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 Gigi Allianic, Communications The Komodo habitat is open again after undergoing significant improvements to make it better for the lizards, and for you!  Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Komodo dragons. They’re reptilian icons. They’re rare. They’re the largest lizards on the planet. And, visitors can discover these ambush predators at Woodland Park Zoo where two male Komodo dragons live. Their home has reopened after being closed all summer while undergoing extensive upgrades to improve their welfare, increase exhibit sustainability and enhance the visitor experience. Phoro: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo opened its Komodo dragon exhibit in 2000 with all the necessary comforts to meet the standards of care for the lizards. “However, in two decades we have come to understand the husbandry for these animals has advanced significantly and we needed to make changes to their home to ensure it evolves and matches the current state-of-the-ar

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Felicity (on the right) and Oceane (on the left) rest in a tree. Photo: HUTAN Today, on International Orangutan Day, we are getting word about something that’s never happened before—and it’s incredible! For the first known time, an orangutan has adopted another orangutan in the wild after the 5-year-old youngster tragically lost her mother. Meet Felicity and Oceane, two orangutans whose relationship proves that sometimes love can defy one’s wildest expectations. Scientists with Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation partner HUTAN have been observing wild orangutans in Borneo for decades, but had never observed a bond formed like this. Marc Ancrenaz, Scientific Director for HUTAN, watched the relationship blossom between then-14-year-old Felicity and 5-year-old Oceane before his very eyes. Ancrenaz says that after the loss of Oceane’s mother Jenny, it was a silver lining that no one was expecting. Jenny, seen here in 2012, was the dominant female at

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 Meghan Sawyer, Communications Members of our wolf pack at the zoo. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Last January, gray wolves were removed from federal protections under the Endangered Species Act, turning management of the recovering species over to states’ control. This delisting has already led to fatal consequences for wolf populations around the U.S. Several states are allowing hunting quotas well above what scientists recommend as sustainable, threatening to reverse the success of recovery and even potentially putting local populations back under threat of extinction. As the world celebrates International Wolf Day—on August 13—Woodland Park Zoo invites you to join us and sign this petition , urging our nation’s leaders to immediately restore federal protection for wolves. Our remote cameras in Washington's North Cascades captured images of wild wolves. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo Washington state’s recovering wolf population is currently protected under state law, a

Posted by Kayla Hanada, Animal Keeper The blue-crowned laughingthrush is critically endangered with only 300 left in the wild. We're honored to care for this species—helping to save it from extinction. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Hello! My name is Kayla and I am an animal keeper at Woodland Park Zoo working primarily in our bird areas. The next time you’re checking out our adorable Asian small-clawed otters in the Banyan Wilds habitat area, turn around. There's a wonderful aviary right behind you full of beautiful birds—and I’d love to tell you about them! The white-rumped shama thrush in the Banyan Wilds aviary has a beautiful song! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo The Chinese hwamei looks like its wearing white "cat eye" makeup. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo This aviary is currently home to six different species native to Asia and the Indian subcontinent, with 19 individual birds in total! It’s one of my favorite gr