Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications For more than 50 years, hippos have been a popular pachyderm and one of the most adored animals at Woodland Park Zoo. For the long-term benefits and well-being of its only hippo, female Lupe, the zoo will bid farewell and move her to a new home where she can thrive in the company of other hippos.  Lupe in the pool. Photo by Brit Powers/Woodland Park Zoo Lupe, 24, currently lives in the hippo habitat in the African Savanna. Tuesday, September 24, will be the last day to see and wish her well on her new adventure. Guadalupe, fondly called Lupe by her friends and fans, was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and moved to Woodland Park Zoo in 2003. Lupe became Woodland Park Zoo’s last remaining hippo when its beloved geriatric hippo Lily was humanely euthanized in April due to declining health and quality of life following a cancer diagnosis. The zoo has been working with the Hippo Species Survival Plan to identify a new home. She will be moved to ...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo A biopsy of tissue samples collected during a recent medical procedure on Water Lily the hippo has revealed a diagnosis of fibrosarcoma, a type of cancer of connective tissue. The 45-year-old hippo, affectionately known as Lily, is receiving top-notch medical and comfort care from her health team. An expert team of animal health professionals recently performed a dental exam on Lily and evaluated a wound and swelling on her cheek that had become abscessed. The procedure was necessary to define the cause of the wound and prevent it from worsening and causing other potential serious complications. The successful procedure involved nearly 30 zoo staff and a veterinary dentist who specializes in megavertebrate patients. Lily and Lupe in 2021 The procedure was the first time that Lily had been placed under anesthesia, and her care team made the most of the opportunity by conducting additional health ...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications You’re never too old to have your first dentist visit! The zoo’s oldest hippo is now healing after undergoing a complex anesthetic procedure. Water Lily, affectionately called Lily, is 45 years old, and this was the first time she’d been to a dentist. While the tooth fairy won't be visiting her, she is receiving loads of care and treats to help her recover.  Yesterday, an expert team of animal health professionals performed a dental evaluation of Lily and treated a wound and swelling on her cheek that had become abscessed. The procedure was necessary to prevent the wound from worsening and causing other potential serious complications. The procedure involved nearly 30 zoo staff and Dr. Michael Lowder, a veterinary dentist who specializes in megavertebrate patients and traveled to Seattle to work alongside the zoo’s animal health team. In order to perform the dental procedure, talented Exhibits and Facilities team members used a rigging syste...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Lily in 2015, Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Please join Woodland Park Zoo in sending your well wishes to Water Lily (affectionately called Lily) the hippo as she prepares for dental surgery today! Woodland Park Zoo’s animal health team is set to perform dental work and wound surgery on 45-year-old Lily, the zoo’s oldest hippo and beloved among the zoo community. The upcoming surgery is to address a wound in the back of Lily’s jaw which has become abscessed, and veterinarians believe it may be related to a tooth problem. Lily’s attentive animal keepers originally observed changes in her teeth while looking in her mouth. While surgery presents inherent risks, this procedure is manageable and necessary to address the underlying cause and to prevent infection and other potential complications. Lily will be fully anesthetized for the procedure, which is a massive undertaking. The surgery will involve nearly 30 zoo staff, and a veterinary dent...

Our hippos are big fans of watermelon any time of the year! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. For all the animals in our care, we’re committed to their daily wellbeing. But we also dedicate ourselves to assuring they will continue to thrive through all the ages and stages of their lives still to come. That’s why after much discussion and consideration, zoo staff will begin the process of seeking new homes for our beloved hippos, Lily and Lupe. Lily and Lupe have been part of our zoo family for decades, and while we will be sad to see them move, we feel that this decision is the very best thing for two of our favorite hippos in the world. Lupe is at an appropriate age for breeding at 20 years old. Based on Lupe’s genetic makeup, she is recommended for breeding by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) so that she can help sustain a genetically healthy population. Our current hippo exhibit was designed 40 years ago to house two hippos. It was not i...