There’s a new tiger in town! An 11-year-old male Sumatran tiger named Sanjiv (pronounced sun-jeev) recently made his debut at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The 286-pound male tiger … Continued
Zoo News
animals
see allClouded leopard Orchid recently received her routine wellness exam, which included x-rays, an ultrasound, dental cleaning, vaccination boosters and blood and urine collection for testing. Orchid lives with her brother, … Continued
There’s a new tiger in town! An 11-year-old male Sumatran tiger named Sanjiv (pronounced sun-jeev) recently made his debut at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The 286-pound male tiger … Continued
When it’s wet and cold outside, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and meet amazing animals! Warm, Indoor Aquarium The Pacific Seas Aquarium is … Continued
Another year is in the books! Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium provided a new home for many animals this year, including Damaraland mole rats and walruses Balzak and Lakina. The … Continued
aquarium
see allSplashing water and excited conversation filled the air behind the scenes of Baja Bay in the Pacific Seas Aquarium as veterinary staff and aquarists gathered for the annual exams of … Continued
If you have children at home, it’s likely you’ve heard the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the Disney movie Encanto. And if you don’t have children, you may … Continued
Did you know that Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is home to the largest jellyfish display in Oregon and Washington. And now we have even more! Upside down jellyfish are … Continued
“I love Tippy and Tippy loves me.” Meet Liam Parnell. He’s a sweet boy who really, really loves sharks, especially the blacktip reef shark at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium … Continued
Care
see allClouded leopard Orchid recently received her routine wellness exam, which included x-rays, an ultrasound, dental cleaning, vaccination boosters and blood and urine collection for testing. Orchid lives with her brother, … Continued
Larry Gordon, a 30-year-old leopard eel, recently traveled from his home at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium to Summit Veterinary Hospital to receive a CT scan. In April, Zoo Associate … Continued
’Twas the month before Christmas and inside Kids’ Zone, The meerkats received a surprise of their own; A stocking was hung on the rock wall with care, But the one … Continued
Clara, the 13-year-old sea otter, recently received her routine wellness exam at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. While under anesthesia, the non-releasable sea otter was weighed, X-rayed and given a … Continued
conservation
see allCindy Roberts, a former staff biologist at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, recently received the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) Nico van Strien Leadership in Conservation Award. Cindy was … Continued
An underwater crisis is happening, and there isn’t one apparent reason. Since the 1870s, South Puget Sound’s shorelines have lost about two-thirds of their bull kelp forests, according to a … Continued
Rocky Shores Staff Biologists Noelle and Maggie and Conservation Engagement Coordinator Zach weren’t walking into their typical jobs at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Instead, they volunteered to travel to … Continued
Five healthy red wolf pups were born at our off-site facility in Eatonville in early May. Adorable and growing fast, the pups are the latest success in the story of … Continued
people
see allClouded leopard Orchid recently received her routine wellness exam, which included x-rays, an ultrasound, dental cleaning, vaccination boosters and blood and urine collection for testing. Orchid lives with her brother, … Continued
“All right – who’s ready to go into the park and do some science?” “YEAH!!!!” The yell was impressive – but so was the quiet focus that followed as Ms. … Continued
Snakes! Armadillos! A kestrel! A few animals made their way (with keepers, of course!) to Tacoma Public Schools’ Lister Elementary in East Tacoma. The school was kicking off the first … Continued
Early on this crisp fall morning, Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park is quiet and still. A jogger glides by in the distance; a deer grazes peacefully. The parking lot is empty at Point Defiance … Continued
plants
see allTomatoes. Apples. Almonds. Pumpkin. Coffee. Tea. Chocolate. All pretty important, right? And they all have one thing in common: they need pollinators. Around 1,000 plants that humans use for food, … Continued
Heavy as velvet, a bumblebee bounces over yellow coneflower petals. Next door a golden honeybee dives headfirst into a red salvia blossom to sip. And across the pathway, a hummingbird … Continued
It’s one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. It’s used for buildings, dishes, musical instruments. It’s food for animals and people. And there are over 45 types at Point … Continued
Missing travel? While the coronavirus pandemic has made global vacations more dream than reality, Puget Sound-area folks have an option right on their doorstep: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, where … Continued
Zoo Art
see allJust above floor level at the Red Wolf Woods habitat, a young girl crouches low. Open-mouthed in wonder, she slowly runs her fingers over the soft snout of a sleeping … Continued
Zookeepers and the animals they love What’s the animal you feel most deeply inside? The one you connect with, love, relate to, share traits with? For National Zookeeper Week 2021, … 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
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
zoolights
see allSightseeing Zoolights with Cameron McIntyre isn’t your standard experience. For one thing, we’re driving around the annual holiday lights display at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in a maintenance truck during daylight. The Zoo … Continued
Tickets on sale now. Purchase tickets here. Ghosts, goblins, and gourds – you can find all of that at the Zoo’s annual Halloween event, Zoo Boo. But something else festive is … Continued
What would you ask Santa for these holidays if you were a walrus? Or a tiger? Of course we can’t know what our animals are thinking, but we can definitely … Continued
It’s a problem, just how many spots Kazu the tapir calf has. Not for him, of course – the spots are excellent camouflage. But for Dennis Parkhurst and Mason Patzer, … Continued