Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications with Animal Keeper Maddie Weholt BFFs, Juniper and Fern, are doing BFF things as they prepare for fall. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo With Fall just around the corner, our thoughts turn to crisp weather, colorful leaves, apple picking and warm snuggles with blankets and cups of cocoa—the perfect hygge recipe! The coming of fall means changes for our brown bear besties too! They are turning their attention to all things related to food and upcoming nap opportunities. It’s an ideal time to check in with Animal Keeper Maddie on what autumn has in store for Juniper and Fern. WPZ: Juniper and Fern are both 3 years old now, turning 4 this coming winter—so almost full grown. How are they doing? Keeper Maddie: Both bears are doing well. It’s super cool to me to see that the personalities they’ve had since arriving here 3 years ago (in 2022) as youngsters have stayed incredibly consistent now that they are on the young side of adultho...

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo You might think of Halloween costumes as the perfect disguise, but our quiz will reveal the true you. Find the best animal costume to match your personality by taking our quiz, Which Animal Should I be for Halloween? Discover your wild side and get DIY animal costume tips in time for Woodland Park Zoo's Pumpkin Bash! www.zoo.org/halloween After you've taken the quiz, check out a few easy DIY tips and tricks below to create the perfect animal costume just in time for Pumpkin Bash! Once you have your costume you can take advantage of our exclusive Pumpkin Bash discount: one child 12 years and under in costume is admitted FREE with a paid adult (cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion).   Bali Mynah You are gregarious and charming. Your flock of friends is always close by and you prefer to hang with the in-crowd. Your charismatic demeanor...

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren knows a thing or two about patience and perseverance—being the zoo’s official photographer he is well versed in, well, waiting. Waiting for the light to open up, waiting for the lemur to jump, waiting for the rain to stop, and waiting for the crowds to clear. Then the shutter clicks and we all reap the rewards. But you don’t have to wait for fabulous photography because autumn is here and now is the perfect time to bring your camera to the zoo. With golden orange light cascading from crisp leaves, a rainbow of changing foliage and long, beautiful shadows dancing across zoo grounds, November is an ideal time for photographers of all skill levels to visit the zoo. Jeremy joined us in his official capacity as staff photographer in August of this year, although he had been a volunteer photographer for three years prior. Here he gives us some pro tips on making the...

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Fall is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful seasons to stroll zoo grounds. With the autumnal nod of the Northern hemisphere, a slight shift in the earth’s axis means our days will soon be getting darker and darker until the shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice (note to self: head for the Tropical Rain Forest building on Dec. 21 to soak up some heat!). Right now our pathways are spilling over with orange, red, gold and brilliant yellow leaves. Some of the best spots to stop for fall foliage are the oak leaf piles on the outer loop between the South Entrance and gorillas, the gigantic magnolia leaves near Thai Village, and the perfectly painted Enkianthus outside the Bamboo Forest Reserve. If you are a photographer, visit early or late in the day and see those really warm golden hues that occur when the sun sinks low in the sky. Fall light provides some of the most flattering colors, casting a warm glow on your subject. ...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications We are officially knee deep in autumn with wind storms and red cups gone wild, darker evenings and Seattleites covered in fleece head to toe. But, not all is dark and dreary!   Woodland Park Zoo’s lush canopy, made up of more than 1,000 different species of plants, is ablaze with autumn’s finest colors. Autumn is the perfect time to stroll the zoo and appreciate an essential part of Seattle’s urban forest. Come explore the fall foliage and get to know a few trees along the way. Start by downloading our mobile app and use the Tree Tour to explore some of the signature trees around the zoo. Watch them transform the exhibits, as well as our own environment, into a golden autumn dreamscape. Not only do our zoo animals use the trees for shade, climbing and sometimes food, dozens of native and migratory animal species also come through the zoo to find shelter and feed from our canopy. Here are a few of our favorite fall finds: ...