Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Hello, Zuna! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo  With World Gorilla Day coming up in just a few days (it’s September 24) this is the perfect time for an update on the youngest members of our western lowland gorilla family—Kitoko and Zuna! While mom Nadiri is trying to rest, Zuna uses that time to explore! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Little Zuna is nearly 8 months old right now and is doing great! She weighs around 11 ½ pounds now, which is double her birth weight. Zuna continues to become more and more active and while mama Nadiri tends to keep her close, she is on the move whenever she gets the chance. Sometimes, when Nadiri is trying to get some rest (because being a gorilla mama is a 24/7 job!) Zuna uses that time to venture out a bit—climbing or toddling around. She still takes bottles from the gorilla keepers a few times a day but is trying lots of solid foods now too, including cucumber, yams, carrots and

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo A group of native, endangered western pond turtles were released into a protected wetland in Pierce County today. Today was graduation day of sorts for our “class of 2021” western pond turtles. 35 of the endangered youngsters—one of only two turtle species native to Washington state—were released back into the wild this morning in a protected wetland in Pierce County. It’s all part of Woodland Park Zoo’s Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project , which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. It’s an occasion that hasn’t gone unnoticed by state leaders, as Governor Jay Inslee has proclaimed August 8–14, 2021 as “Western Pond Turtle Recovery Week.” For 30 years, Woodland Park Zoo has been head starting these turtles until they're big enough to escape the mouths of non-native predatory bullfrogs. In 1990, there were only about 150 western pond turtles left in Washington, and the species nearly went e

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Editor's Note: Sadly, after a very full life, we said goodbye to George on May 20, 2021. He was 25 years old—more than 10 years older than the average life expectancy for his species—and he was the oldest goral in the entire population at accredited N. American zoos. His longevity with such a high quality of life is a tribute to all his amazing Woodland Park Zoo caretakers over the years.  At Woodland Park Zoo, our commitment to conservation starts with the 1,000 or so animals who call this place home. No matter what stage of life they’re in, they deserve the very best care—including our seniors, many of whom are still active and healthy well into their golden years. George is a Chinese goral who lives his best retirement life at Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Tamlyn Sapp/Woodland Park Zoo Among the oldest, relative to the life expectancy for his species, is one that you might not have ever seen or even heard of. Geng Rui, a.k.a. George, is a

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher and Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Oh, that face! Baby gorilla, Zuna, is ready to say hello to zoo visitors! The 11-week-old western lowland gorilla—the second baby for 25-year-old mom Nadiri and the first between her and 21-year-old father, Kwame, is spending a few hours outdoors each day now with her family. Their time outside in the public space, most likely between 1:45-4:30 pm, is weather-dependent and often takes place in short increments in order to accommodate the baby’s behind-the-scenes bottle-feedings. Nadiri did not immediately pick up her baby after giving birth January 29, so our gorilla keepers initially provided round-the-clock care and bottle feedings of human infant formula while they helped Nadiri build confidence as a mother and bond with her baby . Now the two are back together 24/7 and they are a great team! Nadiri’s bond with Zuna is strong. Gorilla keeper Shawn Bell tells us that Nadir

 Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications and Stephanie Payne, Gorilla Keeper Zuna, seen here at just about 5 weeks old, is the picture of sweetness—and those eyes are everything! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Note from the Editor: In case you haven’t already heard, our newest gorilla baby has a name ! Little Zuna—which means “sweet” in the African language, Lingala—was  born on January 29th  and is officially 6 weeks old now. She is the second baby and second daughter for 25-year-old mom Nadiri and the first between her and 21-year-old dad Kwame. Nadiri did not immediately hold and nurse her baby after giving birth, so the gorilla keepers have been providing round-the-clock care and bottle feedings of human infant formula. While Nadiri has been showing increasingly skilled maternal care and even  started to nurse Zuna —a wonderful indication of the growing bond between them—we knew that these brief bouts of nursing weren't going to be enough to replace the bott

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