Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Kirsten Pisto/Communications with Animal Keeper Maddie Weholt Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Happy 3rd birthday to Juniper and Fern! Since their arrival at Woodland Park Zoo in 2022, rescued brown bears Juniper and Fern have snuggled into just about every heart in the Puget Sound. They are now snuggled up in their very own den—dreaming of spring! The brown bears during a lazy wrestle sesh on a den-break in January 2025. Both cubs were rescued from their native habitats. Juniper is a coastal brown bear from Anchorage, Alaska; Fern is a grizzly bear from Montana. They were too young to survive on their own. It is estimated the cubs were each born in January 2022. An image from the den cam shows Fern and Juniper snug as can be! January 2025 Fern and Juniper bonded quickly after being introduced on Woodland Park Zoo's Living Northwest Trail in November 2022 and the rest is history. We can't believe these love muffins are turning three! While we don'...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Buttons celebrates a milestone and reminds us to help wild animals stay wild! Happy birthday, Buttons! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo The spring of 2022 marks a big milestone for one of the more well-known members of our elk herd—Buttons. While we don’t know her exact birthday, this sassy girl—who was born in the wild in eastern Washington—is turning 10 years old! Pregnant elk cows tend to have their calves within the same birthing window, which in our region ranges from the end of May through June. So, it is likely that Buttons was born sometime within that span of time in 2012. Why so scruffy, Buttons? In the spring, an elk's winter coat will drop off and molt into a sleek shorter summer coat. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Buttons gained notoriety several years ago in the area between Ellensburg and Cle Elum where residents—believing she was orphaned—began feeding her, petting her and even putting kids on...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Happy birthday—or hatch day—to this special emu! Windana turned 30 years old on March 22, which makes him one of the oldest known emus in all of the accredited zoos in North America! Emus have an average life expectancy of around 10 years in the wild and around 20 years in human care—so Windana’s age is a testament to the amazing care he receives, day in and day out, from our animal keepers and veterinary staff. Windana is a sweetheart of an emu with a permanent case of bedhead. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Emus are large flightless birds native to Australia. They’re the second largest living birds on the planet next to the ostriches of Africa and, as adults, can easily grow 5 to 6 feet tall. Windana, whose name comes from an Aboriginal word referencing a “crossroads” or a “turning point”, has lived at Woodland Park Zoo for almost his whole life. He arrived here in 1992, along with a female emu around the same age named Kowia. Both o...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZUNA! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo We are celebrating a big milestone for the littlest member of our western lowland gorilla family—and for her mother, Nadiri too. Zuna turns 1 year old in a few days, and it’s been quite a year for this feisty little girl! Nadiri didn't initially pick up her newborn so our amazing gorilla keepers immediately stepped up, providing round-the-clock care for baby Zuna's first days. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Beginnings Zuna came into this world on January 29, 2021 —the second baby for Nadiri, and the first between her and dad, Kwame. It was a bit of a bumpy start, though, for both mother and daughter. Nadiri didn’t initially pick up her baby to nurse. So shortly after birth, gorilla keepers and veterinary staff stepped in to provide round-the-clock care for the baby including bottle feeding her human infant formula, keeping her warm and providing lots...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Today, March 4, is a very special day—the day we wish little Kitoko a happy 1st birthday! What better way to celebrate than to share with you some highlights from this very special western lowland gorilla's first year! 1. Birth and first days Kitoko was born on March 4, 2020 to first-time mother Uzumma and silverback male, Kwame. Instantly our collective hearts melted seeing how quickly Uzumma took to her new role —doting on her new baby, nursing him, cuddling him and patting him to sleep. No doubt, she has given him the very best start in life… and given us more memories to treasure! Watch here:  https://youtu.be/pZGHsWWaslo "I only have eyes for you!" Uzumma gazes lovingly at her newborn baby. 2. Growing, climbing and exploring! Kitoko was a bright-eyed and curious baby right from the start and he has met every milestone while growing and learning about the world around him. H...