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Baby tapir Ume had her first encounter with the water dish and it’s adorable! 🥰

submitted 20 hours ago • 25 comments

Pepper, our playful and curious young sea lion pup, is growing more independent every day! As she gets bigger, she’s reaching some important milestones that will help her thrive. Pepper continues to nurse and bond with her mom, Eloise, and has integrated well with all of the seals and sea lions.

submitted 21 hours ago • 1 comment

Happy Friday! Ume, the endangered tapir calf, is 19 days old today. Our adorable Malayan tapir calf is growing fast and will soon outgrow her stripes and spots, which will fade around six months of age. Ume and her mom, Yuna, will be viewable to guests later this spring.

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

Astra the polar bear has taken pool time to a whole new level! 🌊 From underwater dives to fashion accessories with her favorite enrichment toys, Astra proves that polar playtime is beary serious business. 🐻‍❄️ 📹: Keeper Dayna

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

The many faces of Rhubarb! 🐐 📸: Keeper Ariel

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

Another big milestone for our tiny tapir! Ume has her very first tooth coming in and has started mouthing at food and hay. It won’t be long before she’s munching away like mom Yuna! For now, we’re soaking up every adorable moment of her wiggly little nose exploring new items behind the scenes.

submitted 1 day ago • 13 comments

At just 17 days old, baby Ume has already doubled in size, now weighing an impressive 47 pounds! Our adorable Malayan tapir calf is growing fast and will soon outgrow her stripes and spots, which will fade around six months of age.

submitted 2 days ago • 4 comments

Hi, Ume! 🍉 📹: Keeper Katie

submitted 5 days ago • 6 comments

We musk-ox you to be our Valentine! 💖

submitted 7 days ago • 2 comments

Our tropical fish are enjoying Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped treats for enrichment. Chat with aquarists and keepers and show your love for our aquatic friends by joining us for an ocean of Love at the Zoo this weekend! 💕

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

Our love will never tapir, Ume! ❤️ The adorable endangered tapir calf was born on Feb. 2 to mom Yuna. Ume sports the signature white spots and stripes of a newborn tapir, making her look like a tiny, fuzzy watermelon. 🍉

submitted 8 days ago • 9 comments

Hoppy Valentine's Day! 💕 Three tiny Solomon Island leaf froglets have hatched at the Zoo just in time to steal hearts. These little hoppers skip the tadpole stage entirely, emerging as fully formed mini-frogs. And right now, they're even smaller than a sweetheart candy! 🐸💚 📸: Keeper Lisa

submitted 8 days ago • 3 comments

POV: Giving Ume the tapir calf scratches behind the scenes. 🍉 📹: Keeper Katie

submitted 8 days ago • 9 comments

Ruby, our playful 9-year-old ground hornbill, loves to go on adventures with her care team around zoo grounds! Although she can fly, ground hornbills spend most of their time walking while looking for food. Ground hornbills are very vocal, using their wattles to make loud calls. #lovehornbillsday

submitted 8 days ago • 2 comments

We ❤️ hornbills and we ❤️ Ruby! Ground hornbills spend much of their time on the ground foraging for food, but can fly if disturbed or when crossing tall grasses in the wild. Happy Love Hornbills Day!

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Weee will walrus love yooou! 💕 Watch our walruses enjoy restaurant-quality, sustainable seafood and water toys topped with blended surf clam and krill cubes. 🐟 And join us for our Love at the Zoo event this weekend! ❤️

submitted 8 days ago • 4 comments

Enrichment in action! Our senior American red wolf had an absolute blast with a special treat. Itabi received an elk hide wrapped around ground meat, frozen into a challenge-worthy puzzle. This enrichment not only keeps the soon-to-be 13-year-old wolf engaged but also encourages natural behaviors.

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

How is it possible that baby Ume keeps getting cuter? 🍉 This fuzzy little watermelon is just ten days old and had some zoomies today while trying to nurse from mom behind the scenes. Watch until the end to see 900-pound Yuna roll over so her playful tapir calf can nurse. Such a good mom! 🩷

submitted 9 days ago • 9 comments

Watch Pretzel and Willow as they playfully spar with each other. The two young muskox pals were introduced last month. The adorable duo have been seen grazing and exploring together. Guests can now see Pretzel and Willow together in their shared habitat. 💕 📹: Curator Jen

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Polar bear sisters are celebrating #ValentinesDay with heart-shaped fish-sicles for enrichment. Enrichment like this encourages natural behaviors while providing a fun and engaging experience. Watch as the twins pounce, play, and chow down on their icy treats during our Love at the Zoo event. 💕

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

We’re wild about you, Valentine! Send the purrfect Valentine in a furry special way with Zoo Valentines. And join us for our Love at the Zoo event this weekend! Watch animals enjoy Valentines from their dedicated keepers and participate in fun activities to learn all about why we love ocean animals.

