Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications Tufani: Enjoys sweet grain snacks, has mastered the art of drooling and sports beautiful dark brown spots. Looking for love and another biscuit. Dave: Willing to stick his neck out for love. Cupid: Spotted the pair on the savanna. When it comes to cupid’s arrow hitting the mark, it appears that in at least one instance, the arrow stuck. Giraffes Dave and Tufani are expecting! Looking good, Dave! Photo by Dennis Dow, WPZ. Tufani (left) with her nephew Misawa in 2013. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, WPZ. This Valentine's-worthy news comes as keepers prepare for a long, long wait. Giraffe have one of the longest gestation periods for mammals: 14.5 to 15 months. While it is impossible to be 100% sure that Tufani is pregnant (without putting in a tall order for an ultrasound), keepers tell us that all the right signs are pointing to a new addition to the savanna sometime this summer. That is your cue to get excited. H

Posted by: Kerston Swartz, Advocacy Manager You can help bring this iconic species back to Washington’s North Cascades. Woodland Park Zoo supports grizzly bear restoration in Washington state. You should too. And you don’t even need to put down whatever device you are on right now to make your stance known. Submit a public comment now and tell the government why you want grizzly bears recovered into the North Cascades.  Grizzly bear brothers Keema and Denali. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Let us make the case. It starts right here with two of Washington’s most well-known grizzlies. It’s no surprise Woodland Park Zoo’s grizzly bear brothers, Keema and Denali, are among the most popular animals at the zoo. With their fuzzy ears, lumbering stroll and impressive swimming (OK, more like floating and bobbing) skills, they’re hard not to love.  Despite their lovability, history has not been kind to grizzly bears in Washington state. Durin

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Photos and video by: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Whether you spent some time today stuck at home, stuck in traffic, or stuck at work or school, you could probably use a little grizzly bear snow angel magic to make you smile. WATCH: Grizzly Bear Snow Angels on Seattle Snow Day The smiles don't stop there. Now prepare yourself for young arctic fox Hudson who knew just what to do on his first major Seattle snow day...make snowballs! WATCH: Hudson meets snow! This whole place transformed into a winter wonderland today. For some animals, the snow brings out their instincts, and for others, it's a curious novelty. While the animals have plenty of heated and covered spaces to cozy up in, many chose to go out and play today. Hope you did too! Our thanks to the zookeepers and all the zoo staff who came in today to make sure the animals—and our guests—were well taken care of.  Ho

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor It’s a boy, and a boy, and a boy, and a girl! Four Asian small-clawed otters born in December had their first health check-up with zoo veterinarians today. All signs point to these little ones being healthy and well cared for by their doting mom, dad and older sisters. Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. The wellness exam was our first opportunity to get weights, administer vaccinations and assess their overall health up close. At 2 months old, these pups are starting to be more mobile and have fully opened their eyes, so the time was right to take a closer look. We’re pleased to report all four pups are robust and healthy. They currently weigh between 1.3 to 1.5 pounds, have fully round bellies and strong appetites. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. The pups were born December 9 to 7-year-old mother Teratai and 11-year-old father Guntur, their third litter. While the older sisters are actively particip

Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Editor Asian small-clawed otter pups at 7 weeks old. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo. Congratulations to mom Teratai and dad Guntur on their third litter of pups! Four Asian small-clawed otters were born December 9, 2016 , and are just now becoming more mobile and have fully opened their eyes. Asian small-clawed otters are all about family, and the new pups are being cared for attentively by their parents and three older sisters. They are spending their time in a private den behind-the-scenes. The whole family pitches in to raise the pups. Mom nurses the newborns and dad and siblings provide supportive care. Occasionally, the adults leave the den to go outdoors briefly, but prefer to stay indoors to focus on their pups. Watch: Fall in Love With Tiny Otter Babies Teratai and Guntur are experienced parents, and have successfully raised two previous litters. Though our keepers have a close eye on the family, we trust Teratai and Guntur to do all th

Posted by: Gigi Allianic, Communications Resilient frogs, lizards, and turtles show that life goes on after surviving the December fire that damaged the Day and Night exhibit building where they resided. Since being safely evacuated from the building through a heroic effort by Seattle Fire Department and the zoo’s animal care staff , a pair of tiger-legged monkey frogs has produced 50 tadpoles—a first-time breeding at the zoo for this species. Watch the video: A Sign of Hope After Woodland Park Zoo Fire “We observed the monkey frogs in a ‘love embrace’ on Christmas Eve. The fact that these animals could breed and reproduce after a fire and being placed in temporary housing is a testimony to the excellent care and dedication provided by our animal care staff. This is wonderful news and a sign of hope after the fire,” said Jennifer Pramuk, PhD, animal curator and an expert in reptiles and amphibians at Woodland Park Zoo. In addition, shield-tailed agamas (lizards fo

Posted by: Ryan Driscoll, Education Studying Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea) and the issues surrounding invasive species, students from three Seattle middle schools—Asa Mercer International, Washington and Denny International—are resisting the invasion thanks to another great term of our ZooCrew after-school program. Using a combination of games, research, and some hand-crafted wanted posters, students explored the impact invasive species have both in Australasia and here in the Pacific NW. They also generated ideas on what people in our communities could do to help, and learned about advocacy strategies to get their messages out there. Of course, this was all while getting to interact with live animals and examining biofacts from Australia and New Zealand! All of this new information was then applied to their group projects which are highlighted below: Western Shield Camera Trap Project Since our focal area was Australasia, it was