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 …

Hundreds of endangered northern leopard frogs will leap back into the wild soon, thanks to a recovery effort at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials delivered the frog eggs to the Eatonville wildlife park in early May. “We’ve watched them hatch and then grow from tadpoles to froglets in a short amount of time,” said Northwest Trek Zoological Curator Marc Heinzman. “At this rate, the frogs should be ready to hop back into the wild this summer.” Once abundant throughout North America, northern leopard frogs are rapidly disappearing from their native ranges in Washington, …

February is National Dental Month and gray wolf Canagan’s story of early intervention highlights the importance of maintaining those chompers.  Our Head Veterinarian, Dr. Allison Case, examined our three wolves for a routine checkup in November. Working with our sister zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Dr. Case x-rayed our male wolf Canagan’s molar for a closer look. Canagan has a minor infection and is receiving antibiotics. His pearly whites and overall health for a 10-year-old wolf are stable. Dr. Case will follow up with a veterinary dentist on the next steps for Canagan.

Three orphaned moose calves, named Atlas, Luna, and Callisto, recently made their public debut at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. The moose, all born last spring, were rescued after being orphaned in Alaska. They arrived at Northwest Trek in August and have been living off-exhibit and adjusting to their new Eatonville home. “Our veterinarian and animal care team have built strong bonds with these calves, getting to know them as a group and as individuals,” Zoological Curator Marc Heinzman said. “These trusting relationships will help us continue to provide the best possible care for them as they grow up.” When the …

National Zookeeper Week takes place July 17-23 this year. The week is devoted to sharing the passion and dedication of keepers. Our zookeepers are a dedicated group of people who work tirelessly each day to provide the animals with the best care possible. Below are stories from just a few of our incredible zookeepers chosen by their curator. MEET KEEPER JORDAN MEET KEEPERS HANNAH & ARMANDO MEET KEEPER BECKY MEET KEEPER AMANDA

Go beyond the typical Father’s Day gifts and give dad a memorable experience he can enjoy with the whole family this year. Take a Wild Drive and get up close to a moose, touch a jellyfish or go off-roading with a keeper to meet amazing animals! He won’t forget these memorable experiences at Northwest Trek and our sister zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! 1. Go on a Wild Drive Uh-oh! There’s a traffic jam… a herd of bison are in the road! This Wild Drive is bound to be much more exciting than rush hour on I-5. Take your own personal …

Mountain goat kids from the Olympics introduced to new home at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. A group of mountain goat kids scampered into the vast expanses of our 435-acre Free-Roaming Area Tuesday morning and began exploring their new home. There were five altogether. Four of the young goats – females Fairchild and Bailey and males Klahhane and Elwha – will remain at Northwest Trek where they can choose to roam through meadows, forested areas and rocky hillsides. The fifth eventually will move to another zoo. We are delighted to provide a permanent home for these mountain goat kids. We know …

We welcomed a second orphaned grizzly bear cub to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park over the weekend. He arrived from Montana, where he was rescued on the Blackfeet Nation lands after his mother was legally killed. She had been attacking pigs on a farm, wildlife officials said.   Staff at Montana Wild, where he was cared for since the end of June, estimate him to be a yearling cub, born in the winter of 2017.   He joins a 6-month-old cub from Alaska in our recently renovated grizzly bear habitat. That cub flew in last week from Anchorage. He was rescued …