Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo With the help of zoo fans, proud papa Xerxes chose Gandia and Mandla as names to complement Tandie, the first name chosen by community members in an online poll. Here comes trouble! Tandie, Gandia and Mandla get a snarl of approval from dad Xerxes. Tandie : meaning fire Gandia : meaning clever Mandla : meaning power/strength Naming lion triplets is not an easy task, so we asked you to help parents Adia and Xerxes with the decision. First, 10 names were selected by the zoo’s lion keepers and derived from languages that reflect parts of the South African lion’s native range. Then, during the zoo’s two-week online naming poll, voters chose their top preferences. On Tuesday we revealed the name with the most votes, Tandie (meaning “fire”). Mom Adia and dad Xerxes weighed in today to choose from runners up Gandia, Mandla and Pule.  Xerxes scopes out the goods... Keepers used this o

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor We call them cute, we call them precious, and now we want to call the lion cubs by the names you help pick! Vote now and you’ll also have the chance to enter to win a random drawing for a ZooParent lion cub adoption. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The one name with the most votes will automatically be selected, and then it gets interesting! We’ll take the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most popular names and leave it to mom Adia and dad Xerxes to finish the job. On Thurs., Jan. 29, we’ll present the parents with enrichment choices, each associated with a name, and the two they touch first will be the names they select. We’ll announce all the final name selections and share photos here! Cast your #namethelions vote for your top three preferred names. The name choices are derived from languages that reflect parts of the South African lion’s native range. For inspiration, here’s the scoop on our triplets: Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

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 Kirsten Pisto, communications  What is sweeter than a brand new downy-white flamingo chick? How about three! A keeper gently holds one of the new chicks. Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. The tiny chicks hatched one after another on August 31, September 5 and the last one just a few days ago, September 16. Peeking into the incubator where the chicks stay cozy. Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. The chicks are being hand raised and hand-fed by a team of dedicated staff, ensuring a higher chance of survival. Several times daily, the chicks are fed a mixture of whole egg powder, a little corn oil, a calcium supplement, vitamin E and water, known as a chick “slurry!” When the little chicks are old enough to eat on their own, in about 30 days, they will join the adult colony in the flamingo exhibit. The flamingo keepers also must exercise the chicks.  The flamingo chicks practice swimming in the baby pool  chick tub. Video by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. Leading an exercise session fo

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor As giraffe calf Misawa nears his first birthday, coming up on August 6, we look back at a year of firsts for our not-so-little guy. The first look  Misawa at one day old. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Everyone remembers the first photo we shared of Seattle’s tallest baby—the infamous “grumpy” look on his face turned Misawa into a viral sensation. But in truth, the very first look at Misawa we got was in the incredible footage of his birth! Mom Olivia gave birth to the 6-foot-tall giraffe on August 6 at 7:03 p.m. The labor lasted about 1.5 hours and the video shows little Misawa finding his feet and standing for the first time just 1.5 hours after he was born! Video: Tallest baby in Seattle.  The first day outside  The first few days were spent nursing and bonding with mom inside the Giraffe Barn, but it wasn’t long before Misawa ventured into the outdoor area of the barn. Mom Olivia and Aunt Tufani were never too far fro

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor This is the 40th penguin chick hatched at Woodland Park Zoo since 2010, seen here at 45 days old. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. Our Humboldt penguins are a prolific bunch. Since 2010—the first breeding season in their new exhibit—our colony has produced 41 chicks! Earlier in the season, we were counting up eggs (yes, before they hatched) and got excited when we realized we were going to reach an historic 40th hatching. And though we love our round numbers, we won’t complain that one more egg was laid and number 41 came along at the end of May. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. This season alone, we had nine chicks hatch, with six already fledged and out on exhibit, and the three youngest—numbers 39, 40 and 41—still on the nest with their parents. These hatchings are all part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) conservation breeding program across Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoos. Zoos work together

Posted by:  Kirsten Pisto, Communications, with Katie Ahl, Giraffe Keeper Photos by Stan Milkowski  Giraffe soak up the sun on the savanna at Woodland Park Zoo. World Giraffe Day, June 21, is just around the corner and we are excited to proclaim our love for giraffe alongside Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s (GCF) inaugural event for this amazing species. GCF would like to highlight the tallest and longest-necked animal on the longest day (or night, depending on which hemisphere you live in) of the year! By raising awareness and looking at the challenges giraffes face in the wild, we can all help secure the future for these amazing creatures. Let’s celebrate these graceful, gorgeous animals with a closer look at our own herd at Woodland Park Zoo. Giraffe keeper Katie Ahl gives us the lowdown (err, the high up?) on our four tallest residents. WPZ: Katie, how long have you been working with giraffe and what is your favorite part? Katie: I've been at Woodland Par

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: Gigi Allianic, Communications The chick was photographed here at 8 days old. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. For the first time at Woodland Park Zoo, an Edwards’s pheasant has hatched—a bird that is believed to be extinct in the wild! The Edwards’s pheasant is not exactly common in zoos either. Only 15 individuals live in seven zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. We have been providing a home for a pair since 2012. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. You can see the 6-year-old mother and 1-year-old father in our Conservation Aviary located in the Temperate Forest zone. The little chick, now just under 2 weeks old, is being hand-reared by zookeepers behind the scenes to help ensure it gains weight as expected of a growing chick and hits all of its important developmental milestones. With such a significant hatching of such a rare species, we’re taking extra precautions to ensure its health and survival. A close up of the ch