2024 resolution: Meet the shining stars of the Pacific Seas Aquarium. Of course, we’re talking about sea stars, commonly referred to as starfish. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is home … Continued

As another year ends, we reflect on the special moments Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium had the privilege of being a part of in 2023. We welcomed polar bear sisters … Continued

Her wingspan is 6.2 feet wide. From nose to tail, she’s 13 feet long. She’s noticeably more prominent than the three other female ocellated eagle rays in the Pacific Seas … Continued

The first full week of December every year is Walrus Awareness Week. In recognition of the holiday and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s two walruses, Balzak (pronounced bell’-zik) and Lakina, … Continued

We’re all feeling the cold right about now in the Pacific Northwest. But here at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, our animals have some pretty cool ways to deal with … Continued

Applications are now open for high school students to become summer Zoo Guide volunteers at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. As a Zoo Guide, students will educate guests about the … Continued

On a chilly, sunny November morning in Eatonville, more than 150 third, fourth, and fifth-grade students from Tacoma’s Lister Elementary gathered at the entrance to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. “We … Continued

A group of children skipped down a muddy trail at Tacoma Nature Center, bending to examine nurse logs, gnarled tree roots and an ant hill next to an orange mushroom. … Continued

Plenty of evidence suggests animals are incredibly intelligent: elephants have exceptional memories and demonstrate self-awareness, octopuses use their arms to solve puzzles, and insects, such as bees and ants, work … Continued

Polar bear twin sisters Astra and Laerke are celebrating their 3rd birthday at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium November 18-19. Since first arriving at the zoo in June, the pair … Continued

It’s only October, but the Zoolights crew at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is already hard at work setting up for the biggest and best holiday event in Pierce County. … Continued

It’s a long way from Tacoma, Washington, to Churchill, Manitoba: about 1,420 miles as the crow flies, at least eight hours by plane. There’s no road. In icy isolation on … Continued

Willow, the fuzzy, spunky, six-week-old muskox calf, now lives in the large muskoxen habitat (babyproofed, of course!) with her mom, Charlotte. “She loves galloping around the grassy hillsides of the … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s volunteer dive team won a significant achievement award in volunteer engagement from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) in September. The national award recognizes … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is honored to be OL Reign’s community partner in the 2023 Nationwide Community Impact Program, a season-long initiative promoting local service projects and led by … Continued

At Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, it’s a big “howl yes!” for American red wolf conservation. The Tacoma zoo has been a national leader in bringing this critically endangered species … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium earned kudos and another five years of accreditation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) in September. The Tacoma zoo also won a significant … Continued

Meet Willow, a fuzzy, two-week-old muskox calf at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Adoring fans voted online for her name, chosen from a slate of four names offered by keepers … Continued

There’s some extra excitement in the Rocky Shores seabird habitat at the zoo: Five tufted puffin chicks, known as pufflings, hatched recently! After pufflings hatch, they stay in a nest … Continued

Celebrate Suki’s 59th birthday at the zoo Sept. 22-24. Suki, the Asian elephant, is famous around Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Guests are invited to join her birthday festivities as … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and other local partners recently won the 2023 Certificate of Excellence in Public Service from the Public Relations Society of America … Continued

Voting is now open for our community to choose the name of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s newest baby animal- a female muskox calf. The calf, born to eight-year-old Charlotte, … Continued

IT’S A GIRL! MUSKOX CALF BORN AT POINT DEFIANCE ZOO & AQUARIUM Charlotte the muskox gave birth to a female calf Thursday morning at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The … Continued

Checking in on Puget Sound’s Health How healthy is Puget Sound? What areas are showing declines, and which are holding steady? Those are the questions divers at Point Defiance Zoo … Continued

Penguin chick Regina passed her “swimming lessons” and can now be seen in Penguin Point with the rest of the Magellanic penguin colony. The two-month-old chick, raised by parents Orange … Continued

If the tiger is the king of the jungle, then the anoa would be the gardener. They’re not iconic like an elephant or acrobatic like a siamang. They don’t star … Continued

So fetch! We can’t wait for you to meet penguin chick Regina – named after Regina George from the movie Mean Girls. The growing penguin chick currently lives behind the … Continued

What’s that sound? It’s the tapirs together again, sharing a habitat in the Asian Forest Sanctuary. Yuna (female) and Baku (male) know each other by smell and sound, but usually … Continued

Sharks, sharks, sharks! It’s Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which means it’s time to celebrate sharks’ critical role in our marine food webs and ocean health. The Pacific Seas Aquarium is … Continued

National Zookeeper Week takes place July 18-24 this year. The week is devoted to sharing the passion and dedication of keepers. Our zookeepers are a dedicated group of people who … Continued