Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by Kaeli Swift, University of Washington's School of Environmental & Forest Sciences Crows are awesome birds—and they are also awesomely misunderstood. What better time then, during October’s “spooky season”, to set the record straight! Crows are social and family-oriented birds that are extremely protective of each other—especially their offspring. If you've been swooped or scolded by one during nesting season, you know exactly what we mean! They communicate using various caws, scolds, croaks, comb-calls, whistles and clicks. But despite their obvious intelligence, crows and other birds in the Corvidae family (which also includes ravens, jays, magpies, rooks) have gotten a bad rap! In some cultures, crows and ravens have long been associated with negative concepts including bad luck, evil spirits and omens of death. The fact that a group of crows is called a “murder” doesn’t really help their reputation either. But what doe...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by John Loughlin, Woodland Park Zoo Bats may be top of mind on Halloween, but these amazing mammals should be revered every day of the year. Woodland Park Zoo’s six bats—Indian flying foxes—recently received their annual exams and are healthy and thriving. A radiograph shows off the massive wingspan of the Indian flying fox. The zoo’s animal health team performed the wellness exams at the zoo’s veterinary hospital. Ranging in age from 8 to 11 years old and weighing between 1.3 and 1.8 pounds, each bat received an overall health assessment that included body weights, bloodwork, dental and radiographs. The checkups are a part of Woodland Park Zoo’s exemplary animal welfare program. The  Indian flying fox , also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, has a widespread range on the Indian subcontinent that extends from Pakistan to Southeast Asia and China, and south to the Maldive Islands.  “There were some sm...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, communications Here’s J̶o̶h̶n̶n̶y̶ Guntur! (Video: bit.ly/otterjack by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo.) Our Asian small-clawed river otters received a special Halloween treat this year. Along with new bedding (straw), and Halloween themed objects to explore, the otter lodge was treated to a jack-o-lantern full of juicy worms. Mmm. We stuck a GoPro inside the gourd to give you a terrifying perspective.  Listen closely, can you hear the squeaks? Asian small-clawed otters are known for their many different vocalizations to communicate. Treats, did you say? Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. Pumpkin Bash 2016 is this weekend, October 29-30, for details visit  http://www.zoo.org/halloween   Otters Guntur, Teratai, Maxwell, Chancellor, Sherman, Thomas, Peanut, Valerie, Boo and Cliff are slotted for another Halloween feast at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday Oct. 29! See you there. An otter investigates a...

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo You might think of Halloween costumes as the perfect disguise, but our quiz will reveal the true you. Find the best animal costume to match your personality by taking our quiz, Which Animal Should I be for Halloween? Discover your wild side and get DIY animal costume tips in time for Woodland Park Zoo's Pumpkin Bash! www.zoo.org/halloween After you've taken the quiz, check out a few easy DIY tips and tricks below to create the perfect animal costume just in time for Pumpkin Bash! Once you have your costume you can take advantage of our exclusive Pumpkin Bash discount: one child 12 years and under in costume is admitted FREE with a paid adult (cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion).   Bali Mynah You are gregarious and charming. Your flock of friends is always close by and you prefer to hang with the in-crowd. Your charismatic demeanor...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications House Slytherin forever! Vine snake checks out the camera. Photo by Ryan Hawk/WPZ. Witches, werewolves and snakes? Let’s face it, snakes get a bad rap. Perhaps more than any other creature, snakes are the subject of much fear and misunderstanding. Like bats , spiders and all things deemed crawly, snakes are unfairly categorized as “creepy.” Slip into any Halloween shop and you’ll find snake motifs among the Draculas and the Swamp Things. In truth, snakes are vital to a diverse range of ecosystems on every continent (except Antarctica). While there are some snakes that pose a threat to humans, the majority of the 3,400 species of snake are harmless, only about 15% are venomous. One reason we fear snakes could, in part, be biological. This article explains how our primate neurons might respond to an image of a snake. I can personally recall my usually very level-headed mother flinging my little brother off a hiking trail in the face of a...