Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Matt Mills, Zookeeper Were you aware that without serious action it is estimated that rhinos will disappear from the wild by 2030? Organized crime syndicates have spread into wildlife crime; bringing technological advancements, networks of smugglers, and high powered weaponry with them. Rhino horn is more valuable than gold in certain markert, and because of this an average of two rhinos are lost every day. White rhino at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya. Photo by Matt Mills. Why is rhino horn so valuable? In parts of the world people have been lead to believe that rhino horn is a cure for everything from the common cold to cancer. Science has disproved this belief. In fact, rhino horn is made of tightly compacted hair. Does that sound like a cure-all to you?  It's not too late to stop the disappearance of these magnificent creatures from our planet. There are an estimated 30,000 rhinos still left in the wild, many of which live in conservancies ded

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Sketching out exhibit layout ideas waaaaaay back when we first started designing Bamboo Forest Reserve. Designs for the new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit—including a new home for a pair of Asian small-clawed otters—started two years ago with a sketch on paper. The otters slowly emerged into their new exhibit this week. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Now that we’re seeing the design work turn into reality with phase one of the exhibit opening this weekend, we’re discovering that we aren't the only ones with ideas on how the exhibit should look. The otters have designs of their own! Tearing up the plants to make their bed. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. This week, the otters were introduced to their new home, and we watched them put the finishing touches on the exhibit themselves. Video: Otters rearrange the plants. Produced by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Narration by Caileigh Robertson/Woodl

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications As we gear up for the May 4th opening of phase one of our new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit, some of the details are starting to blossom! Here is a little sneak peek at the landscape horticulture elements that are part of the new exhibit. It’s all about landscape simulation—the zoo’s horticulture department seeks out plants that will thrive in our Pacific Northwest environment, while mimicking the flora found in the thick forests of Southeast Asia. Shaping a new exhibit’s greenery has three key components: 1.) the comfort and safety of the animals, 2.) allowing visitors to observe our animals in an environment inspired by natural habitats, 3.) and telling clearly the story of the entire biome, its diverse plant and animal species, and its conservation connections. Our horticulture team helps tell the conservation story of sharing the forest; the health of the forest being dependent on all its wildlife, from the fiercest tiger to the tinie

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications When you enter the new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit , your eyes might go directly to the otters , but it won’t be long before your ears pick up one of the other highlights of the exhibit—a sonorous aviary filled with the chirps, warbles and songs of five Asian tropical bird species. Nicobar pigeon. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. To find the birds, you’ll want to look up, down and all around the aviary, as the birds will be everywhere from high in the trees to low in the bushes. You’ll encounter the collared finchbill, white-rumped shama thrush, great argus, red-billed leiothrix and Nicobar pigeon. Great argus. Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. The five bird species are a loquacious crew and are host to an array of flamboyant plumage. From the call of the great argus as he prepares a spectacular dance for his mate to the sparkling metallic green feathers of the Nicobar pigeon, from the delicate porcelain songs of t

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Otter kisses. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. In just a few days, you’ll have the chance to meet the zoo’s new pair of Asian small-clawed otters when they make their debut in the Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit opening May 4 . These are two tiny mustelids you won’t be able to resist. Kids test out the new play area in Bamboo Forest Reserve. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The otters will debut alongside a tropical aviary and nature play area for kids—all part of phase one of the Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit complex. Atop a rocky ledge, looking out over the exhibit. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. To get ready for their debut, the otters have been exploring their new home, investigating every ledge, stream and den to find all the best spots for lounging, swimming, eating and playing. Here you can catch a glimpse of the agile fingers small-clawed otters use for hunting. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodlan

Posted by: Caileigh Robertson, Communications Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo Just when our zookeepers thought the baby boom was at bay, our porcupine pair delivered the zoo’s first ever North American porcupette (the name for a baby porcupine—and yes, the name is as cute as the baby)! Unlike the other recent births, we have to admit: we didn't see this one coming! Our 2-year-old breeding pair, Molly and Oliver, joined Woodland Park Zoo in June 2011 shortly after their April birthdays. At such a young age, zookeepers expected that Oliver was a year shy of sexual maturity. To their surprise, Molly gave birth to a male porcupette on April 18 in the Northern Trail exhibit den! Thinking back, Molly must have become pregnant in September, giving her a seven-month gestation period before birthing the pair’s first baby. A porcupette is born with a full coat and open eyes, contrasting many of its rodent counterparts. Within hours of birth its soft coat of quills beg

Posted by: Sergei M.Smirenski, Woodland Park Zoo Partner for Wildlife Photos by Vasili Dugintsov, courtesy of Cranes of Asia Editor note: This update just came in from Woodland Park Zoo’s Partner for Wildlife, Cranes of Asia: Muraviovka Park . The conservation project’s director, Sergei Smirenski, shares how his crew and community came together to help endangered cranes get through some hard times this spring. Cranes salute the coming of spring. Now that it’s spring, cranes and storks are trying to make their way back to Muraviovka Park quickly from their migration routes in order to occupy and defend their nest sites from other cranes. However, due to the unusually cold and snowy mid-spring, the southern part of the Zeya-Bureya plain in the park is still covered by more than 20 inches of snow, and lakes are frozen. The cranes and storks are arriving to find that there is no food available. Cranes search for food in the snow. Cranes can dig through the snow cover and