Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by: Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo There are no caps and gowns, but this is most certainly a graduation. Today marks the first day of the rest of their lives for 31 graduates of Woodland Park Zoo’s Living Northwest conservation project, the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project . After hatching and being raised at the zoo for the first ten months of their lives, these endangered native turtles are ready to move on and re-enter the wetlands of Washington to help rebuild the wild population. Each turtle is weighed, measured and notched for identification. To get here, the 31 turtles first had to pass their final exams, which included a weigh-in and measuring to ensure they’re big enough to survive on their own in the wild. You must be this long to ride. Those who didn’t make the grade have been left back—but they’ll have the chance to take the test again next year after they have done a bit more growing, with a g

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo It’s a boy! Our giraffe calf got his first check-up with the zoo’s vet team yesterday and he is healthy and doing well. Keepers stand on the scale with the giraffe calf. Weighing the calf was an interesting exercise. First, we placed a towel over his head to eliminate distractions and keep him calm during the exam. Then four keepers walked onto the scale with the calf to help him stay in place long enough to get an accurate measurement. Subtract the combined weight of the keepers, and you've got a weight for the calf—144 pounds! Measuring the calf's height. We broke out the measuring tape and discovered our calf is even taller than we first estimated, measuring in at 6 feet. Mom watched the whole exam and remained calm and comfortable. Blood tests from the exam show that the calf is nursing normally and that mom Olivia is passing on necessary antibodies and proteins through he

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo Standing in front of its mother about 13 hours after birth.  Woodland Park Zoo’s newest little one is in fact quite big: taller than some of its zookeepers, even! Welcome to the world a 5½-foot-tall giraffe, born to 6-year-old mom Olivia last night, August 6 at 7:03 p.m. The labor lasted about 1.5 hours and the little one was already standing just another 1.5 hours after birth. This is the face we've been waiting for! Zookeepers were on watch round the clock, and were able to hit record on our video camera just in time to catch the labor begin after a 14- to 15-month gestation period. Olivia wandered in and out of frame, and this video shows the breathtaking moments we were able to catch, from the baby emerging feet first, to its earliest moments after birth, including first efforts at trying to stand. The calf is standing, nursing from mom and bonding with her, all good si

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Join us this Sat., August 10 for Asian Wildlife Conservation Day . Pick up your event passport and get stamped at activities throughout the day to learn all about the endangered wildlife of Asia and what you can do to help. Here are just some of the animals and conservation programs you’ll encounter. Tree kangaroo. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Tree Kangaroos Woodland Park Zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program is empowering local people to protect an 187,000-acre forest sanctuary for this endangered species. The land also is the source of water, plants and animals that supply local people with their livelihoods and health. If we save the forests, we help them all. Take Action for Tree Kangaroos  Drink coffee, save tree kangaroos! Look for YUS PNG coffee at Woodland Park Zoo and Caffe Vita locations. Made by farmers who dedicated their land to tree kangaroo protection, the coffee represents an eco-friendly

Posted by: Peter S. Miller, Zookeeper and Rebecca Whitham, Communications Loki the Komodo dragon. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Woodland Park Zoo said goodbye this week to a long-time resident, 19-year-old Komodo dragon Loki. Loki’s mobility had been declining over the past year from chronic age-related degenerative joint disease. Keepers had given him supportive care, but we ultimately had to make the tough but humane decision to euthanize him this week once he lost his appetite and developed breathing difficulties that did not respond to treatment. We know how much each one of the zoo’s animals means to our visitors. Zookeeper Peter S. Miller reflects on what made Loki such a special addition to the zoo: The Buddha said, “The energy of life is neither created nor destroyed. It moves along from one sentient being to the next.” This week the energy of Loki’s life passed onto its next place. Part will always feel as if it’s with me. We have worked with each other f

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo’s four Asian small-clawed otter pups , born June 11, are getting cuter every day as they whistle, squeal and chirp, and learn to walk, run and jump. Because otter parents, and any older siblings, play an active role in raising young pups, the parents and new family have been living off view in the otter den. The pups will make their public debut later this summer in the new Bamboo Forest Reserve exhibit. The quadruplets mark the first offspring between 8-year-old father Guntur and 4-year-old mother Teratai, who also are new arrivals to the zoo. The weight of the pups currently teeters around 1 pound; their sexes have not yet been determined. The pups are beginning to play with each other and their parents. They’ve been chewing on each other and wrestling. Their attempts at jumping result in poorly executed pounces but it’s downright adorable. Before the pups are

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications Show your love as a ZooParent through Instagram or Twitter and be entered to win a grand prize featuring a behind-the-scenes Real Close Tour and a Jaguar ZooParent adoption . Contest runs through August 31, 2013. How to Enter: Follow @woodlandparkzoo on Instagram or Twitter    Take a photo of you and your ZooParent plush animal doing something fun to share with us on Instagram or Twitter. You can be at the zoo, around town or even at a tea party in your backyard. Get creative! Tag @woodlandparkzoo in your Instagram or Twitter photo entry and include #ZooParent to be automatically entered into the contest. See complete rules and prizes . Good luck!