Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Anyone who is a fan of these elegant and colorful birds is anticipating their return to the zoo after nearly 15 years. On May 24, our new Chilean flamingo exhibit will open and avian fans will flock to see these brilliant birds. Although these birds are directly threatened with extinction, like many species of birds, they are prone to the actions of humans that are beginning to have devastating effects on their habitats in Chile. We will teach, through signs, talks and interactive elements how our actions, even here far to the north in Seattle, can have lasting impact on these birds. Here are a couple shots of the progress on the new exhibit which will feature a wading pond, a viewing boardwalk for visitors, and a meandering path. Nearby, other animals native to the flamingos' range will be exhibited nearby including the southern pudu and coscoroba swans. Hope to see you on May 24 for opening day festivities!! (Photos by Ryan Hawk)

When the new Chilean flamingo exhibit opens on May 24 at the zoo, you’ll see the gorgeous flock of flamingos right away, but there are also interesting natural stories built into the exhibit for you to discover over time. Ripples and clam holes in the ground you stand on hint at the coastal mudflat habitat where the flamingos overwinter. You might notice tiny footprints leaving the very real-looking flamingo “nest” your 5-yr-old is playing on. Your 8-yr-old will definitely find the model of the flamingo head that shows the special filtering structures they use to sieve brine shrimp out of the water for dinner. Right now members of our exhibits team are busy building these fascinating details into the exhibit for you to discover this May. Here you see Stephanie Snyder working on the 3-D model of a flamingo head. After carving the model in clay, she’ll cast it in a very durable material to hold up to the curiosity of many children—and adults!—this summer. (Photos by Ryan Hawk)

The last of our Humboldt penguins will be heading out to other zoos by March 24 as we begin preparations to build a brand new penguin exhibit. The new exhibit will be located on the footprint of the old one, originally built in 1947 (but lots of modifications over the years). BUT, the new exhibit will be much more interactive with lots of fun features for kids of different age levels to teach about life for Humboldt penguins in Peru's Punta San Juan, one of the last refuges for these endangered birds. Another great feature about the exhibit is that is will be much more environmentally friendly than the current exhibit, saving thousands of gallons of water a year through the utilization of rainwater collection and special filtration systems that allow for safe re-use of water in the exhibit. There will also be more areas and levels of viewing for kids and folks in wheelchairs. There will even be a blowhole that mimic those found on the coast of Punta San Juan! Groundbreaking won'

The recent torrential rainfall fortunately had minimal effects at the zoo, though a few flooded areas made for a few "bucket brigades" to bail out some indoor areas, but fortunately all the animals made it through safe and sound. From Saturday at 21:00 through Monday @ 18:00 the rain gauge recorded 6.36 inches. The weather station is perched on top of our Zoomazium and the data it records will eventually be used in educational programming at the zoo and in our school outreach programs. During the most intense period (Sunday 21:00-Monday 18:00) there was 4.85 inches with peak intensities of 0.41 in/hr on Monday morning. Thanks to all the employees whose jobs demanded they weather the storm!