What:
The male arctic fox that made his way to the Port of Seattle by stowing away on a trash container ship from the tiny, remote Aleutian island of Shemya, is now on public view at Woodland Park Zoo’s award-winning Northern Trail exhibit. The fox has been off view in quarantine at the zoo’s animal health hospital since he arrived at the zoo in June. Very thin on arrival, he is now in good weight and condition.

The standard quarantine period of 30 days for new arrivals at the zoo was extended to 90 days for the fox as an additional precaution against rabies.

When:
Thursday, September 23, 1:00 p.m.

Where:
Woodland Park Zoo’s Northern Trail exhibit. Meet at the ARC near the West Gate at N. 55th St. & Phinney Ave. N. Staff will escort you to the arctic fox exhibit.

Info:
The zoo is currently open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. For general zoo information, visit the zoo’s Web site at www.zoo.org or call 206.684.4800 or 206.684.4026 (TTY).

Other:
The arctic fox, weighing 6 to 10 pounds, is a furry mammal that lives in the far north, in the tundra, and in coastal areas of North America, Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia and Siberia. Found farther north than any other land mammal, it travels more extensively than any terrestrial animal other than humans. Arctic foxes come in two distinct color “phases”: the white and the blue phases. White phase foxes shed their brown or gray summer coats and become snow white in winter. Blue phase foxes, like the Arctic fox at Woodland Park Zoo, are also brown or gray in summer, but turn a steely blue-gray in winter. In the summer, the fox feeds primarily on lemmings, other rodents, fish, birds and even berries. In the winter, it may follow wolves or polar bears in hopes of eating scraps left behind. While the demand for fox fur is down over recent years, the average annual take by trappers in Alaska is about 4,000 pelts.

Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, top award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting a standard for zoos all over the world. With conservation, education and excellent animal care at the core of the zoo’s mission, the zoo is helping to save endangered species in Washington state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon silverspot butterflies. By inspiring visitors and others to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.