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. […]
Hundreds of local community scientists participated in City Nature Challenge
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. […]