He’s the newest superstar at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater – and he’s super speedy. That’s why we named him Rocket!

Meet Tilli the aardvark! When Tilli isn’t found slurping up her favorite treats onstage, she is often in her huge sandbox behind the scenes, digging up dirt with her mighty claws. Her muscular posture makes her a great athlete, allowing her to run, somersault, dig, and even jump! The term ‘aardvark’ means “earth pig” in Afrikaans and references the animal’s piglike features, even though they aren’t closely related. Aardvarks are found naturally in Africa and are solitary and nocturnal.

Meet Banyan and Orchid, a spectacular brother-sister clouded leopard duo! Born at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in 2015, this adorable pair live at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, where they get daily enrichment, a nutritional diet, and tons of space to explore. When they’re not pouncing on their enrichment toys or slumbering up in a tree in their habitat, Banyan and Orchid show off their skills onstage, showcasing what clouded leopards do best—climbing! Clouded leopards are adapted for life in the trees with their long tails and flexible ankle joints, which allow them to climb headfirst down trees.

Gonzo the Southern tamandua is a Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater fan-favorite, earning a place in everyone’s hearts with his calm demeanor and sweet personality. Gonzo loves to show off his 16-inch-long tongue to slurp up bugs, especially when he’s onstage. Avocado is one of his favorite daily treats, and he uses his sharp front claws to mash it up before eating. Southern tamanduas are semi-arboreal, meaning they spend time both on the ground and in the trees. Their prehensile tail helps them climb and provides extra support as they navigate the treetops of South America.

Pippa is new to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and has been getting settled in behind the scenes. In time, Pippa will join the other incredible animals in the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater show.

Majestic and fierce, meet our king vulture, Clark! Spot him soaring through the air at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. With a magnificent wingspan between 4 and 6.5 feet, king vultures rarely flap their wings, instead choosing to rise on thermals or warm currents of air. They don’t fly to ambush prey—they search for prey while up in the sky, relying on their sharp eyesight to spot a carcass. Once they find a carcass, any other vultures will allow the king vulture to come through and make the first tear of the tough hide. King vultures may seem tough—and they are—but Clark also has a cautious and gentle side to him. He enjoys enrichment toys that are familiar to him and loves to spend time in the sun.

Meet our turkey vulture, Ruby V! Watch her glide smoothly overhead as she demonstrates the effortless soaring her species is known for at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Turkey vultures use rising warm air to stay aloft with very little wing flapping, conserving energy as they travel. They also have an exceptional sense of smell that helps them locate carrion from far away, making them an essential part of nature’s cleanup crew. Turkey vultures play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, and Ruby V helps highlight the importance of these remarkable birds.

Twiggy, the red-legged seriema, is one of the most unique birds at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Twiggy is quite chatty, and one of her signature calls is a trilling sound that resembles a cat’s purr. Since arriving at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in 2005, she’s learned a variety of behaviors—but none as remarkable as a natural one she would use in the wild: slamming her prey against a hard surface. Unlike other meat-eating birds with sharp talons or powerful beaks, seriemas rely on a different strategy. They grab their prey with their beak and repeatedly strike it against something solid, like a rock, to break the bones before swallowing it whole.

Caper and Quito are Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater’s two charming and personable green-winged macaw brothers. Caper and Quito were born in 2003 and are still considered young, having an average lifespan of over 50 years. They act young, too! Green-winged macaws are extremely smart, so keepers ensure that Caper and Quito have plenty to keep their minds busy throughout the day, whether from an enrichment puzzle or training a new behavior. These impressive birds fly up to 35 mph and have powerful beaks that crack open hard nuts and seeds.

Forrest is an Eurasian eagle owl, and he’s been at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater since 2005. The only thing Forrest is quiet about is flying—he’s a pretty talkative owl, making a variety of hoots, calls, and whistles. But when it comes to flying, eagle owls like Forrest have specialized fringes on their feathers that allow them to fly silently, making them fantastic hunters. They have large, eagle-like talons to grasp their prey out of the air or to grab them off the ground.

This bunch of rowdy gals may be familiar to you as they run across the stage—it’s our domestic chicken group! Lady A, Reba, and Shania are named after country singers, and they have bold personalities and beautiful singing to match. Domestic chickens thrive in groups; these girls are no exception, spending most of their time together onstage and offstage. Despite popular belief, chickens are extremely smart, and this hen group knows many behaviors. Being omnivores, they eat almost anything—from bugs to plant vegetation.

Walnut, Nutmeg, and Butternut are Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater’s North American beavers. Walnut and Nutmeg are a mated pair, and Nutmeg gave birth to Butternut in 2019 at the zoo. They are a family unit, which is how beavers live in the wild, too! Being nature’s engineers, beavers are known for building dams and lodges. In addition to their impressive chewing, beavers are excellent swimmers. Fun fact: they can close their ear canals to prevent water from entering their ears underwater!

Meet our striped skunks, Wasabi and Meryl Stripe. Found throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico, the striped skunk is known for its unique black-and-white fur pattern. Striped skunks use their long, curved front claws to dig up bugs and plants to eat, but given the opportunity, they will also feast on fruit, reptiles, amphibians, and sometimes small mammals.

