Zoolights: Nov. 24, 2023 - Jan. 1, 2024

Checking in on Puget Sound’s Health How healthy is Puget Sound? What areas are showing declines, and which are holding steady? Those are the questions divers at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium are helping to answer. Staff and volunteer divers are conducting underwater surveys in Puget Sound to monitor the abundance of kelp ecosystems and rockfish. These are important for both Puget Sound’s and people’s health. Kelp forests provide homes, protection, and food to many species, from tiny crabs and…

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 in Pixar movies or cartoons. Even in the jungle, they can be impossible to find. But this tiniest species of buffalo, just 30 inches tall, has its own adorable qualities – and is vital for the healthy tropical forests other animals (and humans) depend on. This year, on Action Indonesia…

Arctic Sea Ice Day is July 15. It’s a day to draw attention to the rapidly melting Arctic ecosystem, why it matters, and how we can all help slow this trend. Point Defiance Zoo is home to polar bears, walruses, seals, and an Arctic fox, and they inspire us to care about their wild counterparts living in the Arctic that need sea ice to survive. Our goal is to encourage and empower members of our community to have solution-focused conversations about climate…