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 9-year-old barn owl, Teklus (pronounced Tuck-loose), is an excellent ambassador for his wild counterparts. If you’ve visited …

Nocturnal animals are wide awake for Hoot ‘n’ Howl! Come meet them and their keepers during a Keeper Chat. Join us for Hoot ‘n’ Howl nights on October 18-19, and 25-26. Nightly Keeper Chats: 5:30pm – Beaver, 6:30pm – Wolves, 7:30pm – Barn owl. Hoot ‘n’ Howl Details Chip and Hudson can often be seen snuggling together in their den in the Forest & Wetlands beaver habitat. They might also be seen arranging their habitat to their liking with more sticks, branches, and foliage. Beavers are incredibly adaptable and can make most places around the United States into cozy homes. …

Guests to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park can now meet Marigold, a playful 5-month-old striped skunk kit, in the Forest & Wetlands area. Marigold is settling into her new home and will soon be joined by her future companion, 2-year-old Sundew. “Sundew and Marigold share similar personalities, and we’re hopeful they’ll bond and enjoy exploring their habitat together,” says keeper Miranda. Miranda describes Marigold as a curious and energetic skunk who loves to explore, dig, and run on her wheel. Guests can easily spot Marigold thanks to her distinctive white markings, which set her apart from typical striped skunks. Look for …

Two new adorable raccoon kits can now be seen in Northwest Trek Wildlife Park’s Forest & Wetlands area. Five-month-old siblings, Hickory and Bluebell, are already making themselves at home and exploring their habitat with curiosity. They can be spotted climbing stumps and splashing through their stream. “These two are incredibly inquisitive,” says keeper Miranda. “They’re always investigating and handling everything they find, but after their busy antics, they’re quick to crash for a nap.” Miranda says Hickory frequently gets the zoomies, while Bluebell tends to be more reserved. If you listen closely, you might hear Bluebell making little sounds toward …

Northwest Trek is celebrating six years since grizzly bears Hawthorne and Huckleberry first arrived at the wildlife park. To mark the occasion, our community is invited to join special keeper chats on August 3 and August 4 at 1:30 p.m., where the bears will get special enrichment items like fruit and fish cakes. 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 bears first …

The 2024 Summer Olympics are starting this week, and our animals are joining in to show off their unique skills and talents. See who we think would win gold in the Zoolympics! These siblings duel and play together. Hawthorne and Huckleberry love to show off their powerful boxing and wrestling moves. Bald eagles have incredible grip strength to help them catch and hold their prey or get to higher branches. Our bald eagles are flightless due to injuries but use their claws to reach new heights! True fencing experts, the elk bulls use their antlers during rut (breeding) season to …

It’s the baby season at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. During a Wild Drive or Keeper Adventure Tour, guests can try to spot five Roosevelt elk calves and multiple black-tailed deer fawns in the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area. Plus, a bonus: wild goslings and ducklings occasionally make an appearance. Roosevelt elk (named for President Theodore Roosevelt) are social, polygamous members of the deer family that can form very large herds. They breed from September- November, and after an 8.5-month pregnancy, the female gives birth to a single calf weighing 30-35 pounds. Black-tailed deer breed from October to December, and after an 8.5-month pregnancy, females …

The animals at Northwest Trek are getting into the Independence Day spirit with red, white, and blue enrichment items! Northwest Trek is OPEN July 4. Guests can see animals native to the Pacific Northwest, like patriotic bald eagles, majestic gray wolves, and mighty grizzly bears. Oh, my stars! River otters Oakley and Blakely enjoy frozen fish treats. Slither and stripes! Matcha, the garter snake, glides through patriotic pom poms. Grizzly bears Hawthorne and Huckleberry devour frozen berries and fish in their own kind of firecracker popsicles. Northwest Trek is open daily 9:30am-5pm.

A group of us climbs into the open-air green Jeep at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville. We know the Keeper Adventure Tour will be memorable, and we are eager to go off-road and get up close with the bison, elk, mountain goats, and other free-roaming animals. “Hi, I’m Sunni and will be your tour guide,” says the enthusiastic keeper. “All the animals you’ll see today can be found in Washington and the Pacific Northwest, which is super cool.” When Sunni is not guiding Keeper Adventure Tours, she cares for the animals that call the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area of the …

Happy 2nd birthday to our rescued moose, Calli and Luna! The female moose have come a long way, and they celebrated with an out-of-this-world party. Keepers made them space-themed enrichments and fresh leafy bouquets for browsing!