Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Ric Brewer, Communications Today marked the beginning of the ceremonies to open the zoo's new Humboldt penguin exhibit. Local dignitaries gathered to speak about the sustainability features of the exhibit, the hard work performed by zoo staff and contractors and, of course, about the penguins themselves which frolicked playfully as the speakers made their comments. Also on hand was 13-year-old Harrison Grad who, when 11, donated his birthday money to help towards the building of a new exhibit. Well, now his dream is a reality as donors and zoo members were treated to the opening, cupcakes by Cupcake Royale, music by Quicha Mashis, and, once again, the penguins that delighted everyone in their spacious new pool, complete with underwater viewing. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 2, is the official opening for the general public. Come and check out their new digs, learn about the conservation the zoo supports to help these endangered birds in the wild, and what YOU can do to help th

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications A family-favorite for more than a quarter-century, we’re proud to introduce our exciting summer concert series lineup and a new partner, BECU ! We’re also pleased to announce returning presenting sponsor Carter Subaru and our ticketing sponsor, Metropolitan Market . Without further ado, here are the performers for this year: June 17 – The B-52s June 24 – Mavis Staples with special guest Allen Toussaint July 1 and 2 – Three Girls and their Buddy featuring Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller July 15 – Ladysmith Black Mambazo July 19 – Los Lobos July 22 – Cowboy Junkies/Son Volt July 26 – Indigo Girls July 30 – Jewel August 13 – Joan Baez August 16 – Nanci Griffith August 19 – Susan Tedeschi with J.J. Grey & Mofro August 26 – Amos Lee Tickets will go on sale on Monday, May 4 at 8:00 a.m. at local Metropolitan Market stores, and in limited quantities at the zoo and BrownPaperTickets.com . For complete ticket informati

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Come to Woodland Park Zoo this Valentine's Day to see these sweethearts with your sweetheart: And after you visit the ocelots, be sure to check out the special Valentine's Day treats for zoo animals, 10 am - 2 pm, with herbal bouquets, heart-shaped steaks, heart-shaped ice pops made of fruit juice, honey, strawberries and cranberries, and more! Enrichment schedule: Golden lion tamarins - 10:00 a.m. Tropical Rain Forest, Indoors Snow leopards - 10:30 a.m. Australasia Otters - 10:30 a.m. Taiga Viewing Shelter, Northern Trail Orangutans - 11:00 a.m. Trail of Vines, Indoor viewing shelter Goats and Pigs - 11:00 a.m. Family Farm Willawong Station birds - 11:30 a.m. Australasia Sloth bear - 11:30 a.m. Adaptations Jaguar - 1:00 p.m. Tropical Rain Forest, Outdoors Gorillas - 1:20 p.m. Tropical Rain Forest, West and East Shelters Lemurs - 1:30 p.m. Tropical Rain Forest, Outdoors Keas - 1:30 p.m. Australasia Tiger - 2:00 p.m. Adaptations Elephan

Posted by: Alicia Marlow, Communications The grizzly bears got a special winter treat this week. Part of our Winter Celebration enrichment for the animals, zoo staffers got out of the office and joined keepers in decorating some trees in the bears’ exhibit with spaghetti noodles, slices of pineapple, cherries, marshmallows, and even some honey. The volunteers did a good job of making the trees look festive, despite the strong winds blowing the treats all around! Once the two grizzlies were let back into their exhibit, they wasted no time splitting up and each went to a different tree to enjoy the goodies. As the many people that came to see the bears watched, the bears themselves had a little trouble with the wind in their excitement. One had to rebalance himself and step back while the other decided the best way to solve the problem was to sit as close to the tree as he could, even if it meant breaking some branches! Photos by Ryan Hawk.

Today TV camera crews and some lucky guests got a sneak peek at what this weekend's annual Pumpkin Bash has in store for visitors. The zoo's three hippos were treated to some pumpkin bobbing. The hippos hilariously lined up with their mouths gaped wide open, waiting patiently for the keepers to toss the pumpkins right in! But our keepers wanted the hippos to work for their snack, so the huge pumpkins were tossed into the pool and the hippos swam after them, chasing them around like they were bobbing for apples! Watch them in action--and turn up the sound for full, spooky Halloween effect! You can catch the hippos plus many, many more animals smashing, stomping, and chomping on pumpkins at Pumpkin Bash this Sat. and Sun., Oct. 25 & 26, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Photos by Tianna Klineburger. Video by Ryan Hawk.

Halloween is almost here and Woodland Park Zoo is getting in on the action early with this weekend’s Pumpkin Prowl event , Oct. 24-26. Pumpkin Prowl is three nights of ghoulishly good times with trick or treating for kids, live entertainment and Zoomazium transformed into Boomazium! We’re getting ready now for the event, unloading hay bales, carving HUNDREDS of pumpkins, and decorating the zoo! Want in on the fun? Tickets are on sale now at zoo gates, or buy them at any Bartell Drugs location and save $2. If you just can't get enough of Halloween, check out these other great happenings: Pumpkin Bash at Woodland Park Zoo – Oct. 25-26, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Watch the zoo’s animals smash, chomp, and stomp on pumpkins! Mysteries of Ancient Egypt at Burke Museum – Oct. 26, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Meet Nellie, Seattle’s only Egyptian mummy, making a rare appearance out from behind the scenes.

