Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Kirsten Pisto, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Maned wolf Rosario We are thrilled to welcome two long-legged and adorable new residents of the Wildlife Survival Zone... maned wolves Urso and Rosario! Urso, a young male, was born on January 31, 2022 to parents Brisa and Sheldon along with his three siblings Jaci, Caipora and Cinza at Audubon Zoo. Urso means bear in Portuguese. Urso is very easy to spot since he lost his tail as a very young pup due to an injury. He is a very handsome maned wolf with striking red fur and bright eyes. Urso is a bit shy and is adjusting to his new environment, but animal keepers say they expect him to blossom once he gets settled into his new digs with Rosario.  Maned wolf Urso Rosario, a 7-year-old female, is relaxed and comfortable in her new home. Rosario has settled right into her habitat and seems very chill. Rosario and her brother Rio were born to parents Anaheim and Nazca on March 7, 2016 at Greensboro Sci

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Cisco was a much-loved member of our zoo family. A legendary raptor at Woodland Park Zoo, a 36-year-old Harris’s hawk named Cisco, has passed away. Harris’s hawks can live up to 20 to 25 years in human care and 10 to 12 years in the wild. Due to Cisco’s advanced age, the raptor keepers had been closely monitoring the hawk over the last couple of years through daily observations of his health and quality of life. As an exceptionally elderly hawk, Cisco was under treatment for age-related issues, like most geriatric animals and humans. “Because of arthritis, cataracts, declining body condition, and loss of vision in the right eye due to retinal degeneration, Cisco was no longer able to take part in free flights at the zoo; however, he was still being exercised and socialized regularly,” said Dr. Misty Garcia, associate veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo. Cisco had been on a prescribed program of joint

Posted by Brianna Widner, Community Science Specialist, with Katie Remine, Manager, Living Northwest The 2023 Amphibian Monitoring Community Science program observed more than 42 bodies of water with 646 observations by 97 community science volunteers—now that's something to croak about! Northwestern Salamander Egg Mass, Team Hazel Wolf Wetlands, 2023 Each year, Woodland Park Zoo's Amphibian Monitoring community volunteers help collect scientific data by observing amphibians in local conservation wetland areas. Our volunteers log hundreds of observations of amphibians across western Washington in the iNaturalist online collection of biodiversity observations. iNaturalist is a global community of people who assist conservation efforts by recording observations of organisms and share them with each other to gain a better understanding of the natural world. Woodland Park Zoo’s dedicated Amphibian Monitoring volunteers went out from January through late summer 2023 to look for hi

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo’s population of two male greater one-horned rhinos will soon change. Taj is scheduled to move in a couple of weeks to El Paso Zoo in El Paso, Texas.  Taj tasting a leafy offering in 2018. The rhinos were born a day apart from each other and turned 7 in November. Taj currently weighs a whopping 4,670 pounds and Glenn 4,135 pounds.  Taj and Glenn represent the only rhinos who have lived at Woodland Park Zoo in its nearly 125-year history. The boys arrived at the zoo at 18 months old and made their public debut in 2018 in the new Assam Rhino Reserve. They immediately became popular to visitors, marking the first time for many to encounter rhinos in person.  Zoo members, visitors, and social media fans have watched Taj and Glenn grow and thrive together, learned about these iconic symbols of wildlife trafficking, and witnessed natural rhino behavior such as the pair wallowing in mud baths, play sparring,