Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Today Reps. Pettigrew (D), Buys (R) and Fitzgibbon (D) introduced bipartisan House Bill 1131 to put an end to illegal elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn trade in Washington state. In addition to federal law, state laws are needed to close loopholes that allow the black market to go unchecked. Which one is more precious? You got us this far! More than 7,000 Woodland Park Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium supporters joined together to raise our voices on this issue. Legislators are now listening. Let’s be heard! TAKE ACTION It’s time to use your voice once again! Leave a public comment on the Washington State Legislature website in SUPPORT of HB 1131.  You can use the following talking points in your comment: As your constituent, I am writing in support of Woodland Park Zoo’s and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s 96 Elephants campaign and ask you to support WA State HB 1131 to end the sale of illegal elephant ivory and rhin

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor We call them cute, we call them precious, and now we want to call the lion cubs by the names you help pick! Vote now and you’ll also have the chance to enter to win a random drawing for a ZooParent lion cub adoption. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. The one name with the most votes will automatically be selected, and then it gets interesting! We’ll take the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most popular names and leave it to mom Adia and dad Xerxes to finish the job. On Thurs., Jan. 29, we’ll present the parents with enrichment choices, each associated with a name, and the two they touch first will be the names they select. We’ll announce all the final name selections and share photos here! Cast your #namethelions vote for your top three preferred names. The name choices are derived from languages that reflect parts of the South African lion’s native range. For inspiration, here’s the scoop on our triplets: Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Did you get outside to enjoy the fresh air today? You weren't the only one! The three lion cubs took their first steps outdoors for a practice session to get them ready for their upcoming (soon to be announced!) public debut. And they were in some mighty big company. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. At 11 weeks old, the cubs are ready to stretch their legs, and today’s weather was perfect for a quick dip outside. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Up until now, the cubs have been spending their days behind the scenes with mom Adia in a den area where they've had a quiet space to nurse, bond and grow. In recent weeks, the cubs and Adia were joined by dad Xerxes for at least 30 minutes a day. This is especially exciting as the father of Adia's first litter, Hubert, was not around her cubs. (He spent his time with another female, Kalissa. The two have since relocated together

Come on, be honest. Were you an eco-slacker this holiday, even just a little? Are you still shaking off the festive food coma of the last several weeks? The holidays take their toll on us and on our environment; by some estimates, consumption in the U.S. increases by 30% in November and December. Let’s green up our act, friends! Small steps, when we all take them together, can go a long way to creating a sustainable future for animals and people. You’ll find our top 2015 resolutions easy to achieve and realistic to sustain. Step it up even more by sharing your green resolutions with friends and family. Got your own wildlife-friendly green resolutions for 2015? Shout ‘em out to us in the comments below! Go ahead: Satisfy that sweet tooth, sustainably! Original photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo; modified. Everyone enjoys candy treats during the Halloween through December holiday season (even though we’re probably sick of it right now), but not as much as orangutan

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor From welcoming new faces to celebrating old friends, heralding conservation milestones and leading veterinary breakthroughs, it’s been a year to remember. We take a look at some of our favorite stories from 2014—those that touched our hearts, made us smile, and made a positive impact on the world we share. Here’s to a wild 2015! 14. Grizzly brothers turn 20 Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. We’ve watched grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali grow up at Woodland Park Zoo, transforming from cautious little cubs to kings of the Northern Trail. When the pair turned 20 last January, they… slept right through it . Winter is a time of little activity for bears, after all. But as they stirred from their winter slumber, we surprised them with a belated birthday blast in April, complete with mounds of snow trucked in by our good friends at Crystal Mountain Resort. Hidden throughout the snow were favorite treats from meaty knuckle bone

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Fantasizing about hibernating during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Many of us wish we could find a cozy den, curl up and peace out until spring, but there are ways to cope! Here are a few insider tips from the residents of the Northern Trail, our winter experts. Wolves on the Northern Trail. Photo by Kirsten Pisto, Woodland Park Zoo. Slip and slide North American river otters know that saving precious energy during cold spells in not only smart, it can be a lot of fun! These playful winter experts use ice to slide to wherever they need to go. They might look like they are just having a blast, but they are conserving calories while they’re at it. We highly recommend sledding, but we aren’t sure it will save energy, so bring a snack if you plan to replicate this adaptation. North American river otters. Photo by Ryan Hawk, Woodland Park Zoo. Feet first You aren’t going to get very far if you are stuck in the

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications We’ve got a new arrival to the Temperate Forest… he’s got a fiery red coat and his name is Yukiko!  As part of Woodland Park Zoo’s preventive care program, our veterinary team performed a full physical examination of Yukiko including his weight, blood work and radiographs. “We are pleased overall with his weight and blood work and he appears to be in good shape,” said Dr. Darin Collins, director of Woodland Park Zoo’s Animal Health Programs.  Photo by Ryan Hawk, Woodland Park Zoo. Yukiko during his preventative exam. Photo by Ryan Hawk, Woodland Park Zoo. Dr. Darin Collins checks out Yukiko's teeth and gums. Photo by Ryan Hawk, Woodland Park Zoo. The 9-year-old panda arrived under the Red Panda Species Survival Plan conservation breeding program from Red River Zoo in Fargo, N.D. Yukiko will be paired up with our female, 7-year-old Stellar, in the hopes that they hit it off. The breeding season for red pandas occurs fro