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 is home to three endangered sea otters in the Rocky Shores habitat. Every year, Sea Otter Awareness Week takes place during the last full week of September … Continued

Black cats, pumpkins, ghosts… skulls and skeletons. They’re all symbols of the Halloween season. We asked Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s veterinarians, Dr. Karen Wolf and Dr. Kadie Anderson, to … 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

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

As a powerful heat wave hits the greater Tacoma area with temperatures in the 90s, keepers at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma are finding ways to keep the … 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

With black iridescent plumage and remarkable intellect, Ari is a beautiful bird that came to us from our friends Portland Audubon. Ravens have a wide variety of vocalizations and are … Continued

Ever wondered what it’s like to run a finger over the back of a prickly pink sea star? Or hold a tiny crab in the palm of your hand? Find … Continued

Astra’s large round paws are very busy, kneading a big blue barrel that’s full of water. It looks like she is making biscuits. She pushes down with all her might … Continued

The New Crawlers with Curls What has eight legs and never has a bad hair day? Our new curlyhair tarantulas! Six spiders have joined the pack at Kids’ Zone and … Continued

Astra and Laerke, two polar bear cubs who have captivated much of the country since their births two years ago at the Detroit Zoo, arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & … Continued

Nearly 800 observers took part in this year’s City Nature Challenge spanning King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Snohomish and any place in between. From April … Continued

The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) and the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, announced today that two polar bear cubs, Astra and Laerke, will move to Point Defiance Zoo in spring … Continued

The bright-yellow school bus door opened, and the happy squeals and chatter couldn’t be contained. On this sunny spring morning, more than 200 students from Tacoma’s Lister Elementary School were … Continued

Collaborations with our community are an incredible opportunity to create meaningful connections. Tacoma students at Science and Math Institute (SAMi), School of the Arts (SOTA), and School of Industrial Design, … Continued

Each year Tacoma students from the Science and Math Institute (SAMI) participate in a day of service with Point Defiance Zoo. In previous years, students have helped shovel sand in … Continued

Volunteers are an essential part of our community at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, donating their valuable time, passion and expertise to the Zoo. In honor of National Volunteer Week, … Continued

It’s that time of year again! Our Magellanic penguins have found their mates and are ready for nesting. In April, keepers observed our penguin pairs snuggling in their nests. It … Continued

Rescued turkey vulture Ruby V has arrived at her new home at Point Defiance Zoo! She is joining our Animal Ambassadors team at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre. Animal Ambassadors … Continued

Remy the Siamang is making his debut! Remy, a six-year-old siamang born at the Los Angeles Zoo, will be a companion for Dudlee, our female Siamang. Dudlee lost her long-term … Continued

Written by Veterinarian Dr. Kadie Anderson Nutmeg, our 16-year-old female beaver and mother to Butternut, recently visited the Zoo vet for her annual physical exam. During the exam, Associate Veterinarian … Continued

Clouded 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