Animal Care

Nearly 800 observers took part in this year’s City Nature Challenge spanning King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Snohomish and any place in between. From April 28 through May 1, community scientists submitted 10,057 nature observations and identified 1,437 species, showing the world the incredible biodiversity in the region’s home turf. That’s the region’s all-time record! “This year we had more observers participate, more observations made and more species identified in the Seattle-Tacoma area than we have since our region joined the City Nature Challenge in 2017,” said Zach Hawn, conservation engagement coordinator at Point Defiance …

Did you know skunks are seen often in Washington state? If you haven’t spotted one yet, you’ll soon be able to see one at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park! Coming to us from Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Sundew is a male striped skunk. He’s a year old and adjusting well to his new home. Already showing us his playful personality, Sundew loves strawberries and carrots. But he’s been known to leave his veggies for last. After a short-term quarantine, our veterinary staff brought Sundew into the health clinic for his wellness exam. During his exam, Sundew had routine blood work done to …

If Dr. Karen Wolf needs another skilled set of hands for a tiger procedure, she knows who to call. And if Dr. Allison Case has a beaver or owl that needs attention while she’s out of town, she has a second clinic just a van-trip away. The two women are head veterinarians of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, respectively – and these sister zoos have veterinary teams with a long tradition of helping each other. “People don’t realize there’s this crossover,” explains Dr. Wolf of the unique veterinary partnership. “I have absolute confidence that if …