Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor and Gigi Allianic, Communications We are 12. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. The Mini Legion of Boom—Asian small-clawed otters Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor and Maxwell, huddled to raise the 12 Flag in their exhibit today. Video: Otters raise the 12 Flag for Seahawks Super Bowl Rally. Produced by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Sherman took the lead and set the flag waving for Seattle Seahawks fans as we rally for Super Bowl XLIX. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo. Then the otters got down to business for a little scrimmage, showing off their vertical and secondary defense. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo. Bring on the boom! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. The Mini Legion of Boom, four otter brothers born at the zoo in 2013, were named after the Legion of Boom as a tribute to the Seahawks explosive secondary. The otter brothers live with their parents and four younger siblings. Ph...

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Three weeks ago on November 7, our pair of great argus welcomed a healthy chick. The baby bird tipped the scales at 48 grams, just a little heavier than a golf ball, and has steadily gained weight since. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. To increase the chick’s chance of survival, keepers are hand rearing it behind the scenes in the comforts of a warm, secure den. Soft, feathery items—like the feather duster pictured below—are added to the den to comfort the young pheasant and to familiarize it with the feeling of family. A feather duster is used to provide comfort to the hand-raised chick. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The argus chick is a symbol of hope for this vulnerable species native to Southeast Asia. As part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), Woodland Park Zoo’s successful argus breeding program helps ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population that’s genetic...

Posted by: Fred Koontz, PhD, VP Field Conservation Nowhere can we make a greater difference for endangered tigers than to work directly in the field. Just one hundred years ago, more than 100,000 wild tigers roamed the grasslands and forests of Asia. Now, less than 3,200 survive. Behind this sharp decline are decades of habitat loss and illegal killing. Today, conservation scientists worry about an accelerating international demand for tiger parts, such as skin for rugs and bone for Chinese medicine. Poachers are pushing this iconic big cat to the brink of extinction. We’re working hard to change that! As you learned in last summer’s field report , Panthera and Woodland Park Zoo established a 10-year, $1 million partnership to assist our Malaysian colleagues’ efforts to save tigers from extinction. The Malayan tiger ( Panthera tigris jacksoni ) is a tiger subspecies found only on the Malay Peninsula. In the 1950s, there were an estimated 3,000 tigers in Peninsular Malaysia; possib...

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson with Rebecca Whitham, Communications Sloth bear mom Tasha and 18-month-old cubs Randhir and Kushali will make their final appearance July 6 before construction begins to rebuild their home. The cubs turned 1 last December and celebrated with piñatas. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The exhibit makeover will mark the second and final phase of our new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit, and it’s all possible because of your support ! Thanks to you , we opened phase one of the exhibit in 2013, which features Asian small-clawed otters, a tropical aviary and a nature play area. Over the next year, we’ll complete construction for the final phase , which will bring new homes for the sloth bears and mark the return of tigers to Woodland Park Zoo in May 2015! Remember when the cubs were this small? Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Our three sloth bears will live in an off-view exhibit during the construction, so plan a visit soon to see t...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications When otters play tug-of-war, we all win. Photo by Stan Milkowski/Woodland Park Zoo. In just one year’s time, our four little Asian small-clawed otter boys, Chancellor, Maxwell, Sherman and Thomas, went from being babies to being big brothers ! The pups, named for the Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom, were born June 11 last year, just in time for Father’s Day. Today we celebrate their first birthday with a look back at what they’ve learned and experienced in their first year. They learned that fish is delicious… Soooooo good! This photo was taken in August 2013 when the pups were two months old. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. …that the Seahawks rule… These champion otters were named for the champion Seahawks' Legion of Boom. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. …that Dad can’t help but be overprotective sometimes… When the pups were first learning to swim outdoors, dad had a habit of not letting the...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Guntur, the infamously over-protective otter dad, has finally let the newest pups take their first steps outside! The four pups—three girls and one boy born in January—have only had a few tiny adventures outdoors so far. Though they step out for only a few minutes at a time, the good news is that dad seems to be getting more comfortable each time. It helps a lot that the pups’ have a dedicated family that also includes mom and four older brothers to show them the way. Sometimes that means moving the pups around… …and sometimes that means letting the pups figure out their own way. The pups aren’t yet the most coordinated little movers, but they’re quite capable of planting themselves into prime snacking position, which we learned when keepers gave them some grubs outdoors. Video: Otter pups venture outdoors. Keep in mind if you’re planning a visit that the otters’ tim...

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Four new otter pups at Woodland Park Zoo received a clean bill of health today during their first, hands-on wellness exam. The Asian small-clawed otter pups—three females and one male—were born to 4-year-old mother Teratai and 8-year-old father Guntur on January 20. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The zoo’s newest additions underwent a thorough neonatal exam to check their ears, eyes, mouths and overall development. Each of the otter pups just barely tipped the scales at 1.2-1.5 pounds, a healthy size for their 8-week-old frames. Exam results indicate all four pups are growing healthily as expected. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Since the pups' birth, the parents and four older brothers have all pitched in to build their den nest, provide support and, most recently, teach the pups to swim in a behind-the-scenes pool. Video: Otter pup swim practice behind th...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications We got squeals, they’re multiplying. Please help us welcome to the world four new Asian small-clawed otter babies that have been squealing and chirping away since their birth on January 20! The new litter—three females and one male—is spending time in a behind-the-scenes den with mom Teratai and dad Guntur. This is the second litter of pups born to this pair, who famously gave birth to four boys last June just a month after debuting on exhibit in the new Bamboo Forest Reserve. Video: The newest otter pups behind the scenes with mom, dad and their four brothers. The four older brothers, Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor and Maxwell, have taken a lot of interest in the little pups. While mom nurses the newborns, the father and older brothers pitch in to provide supportive care. The parents and the older siblings have daily access to the outdoor exhibit, but they are primarily choosing to stay indoors to be with the pups. Viewing in the...

Posted by: Fred Koontz, PhD, Vice President of Field Conservation These days, bad news is easy to come by in stories about tiger conservation. But I’d like to show you how the power of ordinary, caring people is changing that. Recently, I joined a group of folks in Malaysia dedicated to protecting tiger landscapes from the grip of wildlife criminals. Come with me on a CAT Walk through tiger country and see for yourself what conservation in a tiger hotspot looks and feels like. With massive, towering trees, Taman Negara National Park, created in 1939, is often referred to as the crown jewel of the world’s rain forests. Estimated to be 130 million years old, it is nearly twice as old as the Amazon rain forest. Woodland Park Zoo is part of a new, 10-year project with Panthera and Malaysian colleagues to save Malayan tigers in and around this park. Photo: Fred Koontz/WPZ.  BOOTS ON THE GROUND Last June, on a Malaysian site visit for WPZ’s Field Conservation Department , I j...