Celebrate Suki’s 59th birthday at the zoo Sept. 22-24. Suki the Asian elephant is a celebrity around Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. At an estimated 58 years old, she’s a super-senior among Asian elephants and a superstar to everyone who cares for her. That rings particularly true for Elephant Manager Shannon, who’s cared for the […]
The Health of Puget Sound
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 […]
End of Summer Blast at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
When: Sept. 2- 4, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It’s time to chill out! Join animals at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in an all-weekend celebration jam-packed with cool activities – literally. Watch animals like the tigers, sea otters and elephant play with icy treats and summery enrichments (at scheduled times below, so you don’t miss it!). See […]
Penguin Chick Regina Joins Penguin Point
Penguin chick Regina passed her “swimming lessons” and can now be seen in Penguin Point with the rest of the Magellanic penguin colony. The two-month-old chick, raised by parents Orange and Yellow, recently learned how to swim behind the scenes with keepers. In the wild, parents keep their chicks out of the water until they grow in […]
Zoo animals staying cool during hot temps
As a powerful heat wave hits the greater Tacoma area with temperatures in the 90s, keepers at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma are finding ways to keep the animals cool. The safety and well-being of the animals is the keepers’ number one priority, and keepers offer all of the animals round-the-clock access to […]
The tiniest buffalo
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 […]
Tapirs Together Again
What’s that sound? It’s the tapirs together again, sharing a habitat in the Asian Forest Sanctuary. Yuna (female) and Baku (male) know each other by smell and sound, but usually spend their days separately, as they would in the wild. Now, a breeding recommendation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® (SSP) […]
It’s time to ROAR at World Tiger Weekend July 29-July 30
TACOMA, Wash.—It’s time to roaaaarrr! Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating its three endangered Sumatran tigers at the annual World Tiger Weekend event July 29 and July 30, with fun family activities that highlight how to protect tigers in the wild. Point Defiance Zoo is home to three Sumatran tigers: sisters Kali, 10, and […]
Polar bear cubs Astra and Laerke to make public debut June 15
TACOMA, Wash. – Astra and Laerke, two polar bear cubs who have captivated much of the country since their births two years ago at the Detroit Zoo, arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Friday evening. The twin sisters are settling into their new Tacoma home and will make their public debut Thursday, June 15. […]