Dwight & Jim Move Out Moving into a new home is an exciting moment in anybody’s life. But for Dwight and Jim, penguin chicks at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, … Continued

Even internet celebrities need their mom and dad sometimes. Butternut, the beaver kit born in April at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, will make her public debut at 2 p.m. … Continued

At 8 a.m. the check-up line was assembled. Two veterinarians, two veterinary technicians, a curator and two Rocky Shores keepers all stood poised at three long tables in the seabird … Continued

Two orphaned California sea lions have splashed into the Rocky Shores pools at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, taking the zoo’s total sea lion count to five. Eloise and Boomer … Continued

Tangy mint smell. Velvety flowers. Giant sandpapery leaves. Visit a garden with ALL of your senses, and you experience the plant world in a totally different way – which is … Continued

UPDATE: Sad news – our hero rat Chiku passed away in November from a large invasive tumor. We will miss her. Turns out, when you give physicals to giant pouched … Continued

UPDATE: Sad news – our hero rat Chiku passed away in November 2020 from a large invasive tumor. We will miss her. They’re fuzzy. They’re cute. They’re smart. Three HeroRATS … Continued

He’s healthy, weighs around 25 pounds and follows Mom everywhere. The Malayan tapir calf born July 12 at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has just received his first wellness exam, … Continued

UPDATE: Our tapir calf is now three weeks old and doing really well. He’s bonding with mom behind the scenes. Here’s the latest video: It’s a boy! An endangered Malayan … Continued

It took three staff members, six adult volunteers, three youth Zoo Guides and four classes of high schoolers to shovel sand for polar bears – but it was worth it. … Continued

It’s quite a progression from being afraid of a bug to making a home for it, painting a watercolor of it and documenting it on a science app. But that’s … Continued

UPDATE Oct. 2020: We continue to collaborate with the University of Washington in dyeing polar bear hair and taking samples. It’s Thursday, and Blizzard is waiting to get his hair … Continued

What kind of shark are you: Relaxed? Intense? Take the quiz and find out! Loading…

For most of us, a wellness exam at 52 is all about middle-age health issues. For Cho Cho, it’s an impressive tribute to a senior siamang and the Point Defiance … Continued

Looking for awesome gift ideas for Dad? You’ve come to the right place. Nothing beats a fun animal experience at the Zoo or Point Defiance Park, especially when it’s one … Continued

CHICK UPDATE: Our penguin chicks have gone behind the scenes to grow bigger and learn to swim. They’ll be back out in a few weeks when they’ve lost their downy … Continued

It was a sunny Saturday in Tacoma – perfect for the beach. But as Zach Hawn and Kailee Bynum picked their way across Owen Beach with five Zoo volunteers, they … Continued

As a young boy watches, face pressed to the glass wall, a flood of bubbly white water gushes through the Tidal Surge habitat. As water washes over them, green anemones … Continued

PUPDATE: The red wolf pups are now roaming outside on view to the public. They also have names – meet them here. When Dr. Karen Wolf picks up eight newborn … Continued

On the steps of the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, there’s a little boy in a shark T-shirt. He’s clutching a blanket, and staring wide-eyed as an armadillo scuttles across the … Continued

BEAVER UPDATE: The baby beaver is a girl, and her name is Butternut! All the family are doing well behind the scenes.   First there was Walnut, a male beaver … Continued

PUPDATE! – Red wolf pups are exploring outside, on view to the public.  Meet them here.   And suddenly, there are eight. What appeared at first to be a litter … Continued

UPDATE: Now over. Thanks for visiting! Q: Where in the world would you find an elephant, a sea turtle and an axolotl all together? A: In Species in the Sand, … Continued

No, you won’t find a Tyrannosaurus next to the tigers. But Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has dozens of living things whose roots go back hundreds of millions of years. … Continued

On the stage at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, two dogs are waiting to ride a “hot air balloon” (actually, a basket and beach ball on a cable). One, with … Continued

It’s like being inside a cloud of excited children who’ve all been given a bright yellow jacket and two cups of coffee. We’re inside Budgie Buddies on a sunny spring … Continued

It’s magical enough to stand inside the Pacific Seas Aquarium and gaze at shimmering scales, cruising sea turtles or impossibly long wolf eels. But with x-ray vision, a whole new … Continued

UPDATE: May 1, 2019 We did it! We made 3,600 paper turtles, glueing them onto ten blue silk “waves” to create a cascading spiral of ocean beauty in the Pacific … Continued

Aquarist Mikiko Williams, clad in a black wetsuit, stood in the Japanese Spider Crab habitat at the Pacific Seas Aquarium, reached down, gently picked up an animal that weighed about … Continued

In a corridor surrounded by pipes, tanks and equipment, three women crouch over a tub. One – an intern veterinarian – carefully handles a Q-tip swab. The second – a … Continued