Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Bobbi Miller, Conservation Their gentle but steady gait across the African savanna would seem to indicate the land’s tallest mammal hasn’t a care in the world. With a neck and legs that help to elevate it to anywhere between 14 and 17 feet tall, the giraffe snacks from the tops of acacia trees and should easily be able to see predators approaching on the savanna. Angolan giraffe are well adapted to their harsh desert environment. Photo by Julian & Steph Fennessy But giraffe are under increasing pressure in their homeland, causing their population numbers to have dropped by more than 40% over the past decade and a half. Despite the fact they can run at speeds of 31 miles an hour for a sustained period, they can’t seem to outrun the threats that are impacting the 9 known subspecies. In particular, giraffe are subject to poaching, disease, fragmentation and degradation leading to loss of habitat, and the expansion of human populations. Today, when you add up al

Posted by: Alissa Wolken, Communications A visit to Woodland Park Zoo offers endless opportunities to witness the magnificent, from Malayan tigers taking a quick swim, to a baby porcupine discovering its new world. Photo by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo. But the beauty of nature isn’t just witnessed through the zoo’s animals; it is also experienced through the stunning horticulture on zoo grounds, including the exquisite Rose Garden . Photo by Kirsten Pisto/Woodland Park Zoo. Hitting its color peak now through September, the garden is calling to you. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. Just beyond the South Entrance of the zoo is a field of vibrant color and brilliant architecture that creates a memorable showcase of nature for all visitors and passersby to enjoy. Photo by John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo. Woodland Park Rose Garden offers a splendid setting for flower lovers to stroll the grass pathways circulating through 2.5 acres of rose displa

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