Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photo by Kirsten Pisto, Woodland Park Zoo Hey everyone, we’d like to introduce you to Ben Haager, our events installation coordinator. He’s the Clark Griswold of WildLights, except that Ben is actually really good at keeping the lights on! Here’s Ben with a very special Woodland Park Zoo WildLights takeover to show you what is takes to get our glow on… Hi everyone! It’s my first year coordinating WildLights presented by Sound Credit Union—and I am learning A LOT. Like how to hang and secure large light displays—I even had to get scissor lift certified—and become an expert in Santa decorations. There are lots of trips to Home Depot and local hardware stores as well as vintage thrift stores to find supplies for outfitting Santa’s camp which has a very PNW vibe. It smells pretty great in Santa’s camp thanks to loads of pine our horticulture crew has strewn up, they do such a great job with all the boughs. I really like the details w...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day is one of our favorite events. Each year in early June, we get to do what we love best: watch our animals enjoy a special day tailored just to them and watch our visitors fall in love with those same animals, learn more about conservation actions they can take right here in the Pacific Northwest, and become stewards for protecting wildlife in Washington. It's also a day we get to celebrate the incredible work our conservation colleagues are doing too, as many of our peers join us by setting up learning opportunities that start on the North Meadow and wind all the way through Northern Trail. Our volunteers come out on this day, as do ZooCorps teens, and everyone from our horticulture staff (providing beautiful flowers for the mock wedding cake and arch) to our dedicated keepers who make sure the animals have a great day (without eating too many coffee grounds or cake). It doesn't get any bet...

Posted by: Kristin Quirk, Education Father's Day is almost here, a good time to take a closer look at the many forms of fatherhood in the animal kingdom. While its natural for fathers of some species to be entirely absent, other animal fathers fill all sorts of roles: protector, companion, provider, disciplinarian, partner and even playmate. Let's explore the world of animal dads. Golden lion tamarins Golden lion tamarins often have twins so dad’s help is very important in raising the baby monkeys. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. A male golden lion tamarin takes his role as father very seriously. The typical tamarin dad grooms, feeds, plays with and gives his infants piggyback rides. Hey dads, does this sound familiar? Hornbills With a big, long beak dad is able to slip food to mom living within the tree. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Hornbills will find a cavity or hole in a tree to make their home. The mother hornbill stays inside the t...

Posted by: Greg Brandell, Animal Care Photos by: Dennis Dow, Woodland Park Zoo We here at Woodland Park Zoo recognize and appreciate that all species of animals are significant and necessary within native ecosystems. Now, having said that, let’s be honest: sometimes some get a bit more recognition than others. Sometimes an animal has a dirty but essential job that needs doing. Take for example the noble turkey vulture, a species which can even be found right here in Washington. We call them turkey vultures, but their scientific name hints at their role in an ecosystem; they are Cathartes aura , the Cleansing Wind. They are the clean-up crew, the ones that help make sure the rest of the ecosystem is nice and clean. And in this case, clean means free of dead and rotting meat, which helps protect us and other animals from harmful diseases and illness. Turkey vultures have amazing noses and can use smell alone to locate a carcass from over a mile away! They survive by eating what w...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Bears, we dedicate this week to you! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. It’s Bear Awareness Week in Washington, proclaimed by Governor Jay Inslee, and it’s all leading up to Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day presented by Brown Bear Car Wash, Sat., June 6. At Bear Affair, grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali will demonstrate exactly what happens in your backyard or campsite when a picnic isn’t stored properly—and you’ll get tips on how to bear-proof your next outdoor adventure! Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. Bear Affair puts the spotlight on bears, wolves, raptors and other Pacific Northwest wildlife—the focus of Woodland Park Zoo's Living Northwest conservation program  and the personalities behind our newest quiz: Which Northwest Animal Are You? Practice carnivore awareness by learning what these animals need to survive in the wild, how to help keep them safe and what humans can do to peacef...

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor At Woodland Park Zoo, Mother's Day is a chance to celebrate moms of all species! Join us for the 25th annual Mom & Me at the Zoo , Sat., May 9, 2015, 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Moms receive half-price admission to the zoo on the day of the event (discount not available online). You'll find activities for the whole family out on the North Meadow including live entertainment, arts and crafts, and play areas. Then catch keeper talks to learn more about how moms of the animal kingdom provide care for their little ones. A video posted by Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo) on Apr 25, 2015 at 8:11am PDT Lion mom video:  https://instagram.com/p/15wfJbpQeB These days there's one Woodland Park Zoo mom working triple time to care for her cubs—lion mama Adia. With her mate, Xerxes, by her side, Adia keeps watch over her three 7-month-old sons. They rough around and wrestle, and are learning through play how their claws and ...

See Concerts. Save Animals. Tickets go on sale April 24 Blondie. Photo by Danielle St. Laurent. Another season of BECU ZooTunes presented by Carter Subaru summer concerts is heating up with this year’s blazing lineup: June 19 - The Doobie Brothers with special guest Pat Simmons Jr. June 28 - The B-52s July 12 - Indigo Girls July 21 - Melissa Etheridge & Blondie July 22 - Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers July 26 - “Sweet Harmony Soul” featuring Mavis Staples, Patty Griffin & Amy Helm July 29 - Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell August 9 - Ziggy Marley August 16 - Trampled By Turtles & The Devil Makes Three August 19 - Kenny Loggins The B-52s. Photo by Pieter M. van Hattem. New for 2015 Please add the appropriate amount of free child vouchers to your ticketing order (online or at gates) for each concert you will be attending. One child (12 and under) is free with each PAID general admission ticket. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. ...

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications The newest residents of the zoo have made their debut! Welcome maned wolves Vincent (Vinny) and his mom, Lana, to the Wildlife Survival Zone. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. After arriving last week, the two maned wolves scoped out their digs in the former cheetah exhibit, which has now been re-contoured to meet their needs. They meticulously investigated every stick, log, berm and napping cave in their grassy exhibit. Neither a fox nor a wolf, Chrysocyon is a species all its own with stilt-like legs, a pointed muzzle, an impressive red coat and dark mane along the back. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. At home in the grasslands and scrub forest of central South America, these crepuscular canines roam the marshes and woodlands at dawn and dusk in search of fruit, small mammals, birds, eggs and invertebrates. They are particularly fond of a tomato-like fruit called lobeira (nicknamed the wolf apple) as well as bana...