Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Egyptian tortoises are critically endangered. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Every now and then, the world’s tiniest creatures show they have something big to teach us, if we’re willing to listen. Such is the case for the Egyptian tortoise. This critically endangered species, one of the world’s smallest tortoises, faces intense pressure in the wild. They’re native to the desert bordering the Mediterranean Sea and were once found in Libya, Egypt and Israel. Now, they’re isolated to small patches of territory in Libya and are considered extinct in the rest of their territory. Habitat destruction and human encroachment, including the illegal pet trade, are to blame. But there is hope, in the form of tiny hatchlings that weigh about as much as a couple nickels.  Woodland Park Zoo is proud to be a leader in the successful breeding and rearing of Egyptian tortoises. We work under the direction of the Species Survival Plan (known as t

Posted by Ryan Driscoll, Lead Learning Facilitator, Woodland Park Zoo Are you passionate about conservation? Do you want to learn more about environmental issues and take action? Are you looking for ways to engage with your community about subjects that matter? You should consider the Advanced Inquiry Program at Woodland Park Zoo. Miami University's Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) is an exciting web-based master’s degree program that includes experiential learning and field study offered at Woodland Park Zoo. As an advisor and facilitator of the program, I often get asked who this program is for and what types of projects students do. As we start recruitment for the 2021 cohort, I couldn’t think of a better way to highlight the diverse array of professions, interests, and projects that this program supports than to let some of our current students share some of their experiences. I hope you leave as inspired as I always am when working with students in this program! If you

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo This turtle-y awesome class of 2020 gets a head start on life! Washington state’s population of endangered western pond turtles will be bolstered when Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Woodland Park Zoo release close to 29 turtles next month to the wild at local protected sites. The turtles are a part of the collaborative Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project , a head start program initiated in 1991. It is Washington state’s longest-running species reintroduction project. Juvenile western pond turtles at Woodland Park Zoo are prepared to be released to the wild in August.  Each spring, WDFW biologists go in the field to attach transmitters to adult female western pond turtles and monitor them every few hours during the nesting season to locate nesting sites; the nests are protected from predators with wire exclosure cages. A portion of the eggs are col

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications On World Turtle Day 2020, we are more committed than ever to protecting vulnerable turtle, tortoise and terrapin species at home and around the world. #TurtlePower A western pond turtle about to be released into protected Washington wetlands. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. For western pond turtles, recovery is possible thanks to a collaborative effort between Pacific Northwest stakeholders determined to give these local gems a head start. Knocked out by predators, loss of habitat and invasive species, the western pond turtle population hit a devastating low of 150 turtles in Washington by 1990. But now, this native species is poised for a comeback. For more than two decades, Woodland Park Zoo has partnered with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Zoo and others to give these turtles a fighting chance. Today, successful reintroduction has brought that population up to more than 1,200. Without the collaborative

Posted by Kodi Jo Jaspers, Community Conservation Liaison Photos courtesy of Seattle Urban Carnivore Project / Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University. On August 12th, 2019, the online carnivore reporting tool, Carnivore Spotter , was launched. Carnivore Spotter is part of the larger Seattle Urban Carnivore Project, a collaboration between Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University. Over the last ten months many of our community members from across the greater Seattle area have shared their carnivore sightings. You have uploaded coyote sightings in Queen Anne, black bear reports in Issaquah and everything in between. Many of these reports also included media, such as videos or photos. We are especially excited when we receive reports with media, as it lets us see the exciting sightings you all are seeing in our city, and also allows us to verify the report. Each report is individually reviewed, and those that do include photos, video or audio are verified to ensure that these obse

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications How do you prepare for a baby tapir’s (#SeattleWatermelon) home? There may not be any cabinet safety locks, electric outlet covers or furniture safety straps, but baby tapir-proofing an exhibit is done very carefully! This is our mom-to-be, Ulan. Unlike the dappled spots and stripes of a baby, adult tapirs are a more solid black and white. It takes a long time for a little watermelon to ripen! Pregnancy for a Malayan tapir lasts 13 months! Want to adopt a tapir? join our ZooParent program here https://www.zoo.org/zooparent/special In January, Woodland Park Zoo announced the joyful news that its Malayan tapir Ulan is expecting her first baby. The father is Bintang. And, starting now, the birth window has opened for Ulan. This means that animal care staff are closely observing the 8-year-old expectant mom for any unusual behaviors or signs of labor. Ulan’s due date is between April and June. Like human parents who put their hearts and

Posted by Katie Remine, Living Northwest Conservation Coordinator and Bobbi Miller, Wildlife Conservation Manager Just because we’re practicing physical distancing, doesn’t mean we can’t do our bit for wildlife and the great outdoors! There are still plenty of ways you can engage in conservation actions right from your living room or backyard. Woodland Park Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation staff invite you to join them as a wildlife conservationist with these five activities you can do from the comfort of your couch (or hammock)! A Seattle Urban Carnivore Project motion sensor remote camera documents a group of raccoons in the greater Seattle region. Photo courtesy of Seattle Urban Carnivore Project / Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University. 1) Report your sightings of urban carnivores Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University’s Seattle Urban Carnivore Project explores how mammalian carnivores, such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, and even cougars and bears live and inte

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications with Judy Sievert, Gorilla Keeper Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo We’re so excited to share another update with you on western lowland gorilla Uzumma and her baby who was born just a little more than three weeks ago on March 4 . This past week has been an exciting time for our gorilla family with milestones big and small. But even the smallest of actions, like Kwame tenderly touching his son’s foot for the first time, makes our hearts soar… and Uzumma continues to settle into motherhood like a pro. Gorilla keeper Judy Sievert tells us that Uzumma is one of the most nurturing and attentive gorilla mothers we have ever seen at Woodland Park Zoo. This comes as no surprise to us as her mom, Amanda, was an exceptional mother to her. Uzumma’s nurturing behavior is not only amazing for her baby, but also a wonderful example for a couple of the other females in the group who one day might be mamas too. Since Uzumma was

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Howdy, Fitz! Just because we're all practicing social distancing, doesn't mean we can't bring you up close with one of our newest residents. Woodland Park Zoo has welcomed Fitz to our zoo family and he's getting more confident in his new home every day. This 2-year-old male jaguar arrived recently from Houston Zoo, and he is slowly but surely finding his way around the Tropical Rain Forest. Fitz is young and only a little bigger than Nayla, our female jag and his coat appears to be a little lighter in color. Fitz spent his first month in Seattle under the watchful eye of our awesome veterinary staff, which is standard procedure for new animal arrivals. Once our animal care team gave him a clean bill of health, he was ready to move into his new home in the Tropical Rain Forest area. Once there, this slightly shy guy has been taking his time venturing onto the public side of his outdoo