Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Keema was the bestest grizzly bear. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our older male grizzly bear, Keema. The 28-year-old was humanely euthanized on Christmas day due to a severe decline in his health, including a lack of appetite and reduced mobility. Keema would have turned 29 on January 15. Male grizzly bears have a median life expectancy of 21 years in human care, and often less in the wild. For the past few months, the zoo’s animal care team has had Keema under close observation . He has undergone diagnostic examinations due to declining mobility, but the veterinary team did not find any treatable underlying diseases. The geriatric bear has been on prescribed analgesics and joint medication to address his arthritis and keep him comfortable for as long as possible. “While Keema had been hanging in there, he had been declining in mobility which is not uncommon for aging animals. He ...

Tamlyn Sapp, Waterfowl Animal Keeper Photos by Tamlyn Sapp, Woodland Park Zoo unless otherwise noted Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo ‘Tis the season for holiday music to ring, but the ears of many zoo guests are left ringing after visiting the most raucous birds at the zoo—the southern screamers and the Chilean flamingos! This flamboyant group of South American birds often showcase their choral talents in harmony. But what is all this ruckus really about? Let me introduce you to my jolly friends and I will explain why they have so much to say and what it all means! Southern screamers (Chauna torquata) are native to South American grassy marshes and agricultural lands, spanning Bolivia to Argentina. These birds can be domesticated and are known to be good guard animals due to their deafening “oh-WOOOW” screechy bark, which can be heard up to a mile away! When threatened, screamers will let out a low drumming warning rumble from their chest, and in times of contentment t...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photo and video by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Brown bear cub, Juniper, and grizzly bear cub, Fern, are exploring their outdoor habitat together, and it’s double trouble, double adorable! Juniper’s presence has helped Fern acclimate to her new home much faster than usual. “Fern is responding to behavioral training and is making herself at home. Having Juniper here has truly helped,” said Erin Sullivan, an animal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “The cubs are fast becoming best buds and Juniper has taken Fern under her wing. Zoo-goers are going to really enjoy watching the cubs grow, play and get into mischief together.” The naturalistic setting for the brown bears in the Living Northwest Trail offers a wealth of enrichment including a braided, flowing stream; a bear-sized swimming pool with live fish; exhibit “furniture” such as rocks for basking in the sun; tree stumps that make great scratching posts; browse and novel scents; and a q...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications It's official! You can now come see Tandie the lion in our African Savanna lion habitat. The 8-year-old male, who first stole the heart of Seattle as a cub, has spent the last few weeks acclimating to his new home and animal keepers. And now he's ready to show off for guests in the public side of his habitat. Tandie is back! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Tandie, whose name means fire, was born as a triplet at Woodland Park Zoo in 2014 to parents Adia and Xerxes. The big cat arrived back in Seattle last month after living at Oakland Zoo since 2016. And he's not alone; he shares the spotlight with female Ilanga, 5. The pair have been getting to know each other and are getting along well. “This has been a big adjustment for both Tandie and Ilanga, but they’re both getting along really well. It will be exciting to see how their relationship continues to develop,” said Kim Szawan, an animal care manager at Woodland Park ...

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo’s newest bear cub, a female grizzly, is growing and thriving, and she now has a name. Culturally resonating with the abundance of fern throughout the Pacific Northwest, the cub’s name is Fern! Fern was named by special friends of the zoo. Maryanne Tagney and David Jones are longtime supporters of Woodland Park Zoo's conservation efforts. Maryanne's active role in Northwest conservation issues and environmental politics for more than 30 years has moved the needle on the zoo’s ability to preserve and recover landscapes and learn to coexist with wildlife. "We were honored to be asked to name little Fern, the zoo’s adorable new rescued grizzly cub! She is a living and breathing example of the critical wildlife conservation work that we have been supporting since the zoo first created the Living Northwest Conservation Program,” said Tagney. “We were delighted to arran...

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications with Animal Keeper Allison Barr Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Keema! The big grizzly puts on quite a show while splashing in the bear pool, 2022. Since Juniper the brown bear cub joined the Living Northwest Trail in July , the little floof has been grabbing the attention of visitors and has amassed quite a following on certain social platforms, ahem #cutestbearcubinthewholeworld, but all along folks have been asking after Keema, our older grizzly bear too. Keema is still our favorite (we can have more than one), and we're so happy to see his fan club is still going strong. There were lots of questions about how Keema was doing after losing Denali (his brother who passed away in 2020), what he would think of Juniper and the new cub , and how the older bear is doing in his golden years. We asked dedicated animal keeper Allison Barr a few questions about the big guy and her answers will make you fall even more in love with K...

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo The days are growing darker across the Pacific Northwest and while the night can be creepy, one creature you shouldn't fear in the dark is bats! These misunderstood mammals play a significant role in keeping our environment healthy. In fact, there are numerous reasons to be a fan of bats; for instance, many of them eat mosquitoes and they're super cool. Little brown bat. Photo: J.N. Stuart via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwildlife/4770991513/ Bat Week is an international celebration of these flying mammals that takes place October 24-31, and it's no mystery why the party ends on Halloween. Bats have long gotten a bad rap, being lumped in with bloodsucking vampires and depicted in movies bombarding folks who wander into a creepy cave. However, you may be surprised to learn that bats aren't particularly active in the Pacific Northwest during the spooky season. Here, ...