Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Andy Antilla, Zookeeper Woodland Park Zoo’s Towan inspired much of the orangutan character, Maurice, in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. For those of us who work with Towan, the oldest male orangutan in North America, we've always known that he's a special guy. Now, people all around the world will see much of his personality come to life on the big screen when “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” hits theaters this month. That’s because Karin Konoval, the actor who plays Maurice the orangutan in the new Planet of the Apes films, studied and drew her inspiration from our big guy. Maurice the orangutan in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox. At 46 years old, Towan and his twin sister Chinta have lived their entire lives at Woodland Park Zoo. They were both hand-raised by humans and show great interest in people, especially the regular visitors that come t

Guest Post by: Ken Kieffer, Volunteer, Make-A-Wish® Alaska and Washington Editor’s note: Woodland Park Zoo is happy and proud to partner with the Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington to share in the power of a wish®. We are grateful to bring smiles and happiness to kids and families all around the country and share the wonders of wildlife, like in this story of Josiah’s visit to the zoo... Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington encourages wish children to dream big, be creative and craft the perfect wish for themselves. Josiah, who is 18 and the oldest of four siblings, was enthusiastic when we paid our first visit to his home. Filling the room with his smile, he told us emphatically that he wanted to go on a photo safari in Africa. Josiah preparing for his African photo safari. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. His letter to Make-A-Wish staff and trustees says it best: “ I have dreamed of going to Africa ever since I was 6 years old. I am very excited to go to Africa and

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Photos by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. You saw him arrive at the zoo in an exclusive behind-the-scenes video , then watched him hanging out in the barn during his standard quarantine. Now that quarantine is over for our newest arrival, Dave the giraffe, we’re giving you an inside look at how his first day out on the savanna went with his new herd mates! Introducing new animals to each other takes a lot of careful planning from zookeepers, and in the case of giraffes, it’s extra complicated. That’s because the giraffes not only live together as a herd, but they also share a mixed species exhibit with zebra, ostrich, gazelle and oryx. Up until now, adult female giraffes Tufani and Olivia, and nearly one-year-old male calf Misawa have been able to see, hear and smell Dave in the barn. But these intros marked the first time they shared space together. Taking it slow, we started introductions between the giraffes in the barn, first by allow

Posted by: Dr. Deborah B. Jensen, President and CEO Dr. Deborah B. Jensen. Photo by Matt Hagen. Right now, you can help save wild elephants. In the few minutes it takes to read my message, your simple but remarkable action will alter the course of history for imperiled elephants and our world. Please join me and sign the pledge never to buy, sell or trade ivory and to support a moratorium on ivory products in Washington state. Together, we will help stop the killing, stop the demand, and stop the trade. With one unified voice, our community can make a difference. We already have a great running start. Just three hours after launching our 96 Elephants signature gathering effort, we soared right past our first 960 pledges. This community’s amazing groundswell of support and action is truly inspiring. Now, let’s multiply 960 over and over between now and August 12, World Elephant Day, when we’ll deliver all of the pledges to our elected officials to tell them Washingtonians ar

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications There are 96 words in this paragraph. Each one represents an African elephant killed today for its ivory. It’s a grim figure, but there’s hope. Thanks to your support, rangers are on the ground deterring poachers and protecting populations. Now the work must continue at home with you. We need state by state ivory moratoria to close the legal loopholes that conceal black market ivory in the U.S. Take the pledge to let the elected leaders of Washington state know we will not stand for being a loophole. Join the herd to make your voice heard. Take the Pledge To stop the killing of elephants, we must stop the ivory trade. To stop the trade, we must end the demand. I pledge never to buy, sell or trade ivory, and I support a moratorium on ivory products in Washington state. Why does my signature matter? The United States has one of the largest markets for ivory in the world with legal markets providing a front for illegal

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications It’s summer time! The season for lounging in the sand, soaking up the sun and shaking your rattler! Our beautiful female Aruba rattlesnake , Crotalus durissus unicolor, is doing just that at the Day Exhibit. An Aruba's sunset-colored coil. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/WPZ. These peach and rose colored rattlesnakes don’t just shake it for anybody though; this rare rattler is only found on one small Caribbean island, Aruba.  Because the species has such a small range, it is nearly extinct in the wild. The snakes are critically endangered primarily because of habitat loss as well as persecution, especially due to tourism and urban sprawl. These snakes live in vulnerable habitat in a tiny area. Fortunately, the government and people of Aruba understand the importance and value of their own special kind of rattlesnake, and have set aside a large portion of the interior of their island as protected habitat for this rattlesnake and other w

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Like these? Blooming plants at Woodland Park Zoo. Photos by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo and Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. Then we need these: Photos from top, clockwise: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo; Flickr user jeffreyww under Creative Commons License ; Flickr user leshoward under Creative Commons License .  At Woodland Park Zoo, we’re abuzz, aflutter and atwitter about the big news coming from the White House: the announcement of a new federal strategy for protecting pollinators . With a focus on honeybees and other essential pollinators like native butterflies, birds and bats, the strategy establishes a task force and goals for population restoration, habitat protection and public education to stem the losses from this blooming crisis. The White House makes a case for the economic importance of pollinators, which “ contribute substantially to the economy of the United States and are vital to keeping fruit, nuts, and veg