Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications We have some very exciting news! Our 12-year-old giraffe Olivia is expecting her second baby this spring. Olivia's birth window is mid-March into late April. Olivia! Tufani with baby Lulu in 2017. This baby giraffe will mark the first offspring between Olivia and 6-year-old Dave. Olivia had her first baby, Misawa, in 2013 with Chioke, who passed away that same year. Their offspring, Misawa, stole our hearts with his adorably grumpy face. In  2017 Olivia’s sister Tufani gave birth to #SeattlesTallestBaby Lulu (Dave was the father). Olivia, Dave and Tufani make up our current herd of giraffes until this new baby arrives in spring 2019. “Now that Olivia’s in her third trimester, we’re seeing more signs of a pregnancy such as weight gain and a rounder belly. Judging by the size of her belly, combined with fecal testing results, our guess is that Olivia will give birth in mid-April,” says Katie Ahl, our expert giraffe doula and lea

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Seattle’s tallest baby is now Seattle’s tallest 1 year old giraffe! Happy birthday Lulu! We love you! Sometimes you CAN have your cake and eat it too! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo The birthday girl and her animal keepers celebrated the occasion with a specially-made giraffe cake: an ice fruit cake adorned with an assortment of her favorite treats, leaves, and leaf eater biscuits with her name carved out of apple slices and the centerpiece #1 carved out of sweet potato. Delicious and nutritious! A cake fit for a giraffe. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo.  Dad Dave, mom Tufani and aunt Olivia were all there to “help” her eat her cake! In September, Lulu will be old enough to move to a new zoo where she could eventually start her own family. Her future home will be Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska. This move is part of a recommendation made by the Giraffe Species Survival Plan, a conservation b

Come to the zoo this Saturday, April 14 for Spring Safari! Posted by Bobbi Miller, Conservation We're excited to see you at this year's Spring Safari. Here are 5 activities we think will get you pumped for an awesome day of conservation, animal encounters and springtime fun: Giraffe and friends, photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo 1. Learn about Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation programs in Africa! Check out how we’re working to save gorillas, giraffes, lions and more. The day will be filled with keeper talks and special treats for the animals in our African Savanna. Start the day by watching as our lions get a special meaty treat at 10 a.m. Come to our hippo talk with enrichment at 11:30 a.m., and don’t forget the giraffe experience—for $5 you can get up close from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. with our tallest residents. You can find a full list of all our keeper talks and enrichments here: https://www.zoo.org/events Benny, a Washington Department of Fis

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications As you all have been patiently waiting, we’d like to give you a little update on our newest arrival. It’s a girl! Hello, beautiful! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo.  A beautiful, 5’9”, 149 lbs. bundle of joy. She is already bonding with mom and curious about all of the keepers and animal health staff who have been visiting her barn. The sweet new calf is dry, meaning her soft fur is now clean and dry from the birth.  Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo. After a 4:03 a.m. birth on June 20, 2017 , our sweet mama Tufani began nursing her baby in the late afternoon. Nursing is a huge milestone for any new mother, but especially for Tufani who is a first time mom. Nursing is incredibly important for the health of the baby, and another sign that mom and baby are bonding.  In other good news, the calf received good scores on her first neonatal exam with our dedicated animal health team. Dr.

Posted by: Alissa Wolken, Communications Seattle’s tallest baby has arrived! After months of eager anticipation, Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce 8-year-old giraffe Tufani gave birth this morning. The calf, whose sex has not yet been determined, was born to the first-time mom in the giraffe barn at approximately 4:03 a.m. under the watchful eyes of zookeepers. Hello, baby! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Following the critical 72-hour window after birth, the zoo’s giraffe cam will go live, giving the public the opportunity to see Tufani and her baby as they bond in the barn. Viewers can access the giraffe cam once it goes live and see updates by visiting  zoo.org/tallestbaby  and following #tallestbaby on the zoo’s  Facebook ,  Instagram  and  Twitter . Video: Seattle's tallest baby. The unnamed calf and mother are off view in the barn to allow a quiet environment for maternal bonding and nursing. “Within a week or two, we expect

Posted by: Alissa Wolken, Communications Video and photo by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Spring has officially arrived, and it’s brought baby fever with it; giraffe baby fever to be specific!  Like many zoos around the country, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a giraffe calf after confirming earlier this year that 8-year-old  Tufani is expecting her first baby. With a gestation period of 14 to 15 months, we're expecting a tall delivery anywhere from mid-May to early July 2017. So, what does it take to keep a pregnant Tufani comfortable and healthy? Lead keeper, and giraffe doula, Katie Ahl gives us the scoop on a few tricks of the trade. VIDEO: Lead keeper Katie Ahl welcomes us to the giraffe barn where she explains the special enrichment and diet that goes into caring for a pregnant giraffe. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCGPkiqKVo0 ) Tufani (left) with her nephew Misawa in 2013.  The father is handsome 4-year-old Dave of course. This wil

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Tufani: Enjoys sweet grain snacks, has mastered the art of drooling and sports beautiful dark brown spots. Looking for love and another biscuit. Dave: Willing to stick his neck out for love. Cupid: Spotted the pair on the savanna. When it comes to cupid’s arrow hitting the mark, it appears that in at least one instance, the arrow stuck. Giraffes Dave and Tufani are expecting! Looking good, Dave! Photo by Dennis Dow, WPZ. Tufani (left) with her nephew Misawa in 2013. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ. This Valentine's-worthy news comes as keepers prepare for a long, long wait. Giraffe have one of the longest gestation periods for mammals: 14.5 to 15 months. While it is impossible to be 100% sure that Tufani is pregnant (without putting in a tall order for an ultrasound), keepers tell us that all the right signs are pointing to a new addition to the savanna sometime this summer. That is your cue to get excited. H

Posted by: Kelly Gross, Zookeeper Have you been wondering why the savanna exhibit at times looks empty?  Or have you been one of the lucky guests who has seen a beautiful new species of antelope springing about on the freshly growing grass? Bontebok. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. The savanna exhibit is going through a bit of a transition right now. After our two elderly antelope passed away last year, the exhibit started looking and feeling rather empty. Managers worked to identify animals that were available and would fit in with our current collection. In the fall we received two female Grant’s gazelle and two male bontebok from San Diego Wild Animal Park. The bontebok are a striking new addition to the savanna. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Gazelle tentatively explore their new savanna home. Photo: Katie Ahl/Woodland Park Zoo. We have displayed Grant’s gazelle before and hope to eventually acquire a male to begin breeding,