Love at the Zoo

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, here are 10 Wonderful Walrus Facts. 10 Walrus Facts  Walruses are found in the icy Arctic waters. They prefer to haul out on polar ice but use small rocky islands when ice isn’t available. Walruses love company. In the wild, they huddle together onshore in the hundreds, piled up like…

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 it. From fur coats to heated hammocks, here are five ways our animals beat the winter cold. 1. Arctic Fox: Grow a winter coat Visit in summer, and you’ll see our Arctic fox Sven with brown fur. But come winter, he’s grown a lush, thick mantle of pure white. Arctic…

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 can’t wait to see the bears!” “The wolves!” “The cougar!” students all chimed in, bundled up in jackets and hats. Their excitement far outweighed the 40-degree temperature. They split up into small groups and gathered around a park map. “Where should we start?” asked fifth-grade teacher Anna Paker. “The bobcats!”…