Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. The future weighs 2 ounces. We’re at the edge of the pond, and there are leaves scattered in the water that are bigger than the turtle in my hands. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. But now that it’s large enough to avoid the mouths of predators such as invasive bullfrogs, this turtle has a big role to play. After hatching and getting a head start at life behind the scenes at Woodland Park Zoo, turtle #5 and 24 others are off to their next great adventure: rebuilding the wild population of native western pond turtles in Washington state. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. Western pond turtles were once common from Baja California to Puget Sound, including the Columbia River Gorge. However, loss of habitat, commercial exploitation for food, disease and introduced predators, such as bullfrogs and large-mouth bass, decimated their numbers. Photo by Jer

Plus our heartfelt thanks to Deborah Jensen for 13 years of service! Posted by: Bruce Bohmke, Acting President and CEO Bruce Bohmke. Dear Friends, As zoo members, supporters and partners, you are an integral force in the success of our mission. You also have a vested interest in the future of your zoo. So, on behalf of all the zoo staff and board of directors, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Woodland Park Zoo’s new Strategic Plan 2015-2018: Growing our Reach and Impact. You’ll be proud to know that Woodland Park Zoo is already recognized as a standard-setter among top zoos and aquariums in the U.S. With this plan as our compass, we will evolve to meet our community’s current and future needs, while further shaping and modeling the purpose of zoo-based conservation organizations in the 21st century. Because a significant rise in population is anticipated for the Puget Sound region, we must dramatically increase our reach and impact to serve a growing community. But

Posted by: Fred Koontz, Vice President of Field Conservation This morning, I joined our Initiative 1401 partners, Vulcan, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Seattle Aquarium, to announce that 348,627 people signed the petition to get this groundbreaking initiative on the November ballot. We’re one step closer to taking this critical issue to the people of Washington state. Woodland Park Zoo Vice President of Field Conservation Dr. Fred Koontz at today's I-1401 press conference. If passed, I-1401 will strengthen laws that ban the trafficking of products made from endangered animals—animals that are being poached or exploited so much, they are facing extinction. Woodland Park Zoo is proud to join the thousands of Washingtonians who signed the petition sheets in support of I-1401. U.S. Fish and Wildlife confiscated ivory. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society. Earlier this year, Woodland Park Zoo drafted and advocated for legislatio

Posted by: Jim Watson, Raptor Ecology of the Shrub Steppe , a Woodland Park Zoo Living Northwest conservation project Golden eagle nestling prior to the Carlton Complex Fire in 2014. Photo by Scott Fitkin/Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Resilience” is a big word, but an important one, when referencing wild animals and their ability to traverse adverse circumstances. In 2014, eastern Washington was ravaged by several major forest fires lasting several weeks and eventually converging in what was termed the Carlton Complex Fire. The complex overlaid the area where 17 golden eagle nesting territories are located, including at least two territories where we had just deployed satellite transmitters on nestling eagles prior to the fire. Pre-fire golden eagle nesting habitat. Photo by Jim Watson/Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. As I anxiously monitored movements of the young birds remotely, via satellite, I was disappointed when both signals went off

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Have you ever tried to catch a flying fish tossed by the Pike Place Fish Market fishmongers? It's not as easy as they make it look! But our bears—and some zoo guests!—were up for the task today. Breakfast is almost ready, boys! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. The fishmongers came up to the zoo this morning to offer a special salmon breakfast for our grizzly brothers, Keema and Denali, as we get pumped for this Saturday's Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day presented by Brown Bear Car Wash. And the boys in orange got the whole crowd going! Some were naturals... Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Some discovered the hard way how slippery a flying fish can be... Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. And some were truly joyous in victory! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. But none was as ready as

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Bears, we dedicate this week to you! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. It’s Bear Awareness Week in Washington, proclaimed by Governor Jay Inslee, and it’s all leading up to Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day presented by Brown Bear Car Wash, Sat., June 6. At Bear Affair, grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali will demonstrate exactly what happens in your backyard or campsite when a picnic isn’t stored properly—and you’ll get tips on how to bear-proof your next outdoor adventure! Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. Bear Affair puts the spotlight on bears, wolves, raptors and other Pacific Northwest wildlife—the focus of Woodland Park Zoo's Living Northwest conservation program  and the personalities behind our newest quiz: Which Northwest Animal Are You? Practice carnivore awareness by learning what these animals need to survive in the wild, how to help keep them safe and what humans can do to peacef