Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Bruce W. Bohmke, Acting President and CEO We’re asking for your thoughts about the zoo’s next major exhibit project. Will you take a few minutes to complete our survey? Woodland Park Zoo is redeveloping a 3.4-acre area of its Tropical Asia zone formerly occupied by the Elephant Forest exhibit. This large space allows us to explore exhibit ideas that could include a diverse range of Asian wildlife species. Your input will help guide the process as we identify new conservation ambassador species for the zoo and dynamic experiences that will connect you with these animals and the threats they face in the wild. As stewards of the zoo, we’re working hard to fulfill the zoo’s Long Range Physical Development Plan and renovate and update older areas of the zoo for you and our community at large. Last year, we opened Banyan Wilds with new exhibits for Malayan tigers and sloth bears. This year, we’re bringing back butterflies in a new exhibit near Zoomazium. We’re also ver

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications All you smitten kittens, it's time to test how wild at heart you really are. We challenge you to take our new ‎ Valentine's Day‬ quiz to see how well you understand the nature of love. Then join us for an early Valentine's Day celebration on Sat., Feb. 13 when it's time for bouquets, sweet treats and ruby red delights for the animals as keepers hand out valentines to our wild bunch. Take the quiz now>>

Posted by: Kristin Quirk, Education Today marks the beginning of Chinese or Lunar New Year and 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. What better place to celebrate than Woodland Park Zoo? We’ll be celebrating with holiday and primate-themed activities in Zoomazium and the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit now through Sunday, February 14. Monkeys, like this golden lion tamarin, are at home in the trees and make walking on thin branches up high look easy. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Those born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be smart, energetic, happy, curious and enthusiastic. They are also known for having a great memory, being self-confident and good at puzzles. Curious about your Chinese zodiac sign or what an ang pow is? Pop into Zoomazium this week for Chinese New Year inspired crafts, activities and fun. Now, all monkeys are primates but not all primates are monkeys. So, what is the difference between a monkey and an ape, and what exactly is a lemur? Join us for a da

Posted by: Caitlin Potter, Education For young minds, learning doesn’t stop when the school bell rings and subjects like biology and engineering can really come to life in hands-on experiences beyond the classroom. The projects and advisors behind ZooCrew, our after-school program serving middle school age students through schools and community centers, give students early and positive exposure to how STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) can improve their world, like in our most recent quarter that tackled a pressing conservation issue: poaching. For 8 weeks last fall, ZooCrew students at three Seattle middle schools, Asa Mercer International, Washington and Denny International, studied the African savanna. In addition to playing educational games, meeting live animals and learning about careers in science, ZooCrew students delved into the topic of poaching. We learned about this complex issue by exploring the different perspectives of people involved in poaching,

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Indian flying fox fruit bats. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. It’s a new dawn for the Night Exhibit. Since the popular exhibit closed in the wake of the 2009 recession, we’ve heard one message from you all loud and clear—the dark night must return. With the all new Banyan Wilds tiger and sloth bear exhibits now complete, and butterflies returning later this year, the time is right to shine a light, so to speak, on nocturnal animals once again. In 2018, we plan to re-open a renovated Night Exhibit showcasing nocturnal animals in the dark. The Night Exhibit will be renovated with a planned opening in 2018. Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo. Our night vision will come together over the next two years as we design, renovate and open the exhibit thanks to a public-private partnership, using funds available for major repairs from the city of Seattle Park District, along with private philanthropy. Approved by voters in 2014, the S

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Providing terrific animal health care is one of the benchmarks of the zoo's mission and that includes dental care. Just like in humans, a healthy mouth is tantamount to the overall wellness of an animal. If you've ever wondered about how we provide that care, here is one detailed look at a jaguar's visit to the dentist. It ’ s 9:30 a.m. on Friday, January 15, and the hustle and bustle of the Woodland Park Zoo Animal Health building is well underway. The Animal Health team has prepped the procedure room for a special patient this morning, a 16-year-old male jaguar, Junior. He is here for an endodontic tooth repair on one of the biggest teeth in this big cat ’ s mouth, the right maxillary canine. The upper dental arcade of teeth are termed maxillary and the bottom teeth are the mandibular teeth. In the wild, jaguars use their canines to apprehend and potentially pierce the skulls of their prey.

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications Video and photo by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren Nadiri and her baby are getting to know each other and learning new things about each other day by day.  Here is video of our girl exploring new tactile sensations and trying out a few luscious leaves. Keeper Traci Colwell gives us a quick update on the newborn’s progress. Video of the baby gorilla exploring new tactile sensations andtasting a tiny leaf.  The baby gorilla receives attentive care by keeper and veterinary staff in a den behind the scenes of the gorilla exhibit, where Nadiri can see her baby and her baby can see her mom throughout the day, every day. “For the long-term benefits and welfare of the baby gorilla, it’s important for her to know she’s a gorilla, not a human. She never leaves the gorilla den. Here, she is exposed to her mom and can also see, hear and smell the zoo’s other gorillas,” said Martin Ramirez, mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo. “It’s also a st