Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Woodland Park Zoo is seeing spots after three snow leopard cubs were born on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024. These are the first snow leopard cubs to be born at the zoo since a single cub, Aibek, was born in 2017.  Marai with her newborn cubs on the cub cam, Woodland Park Zoo The cubs were born to parents Marai, 7, and Aibek, 6. This is their first litter of cubs after they were paired under the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan , a cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of the species. The mom and cubs are currently in an off-view maternity den to allow bonding and proper nursing in a quieter setting. Zoo staff closely watch the mother and cub on a den camera to watch for normal behaviors. It will be at least a couple months before the cubs are introduced to the outdoor, on-view exhibit. “As a first-time mom, Marai has amazed us with the level of care she's been giving her cub...

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Photos by Amanda Dukart, Animal Keeper Hello joey! Poppy's wallaby baby is popping out to see the world!  We are jumping for joey! Two adorable joeys, born last fall, are just starting to venture into the world and out of their mamas’ pouches. Wallaroo mom Tinga gave birth to a joey last November, and wallaby mom Poppy gave birth to her joey last September. The sex of each of the joeys is not confirmed yet. Each joey—the name of a baby kangaroo, wallaroo or wallaby—starts as a tiny blind and hairless newborn, only about the size of a lima bean! Even without sight to navigate, these babies must crawl their way up into their mother’s pouch where they will be able to stay safe and warm in the pouch while growing and getting all the nutrients they need from mom Wallaroo Tinga comes into her indoor area to enjoy a snack, while her joey peeks out.  At around 5 or 6 months old, the joey starts peeking their head out of the...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Agoutis are rodents native to South America, and the new pups mark the first birth of the species for Woodland Park Zoo. Welcome to the world wee ones! A pair of red-rumped agoutis (rhymes with cutie) were born March 18 at Woodland Park Zoo to 2-year-old mom Nutella and 3-year-old dad John Agouti. The new pups mark the first birth of the species—which is part of the rodent family—at the zoo. “We will determine the sex of the pups when they are 1 month old, when we do a complete physical exam to assess their health and ensure they are growing well,” says Dr. Tim Storms, an associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo. Sniff, sniff, sniff. Agoutis have a keen sense of smell, which comes in handy for a small rodent that needs to sniff out food and look out for predators Unlike many small rodents which are born hairless and with eyes closed, newborn agoutis have fur and can see right from birth. “The p...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications It's a boy! We joyfully announce the birth of a western lowland gorilla. First-time mom, Uzumma, gave birth to a boy today, March 4 at 2:48 a.m. VIDEO: Just a few hours after birth, first-time mom Uzumma and her baby are bonding and staying cozy indoors. Here, you can see Uzumma snacking on some greens while the baby stays warm and safe on her belly. Uzumma has settled into a quiet, hay-filled gorilla tunnel, her favorite sleeping spot, a walkway in between her indoor bedrooms. This baby is the first between 12-year-old Uzumma and 20-year-old Kwame, who moved from Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2018. Uzumma snacking on some greens in February 2020. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. This newborn marks the 14th gorilla birth at Woodland Park Zoo. The last birth was Yola, a female born in November 2015. The new mom and her baby are off view in the cozy, sleeping dens so they can bond in a hushed, comfortabl...

Posted by: Elizabeth Bacher, Staff Writer Meet Papú, our newest and smallest ambassador-in-training.  Hello Papú! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/ Woodland Park Zoo Ambassador animals have an important role at Woodland Park Zoo—they allow visitors to have up-close experiences and serve as catalysts for educating about their species. By interacting with them, we learn more about their wild cousins. We learn more about ourselves and our impacts on the ecosystem. We are moved to protect them and the wild spaces they represent. Simply put, we love them and they inspire us to make conservation a priority in our lives. It’s a big responsibility. What does it take to become an ambassador—to fulfill such an important role connecting people to wildlife? The answers to these big questions can often be found in the littlest places—and in this case, an egg barely the size of a ping-pong ball. The tiny egg came to Woodland Park Zoo from Sacramento Zoo, where its parents were not ...

