Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Felicity (on the right) and Oceane (on the left) rest in a tree. Photo: HUTAN Today, on International Orangutan Day, we are getting word about something that’s never happened before—and it’s incredible! For the first known time, an orangutan has adopted another orangutan in the wild after the 5-year-old youngster tragically lost her mother. Meet Felicity and Oceane, two orangutans whose relationship proves that sometimes love can defy one’s wildest expectations. Scientists with Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation partner HUTAN have been observing wild orangutans in Borneo for decades, but had never observed a bond formed like this. Marc Ancrenaz, Scientific Director for HUTAN, watched the relationship blossom between then-14-year-old Felicity and 5-year-old Oceane before his very eyes. Ancrenaz says that after the loss of Oceane’s mother Jenny, it was a silver lining that no one was expecting. Jenny, seen here in 2012, was the dominant female at

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo A group of native, endangered western pond turtles were released into a protected wetland in Pierce County today. Today was graduation day of sorts for our “class of 2021” western pond turtles. 35 of the endangered youngsters—one of only two turtle species native to Washington state—were released back into the wild this morning in a protected wetland in Pierce County. It’s all part of Woodland Park Zoo’s Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project , which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. It’s an occasion that hasn’t gone unnoticed by state leaders, as Governor Jay Inslee has proclaimed August 8–14, 2021 as “Western Pond Turtle Recovery Week.” For 30 years, Woodland Park Zoo has been head starting these turtles until they're big enough to escape the mouths of non-native predatory bullfrogs. In 1990, there were only about 150 western pond turtles left in Washington, and the species nearly went e

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Members of our wolf pack at the zoo. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Last January, gray wolves were removed from federal protections under the Endangered Species Act, turning management of the recovering species over to states’ control. This delisting has already led to fatal consequences for wolf populations around the U.S. Several states are allowing hunting quotas well above what scientists recommend as sustainable, threatening to reverse the success of recovery and even potentially putting local populations back under threat of extinction. As the world celebrates International Wolf Day—on August 13—Woodland Park Zoo invites you to join us and sign this petition , urging our nation’s leaders to immediately restore federal protection for wolves. Our remote cameras in Washington's North Cascades captured images of wild wolves. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo Washington state’s recovering wolf population is currently protected under state law, a

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Members of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program team at work in the YUS (Yopno-Uruwa-Som) Conservation Area of Papua New Guinea. Photo: Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program/Woodland Park Zoo  Thousands of brave people around the world dedicate their lives to protecting wildlife, helping to ensure others can enjoy the beauty of planet earth for generations to come. These wildlife heroes are called rangers, and we’re celebrating them this World Ranger Day. While we can’t introduce you to all rangers around the globe, we can introduce you to an all-star team of rangers spanning the Pacific Northwest to Papua New Guinea (or PNW to PNG!). In PNG, they are diligently working to protect the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo and the pristine cloud forests in which they live. Matschie’s tree kangaroos are native to the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo For more than 25 years, Woodland Park Zoo’s Tree Kang

Posted by Kayla Hanada, Animal Keeper The blue-crowned laughingthrush is critically endangered with only 300 left in the wild. We're honored to care for this species—helping to save it from extinction. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo. Hello! My name is Kayla and I am an animal keeper at Woodland Park Zoo working primarily in our bird areas. The next time you’re checking out our adorable Asian small-clawed otters in the Banyan Wilds habitat area, turn around. There's a wonderful aviary right behind you full of beautiful birds—and I’d love to tell you about them! The white-rumped shama thrush in the Banyan Wilds aviary has a beautiful song! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo The Chinese hwamei looks like its wearing white "cat eye" makeup. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo This aviary is currently home to six different species native to Asia and the Indian subcontinent, with 19 individual birds in total! It’s one of my favorite gr

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Today was a big day—30 years in the making—for a lot of little turtles! The public was able to watch as wildlife biologists from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) worked with our staff this morning to prepare these endangered western pond turtles for release into a protected site in the wild. Thirty-seven of them were weighed, measured and notched—a process that doesn’t hurt them at all, where small marks are filed into their shell for identification. Woodland Park Zoo staff and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists talk to the public about the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project . In 1990, there were only about 150 of them left in Washington, and the species—which is native to our region—nearly went extinct. In 1991, Woodland Park Zoo and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlif

Posted by Meghan Sawyer, Communications Welcome to the world, little one. Photo: John Loughlin/Woodland Park Zoo Say hello to the newest member of our zoo family! Born July 11, this male pudu fawn weighed just 1½ pounds at birth. The yet-to-be-named baby and his parents, Ted and Maggie, are all happy and healthy. This adorable species is native to South America, and they are the world’s smallest deer. Even when fully grown, they only reach about 15 inches tall! Photo: Megan Blandford/Woodland Park Zoo “This is the second fawn for mom and dad, and as expected, everyone is doing well,” said Shawn Pedersen, an animal care manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “Baby is nursing and bonding with mom, and the fawn has met all of the healthy benchmarks at its neonatal exam. We’ll continue to keep an eye on the new family, but everything is going great.” The pudu parents were paired under the Pudu Species Survival Plan , a cooperative, conservation breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure