Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Quick, name a zoo animal with black and white stripes… Chances are you said “zebra.” But soon you might consider another possibility after you meet the newest Woodland Park Zoo additions, a colony of ring-tailed lemurs! Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Their debut marks the return of this endangered species to Seattle for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. That long tail striped with black and white rings gives the lemur its name and serves as a counter balance when leaping from tree to tree.  Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. Ring-tailed lemurs use trees as a place to eat, nap, and interact with their troop mates, but this species can also be spotted on the ground more frequently than other lemurs. Photo by Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo. That’s where you might find them sunbathing in the morning, sitting in a yoga-like pose with limbs outstretched to ma

Posted by: Jim Watson, Raptor Ecology of the Shrub Steppe , a Woodland Park Zoo Living Northwest conservation project Golden eagle nestling prior to the Carlton Complex Fire in 2014. Photo by Scott Fitkin/Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Resilience” is a big word, but an important one, when referencing wild animals and their ability to traverse adverse circumstances. In 2014, eastern Washington was ravaged by several major forest fires lasting several weeks and eventually converging in what was termed the Carlton Complex Fire. The complex overlaid the area where 17 golden eagle nesting territories are located, including at least two territories where we had just deployed satellite transmitters on nestling eagles prior to the fire. Pre-fire golden eagle nesting habitat. Photo by Jim Watson/Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. As I anxiously monitored movements of the young birds remotely, via satellite, I was disappointed when both signals went off

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Have you ever tried to catch a flying fish tossed by the Pike Place Fish Market fishmongers? It's not as easy as they make it look! But our bears—and some zoo guests!—were up for the task today. Breakfast is almost ready, boys! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. The fishmongers came up to the zoo this morning to offer a special salmon breakfast for our grizzly brothers, Keema and Denali, as we get pumped for this Saturday's Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day presented by Brown Bear Car Wash. And the boys in orange got the whole crowd going! Some were naturals... Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Some discovered the hard way how slippery a flying fish can be... Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. And some were truly joyous in victory! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. But none was as ready as

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications Yesterday we said goodbye to Pokey and Lambchop. At 30 years old, the two were among the oldest black-and-white colobus monkeys in North America. Lifetime companions, Pokey and Lambchop produced four offspring and eventually grew old together. After a period of age-related physical decline, the elderly pair was humanely euthanized. Lambchop was born at Woodland Park Zoo and Pokey lived at the zoo for 24 years. Colobus monkeys can live up to 33 years in zoos and up to 20 in the wild. Two females and a male colobus remain at the zoo in the award-winning Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. As part of the zoo’s exemplary quality care program, the colobus monkeys were under a prescribed program to help manage their geriatric infirmities. “We medically managed their osteoarthritis with daily medications to help maintain their comfort and mobility, and provided nutrient-supplements for overall health,” said Dr. Kelly Helmick, associate v

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Bears, we dedicate this week to you! Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. It’s Bear Awareness Week in Washington, proclaimed by Governor Jay Inslee, and it’s all leading up to Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day presented by Brown Bear Car Wash, Sat., June 6. At Bear Affair, grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali will demonstrate exactly what happens in your backyard or campsite when a picnic isn’t stored properly—and you’ll get tips on how to bear-proof your next outdoor adventure! Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. Bear Affair puts the spotlight on bears, wolves, raptors and other Pacific Northwest wildlife—the focus of Woodland Park Zoo's Living Northwest conservation program  and the personalities behind our newest quiz: Which Northwest Animal Are You? Practice carnivore awareness by learning what these animals need to survive in the wild, how to help keep them safe and what humans can do to peacef

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Since the passing of our gorilla grand matriarch , Nina, last week, we’ve heard from so many of you who remember her sweet presence—whether it was from one memorable visit that stuck with you or a lifetime of visits that added up to a special place in your heart for the notable dame. Nina, photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. We want you to know that those visits truly matter. Not just for the time you spend building a powerful connection with nature, but for the positive impact you make—perhaps without even realizing it—for wildlife across the world. That’s because every visit to Woodland Park Zoo helps support our local and international conservation efforts , like those helping to protect endangered western lowland gorillas—just like Nina—in the wild. Blackback Costa, submerged and feeding on mineral rich aquatic plants in a stream in the Mbeli Bai clearing, northern Congo. Photo by Kelly Greenway For 15 years, Woodland Park Zoo

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor It's time to find your inner beast, Northwest style! As we countdown to Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation presented by Brown Bear Car Wash on Sat., June 6, we're celebrating the wonders of Northwest wildlife with this fun little quiz that puts the spotlight on our native neighbors. Take the quiz at http://www.zoo.org/bearaffair Learning to co-exist safely and harmoniously with our local wildlife is at the heart of Bear Affair. On the big day, June 6, grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali will ransack a mock backyard and mock campsite in their exhibit to show us what happens when you don’t properly clean up or bear proof your outdoor living spaces. Zookeepers and conservation experts will be on hand to teach you the safety tips you can follow to avoid dangerous encounters like this in your yard or on your next camping or hiking adventure. Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo. Through the zoo's Living Northwest c