2021 Press releases
2021 Releases
Blizzard’s Festive Birthday Bash
Dec. 20: Blizzard the polar bear celebrated his 26th birthday with all of his favorite things: cake, a tree, a barrel and lots and lots of ice.
Zoo Now Home To Purr-fect Clouded Leopard Cub
Dec. 16: A four-month-old clouded leopard cub named Rakhan recently arrived at Point Defiance Zoo. The cub joins the zoo on a breeding recommendation through the Species Survival Plan®.
Keepers Name Armadillo Pup “Segway”
Dec. 7: The pup has quadrupled in size since she was born in late October and is now about the size of a softball. She has also opened her eyes and is moving around her den more every day.
Nov. 22: Festive and bright holiday magic returns with Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium this Friday, Nov. 26. The tradition will boast more lights than ever before illuminating the zoo at night.
Nov. 22: Santa has made his way to Tacoma all the way from the North Pole and has brought his scuba equipment with him. “Santa Under the Sea” is one of two exclusive experiences being offered to the public this holiday season.
First Healthy Armadillo Pup Born At Point Defiance Zoo
Nov. 16: Southern three-banded armadillos Vespa and Scooter welcomed a pup into the world in late October, making them both first-time parents. The pup is the first healthy armadillo pup born at Point Defiance Zoo.
Fishers Released At Olympic National Park
Nov. 10: On Friday, November 5, federal, state, tribal and partner biologists released five fishers from Alberta, Canada into the lush, coastal forest near Lake Ozette, the latest event in a nearly two decades-long project to restore the native species to Washington State.
Restoring The South Pacific Aquarium
Oct. 13: After 32 hardworking years, the popular South Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium needs some love. On November 15, the aquarium will close for restoration and repairs. Will reopen in 2023.
Magical Zoolights Returns
Oct. 11: Zoolights is back at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Nov. 26-Jan. 2 (closed Dec. 24 & Dec. 25). The holiday tradition boasts more than 700,000 colorful LED lights and dozens of dazzling 3-D animal light displays.
Point Defiance Zoo Staff Mourn The Loss of Sumatran Tiger
Oct. 4: Zoo staff are mourning the loss of Kirana, a female Sumatran tiger who died after experiencing severe injuries during a breeding introduction a part of a plan to help save her endangered species.
Elderly Polar Bear Blizzard Diagnosed With Liver Cancer
Sept. 29: Blizzard, a 25-year-old polar bear at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, has been diagnosed with liver cancer and will receive chemotherapy treatment and other supportive care to slow progression of the disease.
Zoo Boo Returns Live With Treats, Costumes And Animals
Sept. 8: Happy Howl-o-ween! Dress up like a cat (meow-lo-ween!), monkey, elephant or whatever your favorite animal is and then see that same real-life animal at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium during Zoo Boo weekend, Oct. 16-17.
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And Her Name Is – Gertie!
Aug. 24: After a week of public voting, fans chose Gertie as the name for the new giant Pacific octopus in the Pacific Seas Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Name Our New Octopus!
Aug. 16: Point Defiance Zoo is inviting the community to help name the new female giant Pacific octopus inside the Pacific Seas Aquarium, voting from a slate of six names chosen by aquarists.
Animals Cool Off In The Recent Heatwave
Aug. 13: Animals at Northwest Trek and sister zoo Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium found ways to cool off in the heat, thanks to tubs of ice and spray hoses offered by thoughtful keepers.
Time To Roar At World Tiger Weekend
July 29, 2021: Celebrate and meet our five tigers and learn how to protect their species in the wild with enrichments, keeper chats and fun hands-on activities, all weekend July 31 – Aug. 1.
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Celebrate Sharks & Rays!
July 2, 2021: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is closing out Shark Week 2021 with its annual Shark & Rays event July 17-18, full of activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Rescued Sea Lion Björn Finds A Home At The Zoo
July 1, 2021: A gentle sea lion, rescued after being blinded by bullets, will make his public debut July 3-4 at the Rocky Shores habitat.
It’s Time To Celebrate Fully Reopening!
June 29, 2021: From goat feeding to anemone touching, a fully-reopened summer of fun begins July 1 at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Welcome, Raja! New Sumatran Tiger Debuts
June 17, 2021: Endangered Sumatran tiger Raja makes his public debut this weekend in the Asian Forest Sanctuary.
World Ocean Weekend
May 27, 2021: World Ocean Weekend returns June 5 & June 6. Dive in to experience the magic of ocean life.
Terra The Tamandua Gives Birth
April 29, 2021: Terra the Southern tamandua gave birth to a healthy female pup on Friday, April 23 behind the scenes at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater area.
Endangered Sumatran Tiger Back Home
April 1, 2021: Indah is one of the tiger triplets born at Point Defiance Zoo in 2014. In 2016, Indah left as part of a recommendation by the Species Survival Plan®. Now, she’s back home in Tacoma.
Endangered Red Wolf Receives Novel Operation
March 17, 2021: Chester was born with a congenital defect in his liver known as a shunt. To fix it, doctors needed to block the errant vessel and keep the blood running through his liver’s filtration system.
Hundreds Conquer City Nature Challenge
May 11, 2021: More than 550 observers took part in this year’s City Nature Challenge spanning King and Pierce counties.
City Nature Challenge
March 16, 2021: From April 30-May 3, the annual global event asks ordinary folks to become nature scientists for an hour, a day, however long they have. And there’s no experience necessary.
Two Aquariums Reopen Friday, March 5
March 2, 2021: It’s time for sharks! And green sea turtles, eagle rays and jellies too. The Pacific Seas Aquarium and South Pacific Aquarium are reopening March 5 with protocols to keep guests safe and healthy.
Love at the Zoo Returns
Jan. 20, 2021: Love at the Zoo, the hugely popular Valentine’s Day event, returns for the long Presidents’ Day weekend with animal enrichments, Shoutouts, cards and more.
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Jan. 11, 2021: Two new lar gibbon brothers, Orion and Aries, have arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium with singing and swinging in the Asian Forest Sanctuary.