Our five critically endangered American Red Wolf pups met the vet team last week for a pup exam at our offsite facility in Eatonville, where the largest Red Wolf population … Continued

New fish, sharks and rays have arrived as the updated Tropical Reef Aquarium gets its finishing touches. The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium healthcare team has been working diligently to … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will be open daily beginning April 1, just in time for Spring Breaks across the region. Of course, animals like the tigers, red wolves, hammerhead … Continued

Fourth and fifth graders at Tacoma’s Arlington Elementary were giddy with excitement as they gathered in their gym. Which animals were they about to encounter? Maybe an armadillo? A skink? … Continued

It takes many tons of food to feed the more than 12,000 animals that live at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. For example, zoo staff prepare 133,000 pounds of seafood … Continued

During Tacoma Public Schools January mini-term, students at the Science and Math Institute (SAMi), School of the Arts (SOTA), and Industrial Design Engineering and Art (IDEA) choose one class from … Continued

February 29th is the hoppiest day of the year! Frogs, cats, lemurs, and more. We’re celebrating our leaping and jumping creatures this Leap Day. Tufted Puffins Spend a few minutes … Continued

During Tacoma Public Schools January mini-term, students at the Science and Math Institute (SAMi), School of the Arts (SOTA), and Industrial Design Engineering and Art (IDEA) choose one class from … Continued

Love is in the air at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! There’s no concrete way to measure an animal’s love, but many animals at the zoo are coupled up or … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo’s 12-year-old resident male tiger, Sanjiv, recently had a dentist appointment to fix a fractured tooth. Dr. Alice Sievers, a board-certified veterinary dentist and one of only 250 … Continued

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

For the holidays this year, consider gifting those close to you something wildly fun to experience together at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium or Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Get up … 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

For Veterinary Technician Week (Oct. 15-21), we’re celebrating the zoo’s three fantastic full-time vet techs! The vet techs assist the zoo’s three veterinarians in every aspect of animal health care: … 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