Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications It's hard to believe, but just one year ago, we celebrated the birth of our very special giraffe, Hasani.  Almost immediately after his birth, congenital abnormalities were diagnosed in the tiny giraffe's rear legs. Thanks to the dedicated care by our zoo veterinary and giraffe care teams, including consultation with a Kentucky-based equine veterinarian, Hasani was successfully outfitted with a series of customized therapeutic shoes which corrected his condition over several weeks. Hasani’s story of hope and triumph reached far and wide across the country and around the world. Many of you wrote to us to empathize with the hard work from our staff and to send love to the baby giraffe. We heard from thousands of individuals whose hearts, minds and spirits were touched and inspired by this remarkable story. Today, we celebrate his first trip around the sun and just how much our love continues to grow for him. Happy Birthday, Has...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Olive and Clover are 2 1/2 year old sisters who have recently joined our warthog group. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Say hello to the newest, most beautiful warthogs—Olive and Clover. These 2 ½ year old sisters made their debut in the warthog habitat last week after coming to Seattle from Jacksonville, Florida late last year. For now, the girls are getting comfortable on the public side of their new home—while behind the scenes, they’re slowly being introduced to Dennis, our resident male warthog who will be 9 years old this spring. Eventually these three not-so-little piggies will all have access to their yard together. Clover and her sister love rooting around through the ground in their exhibit. That big snout and those tusks are perfect rooting tools for a species that digs around for tubers, berries, grasses and bulbs! Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Common warthogs—as the species is called—are wild members of...

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...

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 ...