are proceeding slowly with introductions, beginning with visual introductions and seeing how this plays out before going to the next steps of physical introductions. "We really do this at their pace; they n

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications When FedEx pilot Captain Mark Abbott heard from his sister Jo Roach, a zookeeper at Woodland Park Zoo, that a special delivery was due to the zoo in December, he pulled some strings to get in on the momentous occasion: the arrival of Leonel, a 30-year-old silverback gorilla, via FedEx to Seattle (Leonel pictured left). The brother-sister team is no stranger to great apes: Jo as a keeper at WPZ for 19 years and Captain Abbott who lived with his wife in Africa for years. But for the first time, their work converged as Woodland Park Zoo made preparations to ship Leonel from his last temporary zoo location in Columbus to his new permanent home in Seattle. Leonel flew FedEx to Seattle in the company of a zoo vet and one of his new keepers-to-be, Traci Amerine. This very special cargo was novel for 14-year FedEx veteran Captain Abbott—he had flown with horses before, but never an animal quite like Leo. Though he could not see or hear Leonel while in

Thank you to all who came out for the opening of Seattle’s first non-human art show ! Hundreds of animal- and art-lovers alike funneled in throughout the evening, taking in the work, chatting with zookeepers about the animal artists, and enjoying the reception provided by PengWine . Here's a proud new owner of artwork by orangutan Towan, standing next to her purchase! Many of the pieces sold quickly—but don’t worry, all of the works will continue to show through March 5 at Art/Not Terminal Gallery in Seattle. It’s FREE to visit, so please stop by. Photos: Ryan Hawk (top), Ric Brewer.

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.

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 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 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 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

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.

Here's video of six-year-old western lowland gorilla Calaya mastering the new upright trees and vines recently installed in the gorilla exhibit. This footage was taken at the very first moment Calaya encountered the new structures, and as you can see, she wasted no time in checking them out! The new artificial trees and vines installed in the exhibit will stand up to the rough and tumble of playful (and heavy!) gorillas for years to come. Come check them out!

Calaya took to the trees last week as our gorillas were treated to their newly "decorated" exhibit. Two custom-made metal and concrete trees were the main reason for the exhibit makeover. Created by our talented Exhibits crew, the trees--one weighing more than one ton--were installed both for safety and durability. As you can imagine, a 300-pound gorilla jumping on a rotting tree branch can have consequences, so these realistic trees were made to allay any fears of gorillas raining from the trees! Part of the funding for this project came from 3-year-old Lucas Engles-Klann, who, with the assistance of his mom, held a vegetarian meal fundraiser and brought in $1,200 for our gorillas. We were fortunate to have Lucas here when the gorillas first were let into the newly renovated exhibited. Despite his shyness, Lucas seemed to enjoy the fruits of his generosity almost as much as Calaya enjoyed swinging in her new playground! (Photo by Tianna Klineburger)

UPDATE: Our exhibit crew is putting the finishing touches on the new upright trees recently installed in silverback Vip’s gorilla group . They are adding deadfall and hanging vines and hammocks to make the trees more accessible and usable for the gorillas. Then the horticulture team will bring in soil and finish planting the area. We hope to have the gorillas back out and exploring these exciting new environmental enrichment items within the next few days. If you catch any photos of the gorillas checking out the new trees, please share! You can add them to our flickr slideshow by uploading them to flickr.com and tagging them with the phrase “woodlandparkzoo” or you can email them to us at webkeeper@zoo.org . Photo by Ryan Hawk.

At the zoo today you may have seen this type of crane: And also this type of crane: This 250-ton crane using a 160-foot boom was on hand today to lift three 30-foot tall trees into the gorilla exhibit for silverback Vip’s group . You might not guess it, but gorillas are adept climbers, often building nests in trees in the wild. And though you’ll find lots of other trees and vegetation already in the gorilla exhibit, these trees are a bit different—they are made of steel pipes with reinforced concrete. Skillfully built, painted and installed by our talented exhibits crew, the new trees will serve as safe climbing structures for the gorillas’ enrichment, and they’ll resist rot and damage for years to come. Check out the trees’ creation and installation: Pete’s group in the adjacent gorilla exhibit will likely be back out this week, but Vip’s group will remain off view while the installation crew puts the finishing touches on the tree installation. We’ll report back on how the gorillas t

Orangutans and other animals enjoyed back-to-school themed treats this weekend to help say goodbye to summer and see the kiddies off to school. Sack lunches, textbooks loaded with surprise treats, and other clever enrichment items were used to not only give our animals a tasty snack, but to also stimulate them with new experiences and to encourage their natural behaviors. Credit goes to our keepers and volunteers who work so hard to create new and engaging enrichment for the animals. The "textbook" covers the orangutan keepers and volunteers decorated (Primate 101, Sign Language, etc.) delighted visitors but were also a hit with the orangutans, who ripped off the paper to use as a shade from the sun.

Towan, the 40-year-old orangutan at the zoo, has done it again. One of his preferred pastimes is the creation of beautiful (at least to our eyes and who knows, maybe his, too!) abstract artworks. Just in time for Mother's Day, he's painted two colorful masterpieces. We've put the paintings on Ebay in order to help raise funds for the 2009 International Congress of Zoo Keepers (ICZK) conference, to be held here in September 2009. ICZK joins keepers from around the globe in order to meet, network and learn valuable new insights into their profession and to help them share new techniques in order to care for the animals in their institutions in innovative new ways. The bidding is on now until May 8, so bid early...and often! Click here to read more about the ICZK and make your bid.

The newly named baby gorilla is getting more and more active with each passing day. Mother Amanda, always cautious, seems to be allowing her more latitude as she begins to explore the exhibit and interact with her sister Calaya and groupmate Jumoke. But actions speak louder than words so here's a video of the bundle of energy as she plays. (Photo by Dennis Dow; video by Ryan Hawk)

Orangutan Towan made national news on the recent broadcast of "Weekend Edition" with Scott Simon. Gigi Allianic , the zoo's PR manager, noted Towan's interest in painting and his intensity in creating his "art." You can hear the piece at the following link to NPR. Tune into our blog next week and we will be posting video of Towan making yet another masterpiece. And soon, we'll be featuring a special Mother's Day piece for auction on eBay! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89583858