2024 Press releases
2024 Releases
Meet Pretzel the MuskoxDecember 19: We are excited to introduce Pretzel, a one-year-old female muskox, who will be a companion for fellow one-year-old Willow.
Zoolights opens Friday at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
November 27: The highly anticipated Zoolights event is back and brighter than ever! Starting this Friday, November 29, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will be transformed into a winter wonderland, illuminating the holidays with over one million dazzling lights.
Purple martin colony being relocated as piling removal commences on Ruston Way
November 25: A charismatic colony of purple martins along Ruston Way is moving. The dark purple and blue birds are North America’s largest swallow and often spotted among decrepit wooden poles at Dickman Mill Park, Titlow Beach and Chambers Bay.
Enjoy fall festivities at Zoo Boo Oct. 19-20
October 4: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s beloved Zoo Boo weekend returns on October 19‐20, bringing festive fall fun for the whole family. Enjoy watching animals throughout the zoo munch on pumpkins, and dive into a weekend packed with games, arts, and crafts.
October 2: The beloved Zoolights event at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is back and brighter than ever! The dedicated Zoolights crew is busy preparing for Pierce County’s largest and most enchanting holiday celebration, and timed online tickets are now available.
Malayan Tapir Yuna expecting calf in fall 2024
September 6: Yuna, a 9-year-old Malayan tapir at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, is estimated to be 10 to 12 months pregnant. Yuna’s partner, 9-year-old Baku, is the father.
Labor Day weekend animal events at Pierce county zoos
August 28: Celebrate Labor Day weekend surrounded by wildlife from August 31 to September 2 at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma. The sister zoos will mark the unofficial end of summer with engaging events for the entire family.
United efforts bring hope to orphaned pacific walrus calf in Alaska
August 26: Five organizations from around the United States have come together to provide care to an orphaned Pacific walrus calf receiving rehabilitative care at the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) in Seward, Alaska, in hopes of giving her a second chance at life.
Sea lion pup makes public debut at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
August 20: Guests to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium can now see Pepper, the California sea lion born June 6, in the Rocky Shores seal and sea lion habitat.
Point Defiance Zoo mourns loss of beloved elephant Suki
August 11: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium said goodbye to one of its oldest and most beloved residents, Suki the Asian elephant, in August 2024.
Eye-to-Eye Shark Dives now on sale at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
August 7: Tickets for the popular Eye-to-Eye Shark Dives are now on sale. The program returns on August 21. The experience allows guests to get eye-to-eye underwater with more sharks and fish than ever before in the newly remodeled Tropical Reef Aquarium’s Outer Reef habitat while discovering the delight and wonder of meeting sharks up close and learning how we can protect sharks in their ocean habitats.
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Celebrate tigers, clouded leopards, and more at Wild Cat Weekend August 3-4
July 30: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, and more during Wild Cat Weekend, August 3-4, with family fun activities that highlight how to protect cats in the wild.
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The votes are in: meet Pepper!
July 10: Meet Pepper, a one-month-old sea lion pup at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Adoring fans voted online for her name, chosen from a slate of four names offered by keepers at the Tacoma zoo.
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July 2: Take a journey underwater on July 13-14 and explore Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s two vibrant aquariums to celebrate Sharks & Rays weekend.
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Sea lion pup born at Point Defiance Zoo
June 18: There’s a new set of flippers at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! Keepers in the Rocky Shores area of the zoo are celebrating the birth of a female California sea lion pup born on June 6.
Celebrate Pride at Pierce County sister zoos
June 17: Sister zoos Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash., and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, Wash., are hosting Pride celebrations on June 22 and June 23.
Six penguin chicks hatched at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
June 11: Penguin Point is chick-central! Six penguin chicks successfully hatched in late May at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and are being closely monitored by their parents, keepers, and veterinary staff.
2024 City Nature Challenge breaks records
May 15: Nearly 900 observers participated in this year’s City Nature Challenge spanning King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Snohomish, and any place in between.
Tropical Reef Aquarium to open June 14
May 7: The Tropical Reef Aquarium will reopen June 14, after extensive restoration and repair of critical animal-care structures, habitats, and life support systems. The aquarium is an oasis of warm-water marine beauty, with vibrant, tropical fish and new shark additions in a refreshed space.
New goat kids arrive at the zoo
April 30: Seven new goat kids arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in late April and are settling into their new home. You can hear their adorable noises throughout the Kids’ Zone area.
City Nature Challenge returns April 26
April 16: How many species can you spot and record? The annual global City Nature Challenge returns April 26-April 29 and asks everyone to become a scientist for an hour, a day, however long they have.
Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater show and Bugs Alive! return May 4-5
April 10: The animals at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater are training for the return of their show, May 4-5. Plus, Bugs Alive! returns the same weekend.