It’s time for a giveaway! And this one is sweet. You can win… Two (2) adult day passes to Woodland Park Zoo Two (2) WaMu ZooTunes tickets for The Avett Brothers with Shawn Mullins (8/27/08) VIP seating for the concert! To enter, just correctly answer the zoo trivia questions below. Two winners will be drawn at random from all eligible respondents with the correct answers. Not sure of the answers? Browse our website or visit the zoo to look for hints. (Click on the questions to view larger--may open new window.) Think you know the answers? Email webkeeper@zoo.org with your guesses through Sunday, 8/17, 10 p.m. PST. Only one entry per individual, so encourage your friends to enter as well! Two winners will be selected at random on Mon., 8/18. Good luck!

We've officially broken ground for our new penguin exhibit! Children from around the city sporting penguin hats and bearing plastic shovels joined Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, King County Executive Ron Sims, and other elected officials today in scooping the first piles of dirt for a new home for penguins. A new colony of Humboldt penguins will return to the zoo when the state-of-the-art exhibit opens in summer 2009. The new exhibit will tell a powerful story about conservation globally while making an impact on resource conservation locally. We'll save 3 million gallons of water a year and with a new filtration system and permeable concrete, there will be no polluted pool water or storm water run-off rushing down to Puget Sound to make a mess of things. That's good for the water and good for the fish! Take a peek at the construction site next time you are at the zoo to see how things are coming along. And if you want to be a part of the penguins' new home, go to www.zoo.

It was “For the Birds” at this year’s annual fundraiser, the always fun outdoor extravaganza known as Jungle Party , held last Friday. Many playful guests got into the spirit by donning feathers, while a flamingo-styled stilt walker danced through the crowds and a steel drum band called The Toucans set the mood. Fabulous weather, delicious food, and up close encounters with the zoo’s raptors made the night memorable. But it’s the tremendous success of the evening’s auctions that made the night important—important to the animals at Woodland Park Zoo and to the wildlife of the world that will be helped by the conservation projects funded through this event. This yea r, we raised $1.75 million! Of th ose con tributions raised, $ 662,000 is specifically earmarked toward this year’s Fund-Our-Future: “Projec t Aves.” The project will bring additional birds to the zoo such as Chilean flamingos and Humboldt penguins, support the suc cessful recovery of threatened bird species in the

In this month's National Geographic Magazine , there is a gorgeous spread of the most intimate portraits of wild snow leopards ever seen. These elusive animals are hard to spot and even harder to get close to, so seasoned wildlife photographer Steve Winter had to set up a series of camera traps that snapped photos whenever an animal appeared. You can meet the photographer at Woodland Park Zoo this Thursday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m. Come hear about his adventures tracking snow leopards in the daunting Himalayas and see a presentation of these stunning snow leopard photos, many of which were not included in the National Geographic article. Tickets are $10 adults; $5 for children (under 3 free). This event is hosted by Seattle-based Snow Leopard Trust and co-sponsored by Woodland Park Zoo.

With beautiful weather and beautiful birds, Saturday's flamingo exhibit opening day brought in over 10,000 visitors! Thanks to everyone who came out to welcome the flamingos to their new home. Photos by Dennis Dow, Ryan Hawk, and Adria Saracino.

Are you seeing pink? Operation Flamingo Flock is underway! Look for hundreds of pink plastic flamingos flocking together at your favorite parks and shops throughout Seattle . These plastic ambassadors are out there to brighten your day and to brighten the way for the real flamingos’ premiere at their new exhibit, opening this Saturday, May 24. Flock Alert: if you spot a flock somewhere in Seattle , post a comment to let our readers know where! As for the real birds, they are settling into the exhibit well as we gear up for Saturday’s opening event with live music, flamingo-themed giveaways, cupcakes, a keeper talk and more. Photo by Dale Unruh.

Q: What's the fastest way to move a flock of flamingos from one place to another? A: Carry them! The 27 members of the zoo’s flock of Chilean flamingos were carried one by one to their new exhibit today. They won’t make their public premiere until Memorial Day weekend, but we’ve moved them in a bit early to let them get acquainted with their (still off-view) new home. After settling in their holding area for a few hours, the birds paraded into their new exhibit and have begun to explore their surroundings. The keepers are watching the birds closely to see how they adjust to the new space -- several birds have already been observed drinking from the pool. Want to see them for yourselves? Don't miss the opening day celebration on Sat., May 24, filled with South American music, flamingo programs and giveaways, stilt walkers and pink cupcakes from Cupcake Royale. See you there! Photos by Melissa Wheeler.

