Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Happy birthday—or hatch day—to this special emu! Windana turned 30 years old on March 22, which makes him one of the oldest known emus in all of the accredited zoos in North America! Emus have an average life expectancy of around 10 years in the wild and around 20 years in human care—so Windana’s age is a testament to the amazing care he receives, day in and day out, from our animal keepers and veterinary staff. Windana is a sweetheart of an emu with a permanent case of bedhead. Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Emus are large flightless birds native to Australia. They’re the second largest living birds on the planet next to the ostriches of Africa and, as adults, can easily grow 5 to 6 feet tall. Windana, whose name comes from an Aboriginal word referencing a “crossroads” or a “turning point”, has lived at Woodland Park Zoo for almost his whole life. He arrived here in 1992, along with a female emu around the same age named Kowia. Both o

Posted by Lauren Carroll-Bolger, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo March 3 is United Nations (UN) World Wildlife Day focused on “Recovering Key Species for Ecosystem Restoration.” The zoo joins the UN in highlighting the status of critically endangered species, like Kitoko and the western lowland gorilla, and promoting sustainable use of habitats to ensure the planet’s ecosystem can thrive. We are also celebrating the 2nd birthday of western lowland gorilla, Kitoko.  Since March 4, 2020, bright-eyed and curious Kitoko has melted hearts and grown from a small baby in the arms of his mother Uzumma to a 30-pound, adventurous climber leaping off the ledges of anything he can climb. He has become the class clown of the gorilla bunch and revels in rambunctious play sessions with his 1-year-old half-sister, Zuna, and 6-year-old family member, Yola. “Kitoko doesn’t mind being out of Uzumma’s sight if that means he can play with Zuna and Yola,” said Martin Ramir

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Xerxes, King of the African Savanna Woodland Park Zoo is mourning the loss of our amazing lion Xerxes, who was euthanized February 23, due to kidney failure. Xerxes was 14 years old, which is within the range of median life expectancy for male lions in zoos. The geriatric lion had been undergoing treatment for possible kidney disease. Because Xerxes’ activity and appetite levels were recently low, an examination was scheduled for next week. However, the zoo’s animal health team moved up the exam to earlier this week because he was showing signs of decline and possible dehydration. Xerxes was administered IV fluids and antibiotics, and samples of blood, urine and feces were collected. “While we were waiting for test results, signs of kidney disease in our geriatric lion were becoming more apparent,” said Dr. Rob Browning, associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo. “His appetite had improved, and

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo Say hello to Sotong, our Asian small-clawed otter pup born on December 9! The tiny pup's animal keepers have fondly named her Sotong (soh-TAWNG), Malay for squid or octopus—think Seattle Kraken! The 2-month-old pup is the first offspring for mom Little Frei and dad Conner. Little Frei was among the last litter born in 2016 at Woodland Park Zoo and was named after Seattle Sounders goalkeeper, Stefan Frei. The parents were paired under the Asian Small-clawed Otter Species Survival Plan. Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding programs across accredited zoos to help ensure healthy, genetically diverse, self-sustaining populations of select species or subspecies. Asian small-clawed otters are very social, gregarious animals. Both mom and dad feed and help care for their young. At birth, the pups weigh about 1½ ounces, a little more than a slice of dense, whole-grain bread! Newborns can’t

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Can you really make a difference for endangered species from the grocery store? YES!   Sumatran orangutan, Godek. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Companies that make the things you shop for are mostly after one goal: to sell their product. That means they’re more likely to change the way they do things—to be more eco-friendly, for instance—if you tell them it influences your buying decisions. This little baby Bornean orangutan and his mother need protected forests to survive. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo One conservation concern where consumers like you are making a real difference is palm oil. Maybe you’re familiar with the buzz about it, or maybe it’s the first time you’re hearing about it. The problems with palm oil are complex—even confusing. But the solutions don’t have to be. Let’s cut through some of the clutter about this ubiquitous ingredient that’s in thousands of products you shop for every day. Wil

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications 2022 is off to a wonderful start with the birth of twin sloth bears! The cubs, a boy and a girl, were born on New Year’s Day—the first births of the year at Woodland Park Zoo. The tiny sloth bear cubs are seen here in the maternity den at 14 days old—eyes still closed. They should be able to open their eyes any day now. Photo: Woodland Park Zoo The cubs, who don't have names yet, were born to first-time mom Kushali and dad Bhutan. This is the second litter of cubs for Bhutan and the first successful birth for Kushali, who was born at Woodland Park Zoo in 2012. The last birth of sloth bears at the zoo was in 2017. Video of the cubs cuddled together in the off-view maternity den. Volume UP! Sloth bears in zoos are rare, with only 34 currently living in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Every birth of sloth bears is significant for the Sloth Bear Species Survival Plan. Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding pr

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Need an idea for that Valentine's date? Here are eight!  Lucy will definitely be your Valentine... as long as you have grapes! Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo 1. Get a zoo membership for your loves (or yourself!) and support conservation around the world. zoo.org/membership 2. A cuddly gift with conservation benefits! Give the gift of a ZooParent adoption to help fund the care of all the amazing animals at Woodland Park Zoo and make a difference for wildlife! zoo.org/zooparent/special 3. Cupid’s favorite. Did you know that more than 2 billion plastic cards end up in landfills each year? Opt for sustainable and prevent plastic waste by buying a Woodland Park Zoo e-gift card to treat your loved ones! zoo.org/giftcard 4. Love birds! Adopt a hornbill nest in their name. Endangered Asian hornbills need our help. Woodland Park Zoo works with the Thailand HornbillProject to help prevent trafficking of hornbill chicks and supports lo

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZUNA! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo We are celebrating a big milestone for the littlest member of our western lowland gorilla family—and for her mother, Nadiri too. Zuna turns 1 year old in a few days, and it’s been quite a year for this feisty little girl! Nadiri didn't initially pick up her newborn so our amazing gorilla keepers immediately stepped up, providing round-the-clock care for baby Zuna's first days. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Beginnings Zuna came into this world on January 29, 2021 —the second baby for Nadiri, and the first between her and dad, Kwame. It was a bit of a bumpy start, though, for both mother and daughter. Nadiri didn’t initially pick up her baby to nurse. So shortly after birth, gorilla keepers and veterinary staff stepped in to provide round-the-clock care for the baby including bottle feeding her human infant formula, keeping her warm and providing lots