Asian Forest Sanctuary

We have three tigers in our zoo! Females Kali and Indah were both born here at Point Defiance Zoo and male Sanjiv is our newest resident, arriving in January 2023. They rotate through the habitats in the Asian Forest Sanctuary, which keeps things interesting especially when a tapir or porcupine has just been in there the day before, leaving delicious smells…

We love our elderly female Asian elephant Suki. She’s not as young as she used to be but still loves exercising, chomping fresh banana leaves and interacting with our dedicated keepers for daily care.

Clouded leopards are a special part of our Zoo. We’re part of the Species Survival Plan that keeps zoo populations healthy to support animals in the wild, and we collaborate with other zoos in the U.S. and Thailand to breed and research this elusive, tree-top-loving cat. Look hard to spot our clouded leopards – they have excellent camouflage!

Our lar gibbon brothers Orion and Aries love swinging through their habitat, grooming each other and singing multiple times a day.

Looking like a cross between a panda and a pig, Malayan tapirs are just adorable. Our two tapirs Baku and Yuna are best of friends, and sometimes share habitat space.

Living fossils – tapirs have been around since the Eocene – they love grazing, and use their long, flexible noses for foraging and even snorkeling while they swim!

Anoa look like goats, but they’re actually a small species of buffalo. In the wild they roam lowland forests and swamps on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, and here at the zoo our anoa Baby Bean rotates through the Asian Forest Sanctuary habitats with the other animals.

What do you call a group of porcupines? A prickle! Yes, really – and our prickle at the Zoo are fascinating animals. Vegetarian and nocturnal, they have quills over a foot long which they can thrust backward into predators to deter them.

Like gibbons, our siamangs Dudlee and Remy love to swing. In fact, their arms are longer than her legs – which makes for powerful air moves! They love eating fruits, grooming each other, and lounging in their hammock.

Our two new small-clawed otters are otterly inseparable! Javin and Arista arrived at the Zoo in summer 2021 and love exploring their habitat together.