Woodland Park Zoo Press Release

What:
Hippo eating pumpkin 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 of pumpkin treats for the animals, keepers will toss pumpkins to the hippos and grizzly bears Thursday, October 25.

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.

Three female hippos live at the award-winning African Savanna: 44-year-old Gertie, 29-year-old Water Lily and 8-year-old Guadalupe.

The zoo’s grizzlies at the award-winning Northern Trail are 13-year-old brothers, Keema and Denali. The 850-pound bears arrived at the zoo in 1994 from Washington State University, which maintains a small collection to conduct a long-term study on bear nutrition.

When:
Photo op at hippos and grizzlies: Thursday, October 25

Where:
Meet at the zoo’s ARC building near the West Entrance at N. 55th St. & Phinney Ave. N. Staff will escort you to the grizzlies at Northern Trail, followed by the hippo pool at African Savanna. 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 27-28, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at various exhibits throughout the zoo. For a full schedule, visit the zoo’s Web site at www.zoo.org and click on “Pumpkin Bash.” The activities are free with zooadmission.

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.