Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Sue Andersen, Zookeeper Early last month, Woodland Park Zoo Collection Manager Erin Sullivan and I took a road trip for conservation to release captive-reared caterpillars as part of a new zoo program to recover the wild populations of the state endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly. The release into the wild may be the exciting and deeply rewarding climax to this pilot program, but the story begins with the arrival to the zoo of 510 very sleepy, fuzzy black caterpillars that were just waking up from almost six months of diapause (winter resting). The caterpillars were hatched and reared at Oregon Zoo last summer before entering the natural resting period late last summer. At Woodland Park Zoo, the larvae were set up in plastic bins where they were fed, watered, and carefully monitored for about 10 days. During their stay, the caterpillars ate like, well, very hungry caterpillars! Along with my fellow keeper Diane Abbey, we harvested nearly 100 plantago leaves per

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Recently, jaguars Nayla and Junior had their first chance to spend time together in their outdoor exhibit, the award-winning Jaguar Cove. The two are being introduced for potential breeding as part of a Species Survival Plan effort to maintain a healthy population of this endangered species. But first, these usually solitary animals have to get to know each other... (Tip: Turn up the volume to hear an explanation of the jaguar behaviors you are seeing.) Video by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Photo of Nayla by Dennis Dow.

Posted by: Dr. Marc Ancrenaz, Hutan Asian Elephant Conservation ( Woodland Park Zoo Partner for Wildlife ) It’s no secret that much of the forest land in Sabah is being decimated in order to plant palm oil plantations —putting the Asian elephant and orangutan populations in decline due to loss of habitat. (Pictured below: a young elephant roaming in a palm oil plantation in Kinabatangan, Borneo). In 2008, Hutan began exploring the idea of developing community tree nurseries as an alternative source of income for village families. In May 2009, Hutan gave Hamidin Braim, a villager with experience in tree nurseries, a micro-loan to build a seedling collection center at his home and purchase seedlings from villagers. Hutan and Hamidin gave appropriate training to village families to collect wild seedlings of selected native tree species and raise them in plastic polybags at their homes.  Fifteen tree species were chosen, all consumed by orangutans, and known to have relatively high su

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications Dr. Doo, also known as the “Prince of Poo,” the “GM of BM” or the “Grand Poopah,” has been piling Zoo Doo deeper and higher all winter. What does this mean? It means the annual Spring Fecal Fest is here, the time of year when local gardeners scramble to purchase the highly coveted Zoo Doo or Bedspread. Zoo Doo is the most exotic and highly prized compost in the Pacific Northwest, perfect for vegetables and annuals, composed of exotic species feces contributed by the zoo’s non-primate herbivores. See how Zoo Doo gets made in this clip from the PBS show Biz Kid$ : For a chance to purchase Zoo Doo or Bedspread, send in a postcard from March 5 – 20. You can enter both the Zoo Doo and Bedspread drawings, but separate postcards are required. For Zoo Doo, mark your postcard “Zoo Doo.” For Bedspread, mark your postcard “B.S.” Entry cards will be selected randomly for as many entrants possible. Dr. Doo will contact the lucky drawn entries only.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications If you enjoy the beauty of the Woodland Park Rose Garden , here’s your chance to get the secrets of this garden… Check out the free rose pruning demonstration at the garden this Saturday, February 27, from noon to 3:00 p.m. Hosted by the Seattle Rose Society , the demonstration will include many annual rose pruning practices such as where to cut, how much to cut, how to use your tools properly, and respective pruning techniques for different types of roses. We’ll also be on hand to discuss Woodland Park Zoo’s organic management and integrated pest management techniques used in the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden is free to visit year round and located near the zoo’s South Entrance at N. 50th Street and Fremont Ave. N. Get info on hours and parking on our website . Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo.

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Love is in the air at Woodland Park Zoo, but it’s not just the animals that are pairing up. In honor of Valentine’s Day, here’s the true story of two sweethearts who not only met through the zoo, but now plan to wed here too! Kristine & Darrell The couple: Darrell works for Metropolitan Market , one of the sponsors of Woodland Park Zoo’s summer concert series BECU ZooTunes  presented by Carter Subaru. Kristine owns and operates a local fudge company that sells to Metropolitan Market. Meeting at the zoo: The pair had met before, but it wasn’t until they both worked at the Metropolitan Market sample booth at last year’s B-52s ZooTunes concert that they really sensed a spark. They returned to ZooTunes to enjoy the Susan Tedeschi concert—a perfect setting for a date with a romantic picnic featuring Darrell’s homemade peach & blackberry cobbler and ice cream—and have been together ever since! Wedding at the zoo: In Kristine’s wo

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications The way to an otter’s heart is an ice pop made with a splash of fruit juice, a handful of smelt, a sprinkling of carrots and a whole lotta love. Enjoy this video of Woodland Park Zoo’s pair of river otters —Sunny, the 14-year-old female, and Duncan, the 12-year-old male—as they frolic with their custom-made, heart-shaped ice pops for an early Valentine’s Day celebration: Other zoo animals will celebrate Valentine’s Day presented by Franz Bakeries with heart-shaped ice pops, herbal bouquets, heart-shaped steaks, and more on Saturday, Feb. 13, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Full schedule of enrichment activities is available online so you can plan your perfect Valentine’s date! The special treats are part of the zoo’s ongoing enrichment program to help enrich the lives of the animals by promoting natural animal behavior, such as foraging, playing and exploring, keeping animals mentally and physically stimulated and engaging zoo visitors. Photos: R