Meet Ruby, our Southern ground hornbill! Even though the name implies that Ruby would spend most of her time on the ground, she can fly, too! While Ruby seems to enjoy flying, one of her most treasured activities is the natural behavior of foraging. Ground hornbills are predators and hunt for small prey items such as amphibians, rodents, and reptiles. Ruby is known for her long eyelashes and her variety of vocalizations. Those long lashes are protective to Southern ground hornbills as they keep dirt out of eyes. The Southern ground hornbill is found in Africa, where they inhabit different habitats, such as the savannas and the grasslands.

With his long legs and oversized ears, Sheldon the African serval is impossible to miss! Born in March 2013, Sheldon joined the Wild Wonders Theater just a few months later and has been charming guests ever since. Having grown up around his keepers, he’s incredibly comfortable with them.

Servals are fascinating hunters with remarkable techniques. Thanks to their exceptional hearing—so sensitive they can detect prey underground—they often listen intently before reaching into burrows with their long forelimbs to hook rodents with their sharp claws. They can also leap high into the air to swat birds mid-flight or silently pounce through tall grass to ambush unsuspecting prey. Each of their large ears is controlled by an impressive 22 muscles, a stark contrast to the mere two muscles in a human ear, giving them incredible precision in pinpointing sounds.

Say hello to Jasper, the stunning Canada lynx. You might catch a glimpse of him onstage, effortlessly showing off his powerful back legs that give him an impressive leap. In the wild, these long hind limbs help lynx silently pounce on their primary prey—the elusive snowshoe hare.

Though Canada lynx are typically solitary creatures, they have a unique way of staying in touch with one another. They rely on scent-marking behaviors like cheek-rubbing or spraying urine to communicate territory and presence. Jasper often exhibits these natural behaviors around his habitat at Wild Wonders, offering a fascinating glimpse into the life of a wild lynx. Known for his vocal personality, Jasper frequently “chats” with his keepers—especially first thing in the morning when he’s eager to say hello.

Nigel is one of the prehensile-tailed porcupines, otherwise known as coendous, at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Coendous usually live up in the trees, using their prehensile tail to aid them in balancing and climbing. They also have bare soles on their feet to help them grip branches. Their quills are their best line of defense, many of which are semi-hollow and barbed at the tip. Coendous have soft, velvety noses and long whiskers to help them navigate their habitats. Some of Nigel’s favorite snacks to eat are dried fruit and nuts.

Meet Jumbo Jet, the radiated tortoise! These special tortoises get their names from the radiating starburst pattern on their shell. They are found on Madagascar, where they eat lots of prickly pear cactus. Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater received Jumbo Jet in 1996 when he was only two years old. However, he is still considered relatively young in tortoise years. Radiated tortoises in human care can live to be around 100! When Jumbo Jet isn’t showing off his elephantine feet on stage, he can be found behind-the-scenes relaxing with his half-sister, Cessna, or out on an encounter on zoo grounds grazing the clover patches.

Say hello to Siesta, the laid-back Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth—one of the slowest animals on the planet! Native to the rainforests of South America, these arboreal mammals spend most of their lives high in the treetops, either snoozing or leisurely grazing on leaves, fruits, and other plant matter.

Named for the two long toes on their front feet, Linnaeus’s two-toed sloths are perfectly adapted for hanging upside down from branches. Nearly everything they do—from eating to sleeping—happens in the canopy. But there’s one exception: once a week, sloths make the rare and deliberate trip down to the forest floor just to go to the bathroom!

Siesta enjoys a relaxed lifestyle and has a particular fondness for grapes, along with a healthy mix of fruits, veggies, and leafy greens.

Meet our African giant pouched rat sisters: Azizi, Zuri, and Xena. These rats have pouches in their cheeks, not their bellies! These pouches, which lie between the jaw and the cheek, allow the rats to carry food that they don’t immediately consume. Zuri, Xena, and Azizi’s sense of smell is incredible, and they are wicked smart. Keepers often keep them busy with enrichment that encourages them to do natural rat behaviors, such as burrowing, shredding, and climbing!

Native to parts of the U.S., Central, and South America, Harris’s hawks are unique among raptors for their cooperative hunting behavior. These intelligent birds often work in groups to flush prey from hiding spots or launch coordinated surprise attacks. Phoenix demonstrates this cleverness every day in his specially trained flight routine, performed live at the theater. When he’s not soaring overhead, he enjoys shredding enrichment items—like paper bags and cardboard—with his powerful talons, keeping both his mind and instincts sharp.

Scooter may be 18 years older than Vespa, but he’s as energetic as ever, often outpacing his younger companion. As insectivores, these two love digging and burrowing in search of bugs—their favorite snacks. Covered in tough yet flexible armor, Southern three-banded armadillos are one of the few armadillo species that can curl completely into a ball for protection. In the wilds of South America, only powerful predators like the jaguar and maned wolf pose a threat, with bite forces strong enough to crack their armored defenses.