Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Katie Remine, Living Northwest Conservation Manager and Brianna Widner, Community Science Specialist Photos: Woodland Park Zoo motion-triggered wildlife cameras Coyote pups as seen from one of Woodland Park Zoo's motion-triggered cameras When was the last time you saw a wild mammal larger than a squirrel in the city? Mammals are less studied in urban environments than are many other species—they are often more difficult to find, observe and investigate than plants and birds, for example. The Seattle Urban Carnivore Project, launched by Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University in 2019, uses camera traps—motion-triggered wildlife cameras—as a strategy for collecting important data on urban mammal diversity. With cameras deployed at about 45 locations across King and Kitsap counties, the project relies on the collaboration of our Seattle University partners—including undergraduate biology students—and a group of more than 100 community volunteers to manage the camera station...

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 Elizabeth Bacher, Communications An image of a coyote is captured on a motion sensor remote camera through the Seattle Urban Carnivore Project. Photo courtesy of Seattle Urban Carnivore Project / Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University A healthy ecosystem is one in which plants and animals interact in a dynamic balance. They work together in a way that creates a sustainable and interconnected support structure for the whole environment. All different kinds of creatures, ranging from bees to bobcats, have an important role to play. But some of them—and the behaviors they exhibit—can be misunderstood or even feared.  WHAT IS A CARNIVORE? Most people think the word “carnivore” refers to any animal that eats meat as a primary component of its diet. This is accurate, but the word “carnivore" can also refer to specific mammals that are classified in the order Carnivora . This scientific grouping is not based on diet, but is instead related to a way of classify...