What: Chomp, chomp, sniff, sniff, stomp, stomp are the sights and sounds of animals enjoying pumpkins at Woodland Park Zoo’s Pumpkin Bash. To kick off the weekend event, keepers will toss pumpkins to the hippos Thursday, October 27, and offer a hollowed out pumpkin filled with spices and meat to the jaguar. Three female hippos live at the award-winning African Savanna: 42-year-old Gertie, 27-year-old Water Lily and 6-year-old Guadalupe. Two male jaguars, a 10 year old and 5 year old are on a rotation schedule at the award-winning Jaguar Cove!

When:
Photo op at hippos and jaguar: Thursday, October 27
Jaguar: 10:15 a.m.
Hippos: 10:30 a.m.

Pumpkin Bash for visitors: Saturday and Sunday, October 29-30,
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Where:
Meet at the zoo’s ARC building near the West Entrance at N. 55th St. & Phinney Ave. N. Staff will escort you to Jaguar Cove and the African Savanna hippo pool. The ARC is locked – late arrivals may enter through the West Entrance and proceed to the exhibits.

Info:
Pumpkin Bash for zoo-goers is Saturday and Sunday, October 29-30, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at various exhibits throughout the zoo. For a full schedule, visit the Pumpkin Bash page on the zoo's web site. The activities are free with zoo admission.

The pumpkin treats are part of the zoo’s ongoing enrichment program to help enrich the lives of the zoo’s animals, promote natural animal behavior, keep animals mentally stimulated and provide added enjoyment for visitors.

Winter hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.zoo.org or call 206.684.4800.

Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, 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.