Open Daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Open July 4
New at the Zoo
Plan Your Day
We Care for Animals
Watch Our Zoo
World class care
Conservation in action
Ume makes a splash
A smashing good time
Connect With Us
Neat find at the Tundra habitat! 🪹 Our keepers discovered an old bird nest woven with an unexpected mix of polar bear fur and muskox guard hair, some of which is shed alongside their incredibly soft qiviut each year.
📷: Animal care staff Russell
Ice, ice, baby, Bao! 🧊 It’s time for some cool enrichment behind the scenes. The small-clawed otter family received piles of ice to explore, and the tiny, happy otter hops may be the cutest thing you’ll see.
Enrichment encourages natural behaviors, keeps curious minds engaged, and sometimes results in extra cuteness. 💖
📹: Animal care staff Katie
The adorable California sea lion pup has a name... meet Owen! 💙
His animal care team chose the name to celebrate the natural range of California sea lions, which stretches all the way to Washington`s coast, and to honor our own backyard: Owen Beach in Point Defiance Park.
Behind the scenes, Owen is growing fast! He`s chatting with mom Eloise through sweet vocalizations and has graduated from his tiny turtle tub to a larger pool, where he`s learning to swim like a pro.
Yesterday’s warm weather called for a refreshing misting session! 💦🦉
Our two-month-old spectacled owlet cooled off with a gentle rain shower. Misting helps keep owls comfortable on warm days while also helping clean and condition their feathers. Safe to say this little one was a fan. 💙
📹: Animal care staff Erica
#owlet #owl #animalcare #pointdefiancezoo #birdbath
Puppy enrichment, Red Wolf style! 🐺❤️ These adorable two-month-old critically endangered Red Wolf pups recently received caribou hay for enrichment, giving them a chance to explore, play, and practice natural behaviors as they grow.
As they mature, the pups will be managed through the AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction program and the American Red Wolf population management program. Depending on what`s best for the species, they may remain at our offsite facility, move to another accredited zoo or conservation center, or potentially contribute to future recovery efforts in the wild.
Our offsite Red Wolf facility has played an important role in recent recovery successes, including multiple pup births, fostering pups into wild dens to increase genetic diversity, and the release of adult wolves into protected habitats in North Carolina. Every pup born here helps support the future of one of the world`s most endangered canids.
Meet Owen! 🦭 Our second-ever sea lion pup arrived on June 1, and he’s already making a splash behind the scenes. Owen is thriving alongside mom Eloise. He’s nursing, growing stronger every day, finding his voice, and getting to know his animal care team.
For now, Owen will continue bonding with his mom behind the scenes before making his public debut later this summer with the rest of our sea lion and harbor seal family. 💙
Meet Owen! 🦭
Our second-ever sea lion pup arrived on June 1, and he’s already making a splash behind the scenes. Owen is thriving alongside mom Eloise. He’s nursing, growing stronger every day, finding his voice, and getting to know his animal care team.
For now, Owen will continue bonding with his mom behind the scenes before making his public debut later this summer with the rest of our sea lion and harbor seal family.
#sealion #sealionpup #pupdate #owen #zooquarium
PUPDATE! The nine critically endangered American Red Wolf pups met the vet team for their first official pup exam at our offsite facility. Head Veterinarian Dr. Karen evaluated the eight-week-old pups’ overall health, checked their hearts and lungs, weighed them, and administered deworming medications, microchips, and vaccinations. The growing pups weigh 5- 9 pounds and are very active. The litter includes six males and three females, and is the latest success in recovering this endangered species. The American Red Wolf family will remain behind the scenes at our offsite facility, so stay tuned online for pupdates.
