Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Want to see what the tree kangaroo joey is up to? Now you can watch joey and mom through a limited-engagement web cam , streaming live from the family’s behind-the-scenes maternity den! Screenshot taken from the live web cam (you can stare at it, but it won’t move in this pic!). Watch the tree kangaroos live at www.zoo.org/animalcam Born the size of a lima bean in June 2012, this tree kangaroo baby is just starting to emerge from its mother’s pouch. Through the video monitor, you can see the joey and its mom, Elanna, in a behind-the-scenes maternity enclosure. The cam is streaming live from one of their rooms, but the family has access to an adjacent room, so there may be times when they are not visible on camera. When's the best time to watch? Tree kangaroos are crepuscular, which means they are most active in the morning and at dusk.  Tree kangaroo joey emerging from pouch. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo.

Written by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo Let’s take a moment to celebrate: we’ve got ourselves a new, endangered tree kangaroo joey doing well behind the scenes at Woodland Park Zoo! While we’re just now announcing the big news in February, the little critter was actually born way back in June. It has taken that long for the joey to finally emerge, as it has been tucked away all this time, hidden in mom’s pouch.  Totally worth the wait, though—just look at that face! Hold the phone! This tiny tree 'roo is almost on its own. It's been growing strong in its mother's pouch for nearly eight months!  The difference between marsupials and the other 20 types of mammals is often distinguished by their reproductive growth and development. What’s one of the greatest distinctions?  Well, it’s in the pouch. In fact, marsupial literally means “pouch.”  The secrets of pouch-growing marsupials bewilder many of our visitors, includ

Written by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications  Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo NOTE: While this is the story of the cubs’ first steps outside, please note that the cubs are not yet on view. Access to the lion exhibit viewing shelter is currently closed to visitors while introductions take place. We expect to open the space to visitors in the very near future, and will announce here when the cubs are ready for their public debut. Thanks for your patience and your help in giving the family the space they need right now to grow comfortable and confident in their outdoor home. Adia came through a doorway hidden behind a rocky wall and entered the outdoor exhibit Friday morning with a tiny tag-along by her side. The cubs had their very first chance to explore their outdoor exhibit yesterday. Leading up to the big day , keepers debated whether the cubs would be cautious and slow to emerge, or come bounding out with confidence. The answer came quickly when one, th

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Now 12 weeks old, the lion cubs are active and hardy—and outgrowing their maternity den. We’re just starting to give the cubs their first little practice sessions outside to get them ready for their upcoming public debut. We’ll share more with you tomorrow on how the private sessions are going. But today, we thought it would be fun to share the hidden side of the story—all the work that goes on behind the scenes to prepare the cubs for their outdoor adventures. Heading outside for the first time is a big milestone for the cubs. They are a rambunctious foursome and are constantly at play in the comfort of their behind-the-scenes maternity den. But we have noticed the cubs are often hesitant when it comes to new experiences. So the keepers came up with a great solution to help the cubs get ready for the experience—bring the outdoors indoor! Video : Lion cubs discover grass and sticks! Produced by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. To ge

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications/Public Affairs Photo provided by Somali Community Services Coalition We believe that every kid (and kid at heart) should have access to their local zoo. In 2012, Woodland Park Zoo’s Community Access Program (CAP) partnered with 700 local human service organizations who offered their clients more than 40,000 complimentary passes to Woodland Park Zoo.   Photo from Academy for Precision Learning with middle school students on a field trip at Woodland Park Zoo this past summer. Thanks to support from zoo visitors and zoo members, we are able to reach out to folks in our community who would not otherwise be able to visit. The partner organizations determine how passes are distributed, serving homeless shelters, food banks, senior centers and homes, refugee communities, minority programs, disabled and mental health facilities, low-income youth centers, education programs and more. We are extremely proud of this program and wa

Posted by: Steve Sullivan, Membership and New Ventures Asian small-clawed otters are coming to Woodland Park Zoo. Photo taken at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. On May 4, phase one of the Asian Tropical Forest initiative—Woodland Park Zoo’s most extreme makeover in the heart of the zoo since 1996—will be unveiled to the community. We’re so grateful to all of you who have made this major milestone in the More Wonder More Wild Campaign possible! Monica Lake, capital project manager and Erik McCormick, of Turnstone Construction express our zoo’s deepest gratitude for your support! (Turnstone is a rock work subcontractor of this project’s general contractor, Berschauer Philips.) Photo by Steve Sullivan/Woodland Park Zoo. Otterly awesome We broke ground on the new exhibit complex in September 2012, and hundreds of you joined us. Since then, construction crews, exhibit designer Studio Hanson/Roberts and the zoo’s exhibit team have made

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Nearly two weeks ago, a male Asian small-clawed otter arrived at the zoo. Albeit a little early, this little fella is here in anticipation of the first phase of the zoo’s new Asian tropical forest exhibit complex , which he will call home upon its opening in May. (Psst…look for more news about progress on the new exhibit coming up on the blog this Thursday.) All newly arrived animals go through a routine quarantine examination and weigh-in by zoo veterinarian staff. Much like your yearly physical at your doctor’s office, quarantine exams help our animal management staff gather information about the animal’s overall health and well-being. The zoo’s Director of Animal Health, Dr. Darin Collins, checks the otter’s heartbeat during the exam. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Today, our new otter received his quarantine exam and, as expected, he is in great shape!  The veterinary staff checked his weight, pulse and oxygen leve