Posted by: Elizabeth Bacher, communications While you’re getting to know our curious sloth bear cubs, Deemak and Kartick , we thought you’d also like to know more about their wild cousins and how Woodland Park Zoo is working with conservation partners on the ground in their native habitat to help to protect them. Sloth bears are endangered, mostly due to habitat loss or degradation from human expansion, retaliation from human-bear conflict and to a lesser degree, poaching.   It is believed that no more than 10,000-20,000 sloth bears remain in the wild. That’s one of the reasons why Woodland Park Zoo partners with a conservation organization like Wildlife SOS . Currently, the research study that Wildlife SOS is conducting focuses on the two types of dens that wild sloth bears use – maternal dens which are used to give birth and raise cubs, and day dens which are used as a place to safely rest during daylight hours when sloth bears are not as active. Here is some ne...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Video by Kirsten Pisto, photos by John Loughlin, Woodland Park Zoo A pair of crested screamer birds hatched in early March.  VIDEO: https://youtu.be/QcgyjLpWCc8 A pair of crested screamer birds, both females, hatched in early March. The chicks represent the first offspring between the 15-year-old mother and 23-year-old father. The last successful hatching of this species at the zoo was in 2002. The little chicks are busy stretching their long legs, soaking up the spring sunshine and eating lots of broccoli florets, among other snacks such as a blend of game bird, romaine lettuce and waterfowl pellets. The chicks represent the first offspring between the 15-year-old mother and 23-year-old father. The crested screamer family is currently off public view to allow animal keepers to monitor the chicks closely and weigh them regularly to ensure acceptable weight gains. At 2 weeks old, the chicks are fluffy and downy and currently...

Posted by Alissa Wolken, Communications Hello, little ones! Footage of 6-week-old sloth bear cubs in the den with mom, Tasha. ( https://youtu.be/mbOJOale-Fs ) Tasha's 6-week-old sloth bear cubs have opened their eyes! New footage, captured on the zoo’s maternity den cam, shows the growing cubs becoming more mobile and opening their eyes. The two cubs, born December 27, 2017 , are the offspring of 13-year-old mother Tasha and 17-year-old father Bhutan. Cub kiss! Tasha gives her cubs a bath and snuggles them in the den. Screenshot from the keeper cam used to monitor the family. The mother and newborn cubs remain in an off-view maternity den to allow for their best possible welfare. This time is critical for maternal bonding and undisturbed nursing. Animal care staff is monitoring the new family via a camera inside the maternity den to ensure the cubs continue to thrive. Currently, the cubs are doing well and developing well.  Woodland Park Zoo is a participant ...

Posted by Alissa Wolken, Communications As a very auspicious start to 2018, we are excited to announce the birth of twin sloth bear cubs. The tiny cubs were born December 27, 2017, in an off-view maternity den. The first cub made its appearance around 3:20 a.m., while the second cub took its time — appearing almost 11 hours later. Animal management has been diligently watching and listening to the twins and mom since the birth — keepers can tell a lot from the noises the cubs make, like whether or not they are nursing etc. So far they say the little family is doing great. Tasha and cubs through the den cam. The twin cublets are highlighted here in the circle above. Mom, 13-year-old Tasha, is showing all the signs of being a protective and attentive mother. She has experience after all, having successfully raised two cubs in 2012. Bhutan, the 17-year-old father, is hanging out away from mom and cubs to give them plenty of quiet time. Tasha and cubs will remain off view to a...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo You can add one more outdoors enthusiast to the lineup of PNW adventurers — Aibek took to climbing, pouncing and stealthily sneaking through the outdoor snow leopard exhibit this morning for the first time. The 2 month old male snow leopard was so eager to explore his new digs that he actually beat mom out the door, but Helen was close behind the little explorer to keep an eye on him. Prior to Aibek's first morning in the September drizzle, keepers weighed the cub (10.2 lbs.) and fed him a few meaty snacks. Keepers also sprayed a bit of cologne on branches and logs in the exhibit to entice mom, Helen. A meat treat was another incentive to head into the yard. Aibek has been eating mostly solids, although he is still nursing. During his first outdoor exploration, Aibek took his time sniffing around the grasses and pine trees and then made his way to the top of the rocky ...