Dr. Brady Barr, the enigmatic host of National Geographic's Dangerous Encounters: Countdown Croc, appeared for a special presentation in Zoomazium yesterday. The celebrated herpetologist (that's someone who studies reptiles, for those of you not in the know!) visited prior to his National Geographic lecture held at Benaroya Hall. Thanks to spring break (and before the torrential hail storm), more than 100 kids were treated to a talk about reptiles and got the chance to meet a blue-tongued skink, tortoise and ball python up close while Brady filled them in on lots of info about their natural history, conservation status and his adventures in the field. We hope that Brady can come back and visit longer---though we're glad he didn't bring one of his 23-foot-long crocodile friends!

We're kicking off our first-ever EcoWeekend beginning April 3 at the zoo. This is a pre-cursor to celebrating Earth Day and so we've combined several themes and events over four days to celebrate wildlife and habitat. April 3 is Leap Around the Zoo, a 1k just for younger children and their parents/guardians; April 4 is Primetime Primes, which celebrates the many species of primates AND marks the public announcement of our baby western lowland gorilla's new name; April 5 is Bear Affair and The Big Howl, complete with a non-safe campsite demo featuring our own grizzly bears. If you haven't seen this in years past, it's worth the trip to watch as they, shall we say, "dismantle" a campsite that's incorrectly set up for bear country (see the video of last year to the right in the Video Bar); and April 6 is the Coffee & Chocolate Festival which celebrates, with tasty samples, eco-friendly coffees and chocolate. For more details, visit the EcoWeekend

Last night was our annual thrive! dinner at the Sheraton Hotel. And what a night it was! With nearly 300 community guests, the overall theme was sharing the stories of the zoo and the impact a visit to the zoo has on our guests. With special guests, the Kratt brothers--Marti n and Chris-- thrive! guests were treated to tales of their amazing exploits and the important role that experiencing that nature provides everyone, no matter their age. President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen gave an overview of the zoo's conservation and educational opportunities and even had a one-on-one "talk" with a frog to highlight Year of the Frog, an international effort to educate about the plight of amphibian species around the world. Thanks to volunteer photographer Mat Hayward for his wonderful documentation of the evening. For more photos, visit Mat's blog: http://www.haywardphoto.blogspot.com/

Kids 3-12 who "go froggy" get in free today at the zoo to celebrate the Year of the Frog, a campaign to alert people to the plight of amphibians around the world. Just come dressed in green and you get in free and get the chance to participate in a number of frog-related activities. The more than 6,000 species of frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders are currently in the midst of a crisis where their numbers are drastically falling due to the infestation of the chytrid fungus as well as tremendous habitat loss. Woodland Park Zoo is joining with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Amphibian Ark and hundreds of zoos and aquariums around the world to help save amphibians from extinction. Currently we are working with several regional partners to help create a recovery plan for the endangered Oregon spotted frog which has declined over 90% of its historic range. Find out how you can help frogs and other amphibians, too. Visit http:

The animals at the zoo get the opportunity to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with the Turkey Toss begin held this coming Saturday, November 17. Carnivorous critters will receive turkeys--some whole, others get choice bits--are a part of the zookeepers’ ongoing efforts to help enrich the lives of the zoo’s animals, promote natural animal behavior, keep animals mentally and physically stimulated and provide added enjoyment for zoo visitors. A full schedule of each animal to receive turkey treats will be posted at zoo gates. Photo by Ryan Hawk.

Author Diane Ackerman will be speaking at Benaroya Hall on November 19 . You may recognize her name as the author of the best-selling book, The Zookeeper's Wife, an amazing true tale tells the remarkable WWII story of Jan Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo, and his wife, Antonina, who, with courage and coolheaded ingenuity, sheltered 300 Jews as well as Polish resisters in their villa and in animal cages and sheds. It's an amazing story of the people whose love of animals carried through to help save hundreds from certain death. Diane Ackerman - a Guggenheim Fellow, Lavan Poetry Prize winner, and recipient of the John Burroughs Nature Award - brings poetry to science and science to poetry. The author of the lyrical nonfiction bestseller A Natural History of the Senses and An Alchemy of Mind, a poetics of the brain based on recent neuroscience, she has also written Origami Bridges: Poems of Psychoanalysis and Fire and nature books for children. Seattle Arts & Lectures

Most of our conservation projects help people as much as animals. The African Waterhole and Dam Restoration project helps wildlife and the Maasai in Kenya, the newly funded Kibale Community Fuel Wood Project plants trees that are used both as sustainable fuel for the villagers who live near Uganda's Kibale National Park, but also create habitat for monkeys, chimps and other animals. Because of this, we recognize the power that Nobel prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement in Africa has had. Dr. Wangari Maathai has defied custom, tradition, and her own government to carry out the groundbreaking reforestation and human rights work that won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Maathai ’s Green Belt Movement, which has planted millions of trees across Africa, simultaneously embraces democracy and has played a crucial role in shaping modern Kenyan society. On September 19, she opens Seattle Arts & Lectures’ 20 th anniversary season to speak of her place as a