Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Farrah Paul, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo 14-year-old Shila was diagnosed with a  life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. Woodland Park Zoo’s 14-year-old female gray wolf, Shila, has received a pacemaker in an innovative and groundbreaking medical procedure to treat a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. The successful procedure took place June 12, and Shila is recovering well behind the scenes. While pacemakers are common treatments for humans and domestic dogs, a wolf receiving a pacemaker is extraordinarily rare. Woodland Park Zoo’s team is not aware of any previous cases and believes Shila’s pacemaker may be among the first for her species. Shila's procedure to insert this pacemaker may be among the first for her species. Background In early June, animal keepers observed concerning behavior from Shila including decreased activity and appetite, weight loss, and concerning instances of stumbling, weakness, incoordination and falling. Th...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by PAWS Wildlife Center Female black bear recovering at PAWS Wildlife Center. Photo credit: PAWS Wildlife Center Sometimes wild animals need a little help. In this case, a particularly big wild animal needed more than a little help. Today, this female American black bear is resting comfortably, healing and recovering at PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood —but a few months ago her very survival was dependent on the cooperation of several partners dedicated to wildlife conservation. In early December, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) received a call about a female bear that had been hit by a car in Poulsbo, Washington, east of Seattle. Black bears aren’t often seen in our region at that time of year because they typically den up for the winter months, but they do occasionally wake to move around or change denning sites. It took several days of searching but wildlife officers were finally able to locate and immobi...

Posted by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Communications Photos by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Misho gets a pre-operation inspection from veterinary staff. Say hello to Misho the chuckwalla, a member of our Woodland Park Zoo family since he arrived here in 2000. Chuckwallas are lizards native to the southwestern US and northern Mexico, typically measuring a little over one foot in length. Like many plant-eating reptiles, they enjoy basking on rocks in the sun and eating leafy greens. At 25 years old, Misho is certainly getting up there in age. And recently keepers noticed he hadn’t been feeling all that well. Misho at the zoo's animal hospital.  Reptiles like Misho certainly aren’t known for being the most emotive creatures, and he can’t exactly tell keepers what’s wrong. So how can keepers tell when a lizard isn’t feeling himself? “It has to do a lot with posture and behavior,” explains Dr. Kelly Helmick, Woodland Park Zoo veterinarian. Healthy and happ...