submitted 10 days ago • 1 comment

It's a girl! We’re excited to share that the endangered Malayan tapir calf has been named Ume (pronounced oo-me), a name chosen by her dedicated keeper staff. Ume means plum blossom and apricot in Japanese. Mom and baby are thriving behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to share more updates soon. 💕

submitted 11 days ago • 7 comments

The growing baby tapir is very sleepy. 😴 Tapirs have a third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, that lubricates and protects the eye. 📹: Keeper Katie

submitted 11 days ago • 9 comments

Happy #SuperbOwl Sunday! 🦉 Our MVP (Most Valuable Predator) Forrest is celebrating in style! Our Eurasian eagle owl is 19 years old and still bringing his A-game. With those big orange eyes, he's always on the lookout for a touchdown snack. 👀

submitted 13 days ago • 24 comments

Here for the snacks! 🏈 #SuperBowlSunday #SnackTime #superbowlsnacks

submitted 13 days ago • 3 comments

The endangered newborn tapir calf is still very eepy. 💤

submitted 13 days ago • 7 comments

The adorable newborn tapir calf is already mastering the art of wiggling its tiny trunk. 🥰 Baby tapirs use their tiny trunks for sniffing, exploring, and even grasping small objects. Their trunks are an extended upper lip and nose, which helps them sense their surroundings and forage as they grow.

submitted 13 days ago • 6 comments

The adorable Malayan tapir calf that was born Sunday night continues to nurse and bond with mom behind the scenes. Mom and baby are both doing well and we will announce the sex and name soon. Sound on to hear tiny tapir chirps.

submitted 15 days ago • 9 comments

Sea lion Pepper saying hello! 🙃 Pepper is 8 months old today and now weighs 76 pounds. 📷: Keeper Dayna

submitted 15 days ago • 1 comment

Muskox cuties Pretzel and Willow explored a new area of their outdoor habitat and had a wonderful time together. By the day's end, the girls looked very cute, snacking on hay. 💕 📷: Keeper Russell

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

Adorable moments with our newborn Malayan tapir calf snuggling with mom Yuna at just three days old! Born Sunday night, this rare and endangered little one is covered in the cutest white spots and stripes, resembling a tiny, fuzzy watermelon on legs. 🍉

submitted 17 days ago • 11 comments

Exciting news! We’re thrilled to announce that tapir Yuna gave birth to a rare and endangered Malayan tapir calf Sunday night. The newborn, covered in distinctive white spots and stripes resembling a fuzzy walking watermelon, is only the second tapir born in our 120-year history.

submitted 18 days ago • 276 comments

Table manners? Never heard of 'em. Just pure banana bliss for Albert our black-and-white ruffled lemur. 🍌 📹: Keeper Lisa

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Our adorable goat kids are experiencing their first snowfall! ❄️ 📹: Keeper Dana

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Yuna, our pregnant tapir, is enjoying some behind-the-scenes private pool time and resting when needed. Staff can see the baby moving around, and Yuna’s recent ultrasound revealed healthy movement and heartbeat. 💗 📹: Assistant Curator Erin

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

Brimley, a 5-year-old Chacoan horned frog, recently visited our veterinary hospital for evaluation after showing signs of edema (swelling). During his visit, he underwent a thorough examination under anesthesia, including x-rays, ultrasound, blood collection, and cardiac monitoring.

submitted 24 days ago • 3 comments

Meet Saya, the harbor seal! She was born at the Zoo in 2013 and lives at the Rocky Shores habitat with her mom, Qilak. Our two harbor seals also sometimes share space with our four sea lions. 🦭 📷: Keeper Kelsie

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

New besties!💕 Muskox Willow meets new muskox pal Pretzel for the first time. See the adorable duo together during your next visit. 🥨🍃 📹: Conservation Engagement Manager Wendy

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

New besties! This morning, one-year-old muskox Willow was officially introduced to one-year-old Pretzel in the large Tundra habitat, and it was a success! The adorable duo have been seen grazing and exploring together. Guests can see Pretzel and Willow together in their shared habitat starting today

submitted 30 days ago • 0 comments

This morning, one-year-old muskox Willow was officially introduced to one-year-old Pretzel in the large Tundra habitat, and it was a success! The adorable duo have been seen grazing and exploring together. Guests can see Pretzel and Willow together in their shared habitat starting today.

submitted 30 days ago • 0 comments

Sea cucumber snack time! 🧡 The orange sea cucumber uses its tentacles to capture food in the water. When a tentacle becomes full of food, the sea cucumber moves it to its mouth, cleans it, and then extends it back.

submitted 30 days ago • 0 comments

Hi, Pretzel! 👋🥨 📷: Keeper Russell

submitted 30 days ago • 1 comment

Pretzel, our adorable new muskox, is perfecting her headbutting skills with some playful bops against her hay feeder. 📹: Keeper Kelsie

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

At 22 years old, Scooter is one fit Southern three-banded armadillo! His secret? One Fast Cat exercise wheel. Staff Biologist Jessie shares that Scooter “loves it and runs on it all the time.” You’re an inspiration to us all, little buddy! 💨

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

Throwback to Rio as a young penguin chick. After fighting an infection, fuzzy Rio was cared for and hand-fed behind the scenes. Rio is now 3 1/2 years old and thriving at Penguin Point with the colony. 🐧 #PenguinAwarenessDay

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

Happy #PenguinAwarenessDay! 🐧 Join keeper Noelle as she feeds our Magellanic penguin waddle. The penguins are fed sustainable seafood, like herring and capelin. About 27 inches tall, Magellanic penguins are about in the middle of the penguin height range.

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments