Animals make 2020 New Year's reZOOlutions

Owls get a bad rap around this time of the year. They’re associated with bad luck and hooting off evil – but none of that is true. Owls are only bad luck if you happen to be a mouse! And the only reason they hoot is to communicate with other owls. In some countries, owls are killed because of the negative associations with them. We want to change that narrative: owls are beautiful, intelligent creatures that keep the rodent population down. Northwest Trek’s 8-year-old barn owl, Teklus (pronounced Tuck-loose), is an excellent ambassador for his wild counterparts. If you’ve visited …

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and other local partners recently won the 2023 Certificate of Excellence in Public Service from the Public Relations Society of America Puget Sound chapter for their anti-wildlife trafficking display at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The Certificate of Excellence is awarded to an organization that advances the public understanding of a social issue, problem, or concern. Point Defiance Zoo and Northwest Trek, along with Woodland Park Zoo, Association of Zoos & Aquariums Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, Port of Seattle and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, unveiled a first-of-its-kind interactive installation in 2022 to …

Some people think springtime is their favorite time to visit the wildlife park to see baby animals. To others, summer is the best time: grizzly bears splashing around in pools and icy treats for everyone. And to others, winter offers a chance to see how animals adapt to colder temperatures and grow extra layers of fur. But to many, autumn is the most magical time: A palette of bronze sweeps the hillsides—golden light streams through the trees. Dust rises from animals, rolling and sparring. And through the forest comes an eerie, haunting whistle – the sound of elk bugling.   …

Nearly 300 endangered northern leopard frogs raised at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park hopped back into the wild at the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in Grant County at the end of August. The releases are made possible by a partnership of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Oregon Zoo, and Washington State University (WSU). Since early spring, when WDFW collected northern leopard frog eggs, the frogs have grown from egg masses to tadpoles to froglets at Northwest Trek and Oregon Zoo, growing large enough to have a fighting chance …

Ever wonder what it takes to feed an entire wildlife park? The keepers at Northwest Trek feed nearly 200 animals a day. It takes a specific science to prepare proper diets for all the different animals. “Each animal has a balanced diet based on its species, age, and any health-related issues,” said Northwest Trek curator Marc Heinzman. For example, the grizzly bears each eat 30 pounds of food daily during the summer. Their diet consists of fish, fruits, and leafy greens as they prepare for winter 2023’s torpor season. “The bears need to put on extra weight leading up to …

It’s been one year since orphaned moose calves Atlas, Luna, and Callisto first arrived at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. And what an a-moose-ing year it’s been getting to know them and care for them! The moose, all born in spring 2022, were rescued after being orphaned in Alaska. They arrived at Northwest Trek a few months later in August. All three moose weighed under 200 pounds when they first arrived. Now, Atlas, the male calf, weighs over 734 pounds, and female calves Luna and Callisto weigh 664 pounds and 554 pounds. All three calves are nearly 5 feet tall at …

Endangered northern leopard frogs have been growing at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park! We first received the frogs as eggs in early May from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials. Since then, we’ve seen them evolve into tadpoles and froglets. In their latest growth stage, experts at Northwest Trek came together to tag the frogs with a blue “dot” inserted into one foot. This method will allow scientists to spot them in the future and assess the success of this conservation project. Northern leopard frogs are an endangered species. Once thriving in the Pacific Northwest, they are vanishing due …

Northwest Trek is celebrating five years since grizzly bears Hawthorne and Huckleberry first arrived at the wildlife park. To o-fish-ally mark the occasion, our community is invited to join special keeper chats on August 5 and August 6 at 1:30 p.m., where the bears will get special enrichment items like fish frozen in icy treats. Born in the winter of 2018, our grizzly bears were orphaned in the wild: Hawthorne in Alaska and Huckleberry in Montana. Neither would have survived without their mom. Cared for by local zoos, they came to their new Northwest Trek home in August 2018. When the …

To train any animal, you need their trust! A blood draw can be one of the most challenging behaviors – especially for a 478-pound bear – and one that has taken keeper Haley and black bear Benton nearly two months to achieve. When animals participate in their own healthcare, everyone wins! Watch as carnivore keeper Haley patiently works with 15-year-old Benton behind the scenes on blood draw training with a blunt syringe as a training device. Benton carefully presents his massive paw through a bear paw-sized opening in the training space as Haley coaches him and then uses tasty honey …

Black bears Fern and Benton are long-time residents of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. And the veterinary teams at Northwest Trek and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium have a long-standing history of joining forces. So, when it was time for the bears’ triennial wellness exams, Northwest Trek head veterinarian Dr. Allison Case invited Zoo intern veterinarian Dr. Cassidy Soehnlein to participate. The Exams Routine wellness exams are a critical component of animal well-being. With regular check-ups, the veterinary staff (veterinarian) can monitor the health of Fern and Benton. They can also act quickly if any concerns arise. Both black bears received …