What happens when you don't store food properly or haphazardly leave garbage around while living in the backyard of bears or camping in bear territory? Get a glimpse of the disastrous results and learn what steps you can take for bear-proofing at Woodland Park Zoo’s Bear Affair & Big Howl for Wolves: Pacific Northwest Wildlife Conservation presented by Brown Bear Car Wash.

Enjoy activities focused on bears, wolves and other Pacific Northwest wildlife and what these animals need to survive in the wild, and how humans can co-exist.

Watch the zoo’s popular grizzly bears scavenge through leftover party fare and provisions at a mock backyard birthday party including a BearSaver™ bear resistant cart provided by CleanScapes. Hear insights into the beauty and wonder of awe-inspiring bears and their survival skills by the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project. Enjoy animal talks by zoo staff and special guests. Get up close to a Karelian bear dog and discover how these Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife partner dogs play an essential role in training nuisance bears to avoid human contact. Learn safety camping tips by Boy Scouts. Talk to representatives from Wolf Haven International and The Burke Museum. Enjoy crafts for kids and more.

Schedule of activities

9:30-3:00          Crafts for kids, Boy Scouts camping tips

9:30-3:00          Karelian bear dogs

10:00, 3:00       Keeper talk: wolves

11:00                Mock backyard birthday party in grizzly exhibit

11:30, 1:30       Staff talk: western pond turtles

11:30                Keeper talk: Oregon silverspot butterflies

noon, 2:00        Raptor free flight program

noon-1:00         Conservation Northwest: clips from BBC film, “Land of the Lost Wolves”           

1:00                  Keeper talk: raptors

1:00                  Keeper talk: Oregon spotted frogs

2:00                  Mock campsite in grizzly exhibit

Bear Affair is a Seattle Science Festival event. For full Seattle Science Festival details, visit seattlesciencefestival.org.