Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Ilanga and Tandie: Queen and King of the Savanna! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo If you haven’t seen lions Tandie and Ilanga in a while, here’s an update for you. Tandie, whose name means "fire," was born as a triplet at Woodland Park Zoo in 2014. He spent his early adult years at Oakland Zoo before making a royal homecoming in 2022 and inheriting the Savanna “kingdom” after his father passed away. For the last three years, the nearly-11-year-old (his birthday is in October) has shared the Savanna with 8-year-old lioness Ilanga. Recently we checked in with lead animal keeper Katie Graves to see what’s new with Tandie and Ilanga. Read on to learn all about this fabulous pair! Tandie is so handsome! This laid back lion lets his female companion Ilanga take the lead in most instances. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Tandie arrived back at Woodland Park Zoo in October 2022 to be Ilanga’s companion and prosp...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications It's official! You can now come see Tandie the lion in our African Savanna lion habitat. The 8-year-old male, who first stole the heart of Seattle as a cub, has spent the last few weeks acclimating to his new home and animal keepers. And now he's ready to show off for guests in the public side of his habitat. Tandie is back! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Tandie, whose name means fire, was born as a triplet at Woodland Park Zoo in 2014 to parents Adia and Xerxes. The big cat arrived back in Seattle last month after living at Oakland Zoo since 2016. And he's not alone; he shares the spotlight with female Ilanga, 5. The pair have been getting to know each other and are getting along well. “This has been a big adjustment for both Tandie and Ilanga, but they’re both getting along really well. It will be exciting to see how their relationship continues to develop,” said Kim Szawan, an animal care manager at Woodland Park ...

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Celebrate Endangered Species Day by learning how you can take part in protecting threatened and endangered species every day of the year! Woodland Park Zoo is home to more than 900 animals, many of which are considered vulnerable, threatened or endangered species. The animals you see when you visit the zoo are ambassadors for their kind: living, breathing reminders of what is at stake in the world and why we need to protect it. As a conservation organization, Woodland Park Zoo supports more than 35 different wildlife conservation projects in the Pacific Northwest and all over the world, helping to protect wildlife on every corner of the planet. No matter where you are on earth, you can help them. These three stories, told from three different continents, prove how. Rhinos in India: A Vision Becomes Reality The largest threat facing rhinos to this day is poaching for their horns. Human development has also destroyed landscapes where rhinos live, l...

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Two African lions recently arrived at Woodland Park Zoo to form a new pride with 11-year-old Xerxes. Two-year-old sisters Kamaria and Ilanga arrived from The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park located in eastern Idaho.  “We’re so excited for the girls to be here because lions are social animals, and Xerxes has been living solo since his former mate Adia passed away earlier this year,” said Christine Anne, a lead animal keeper at Woodland Park Zoo. “Kamaria and Ilanga have a ton of energy, so it will be fun to watch Xerxes try to keep up.”  The lionesses were brought to Woodland Park Zoo under a breeding recommendation by the African Lion Species Survival Plan, a conservation breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of lions. It’s one of 111 Species Survival Plans that Woodland Park Zoo participates in, led by experts ...

Posted by: Ruaha Carnivore Project, a Woodland Park Zoo Partner for Wildlife Male lion in the Ruaha landscape, Tanzania. Photo: Ruaha Carnivore Project. Lion Defender Joseph Dendu had just worked nine hours through the night to stop a traditional lion hunt near his village in Ruaha, Tanzania when he jumped on board a 10-hour bus ride with his fellow Defenders to the next test of his stamina: the annual Lion Guardian Games. The Games bring together protectors of lions from all over East Africa, all graduates of the training program offered by Lion Guardians , a conservation organization based in Amboseli, Kenya. Dedicated to finding and enacting long-term solutions for people and wildlife to co-exist, the organization trains local warriors to work from within the community to stop lion hunts, search for lost livestock and reinforce livestock enclosures called bomas. Joseph Dendu enjoying the Games, just hours after stopping a traditional lion hunt. Photo: Ruaha Carnivore ...

Posted by: Amy Dickman, PhD, Ruaha Carnivore Project, a Woodland Park Zoo Partner for Wildlife Lioness with cubs spotted by a remote research camera. Photo: Ruaha Carnivore Project. Lions are one of Africa’s flagship species, but their numbers have halved in the last 20 years, with around 20,000 remaining. This means there are now fewer wild lions left in Africa than rhinos. Lions have disappeared from over 90% of their original range, and now only six large populations remain. One of those is in Tanzania’s Ruaha landscape, which is estimated to hold around a tenth of the world’s remaining lions. Many lion killings in the Ruaha landscape occur for cultural reasons, where young men hunt lions in order to receive accolades, gifts and female attention from within their communities. To reduce these killings, we have been working with the Lion Guardians organization in Kenya, and adapting their model for the Ruaha landscape. The Lion Guardians approach is to select and train the...