On Saturday, February 11th, the Woodland Park Zoo invites all animal lovers to come celebrate the day of love and friendship, Valentine’s Day, with the critters – including some surprise newborns!
In December 2016, a fire broke out in the WPZ Day & Night Exhibit buildings – and it led to a pair of tiger-legged monkey frogs once housed in that exhibit producing 50 tadpoles. This is the first-time for breeding this species at the Zoo. In addition, shield-tailed agamas (lizards from Somalia and Ethiopia) and Asian yellow-margined box turtles have also produced eggs. The turtles are endangered in the wild, and their breeding is part of a Species Survival Plan. Learn more about the tadpoles, and other related developments, from a Zoo video.
The frogs, lizards and turtles are among 182 reptiles, amphibians, an armadillo and a Matschie tree kangaroo rescued from the fire due to heroic efforts by Seattle Fire and Zoo staff. Unfortunately, the geriatric tree kangaroo had to be euthanized one week ago due to declining health. Yet, “we observed the monkey frogs in a ‘love embrace’ on Christmas Eve. The fact that these animals could breed and reproduce after a fire and being placed in temporary housing is a testimony to the excellent care and dedication provided by our animal care staff. This is wonderful news and a sign of hope after the fire,” stated Jennifer Pramuk, PhD, an animal curator at WPZ.
The procreation going on at the Zoo (also check out the newborn otter pups on the WPZ blog,) lends itself nicely to the wild ways they celebrate Valentine’s Day. They feast on treats including red ice pops, herbal bouquets or heart-shaped steaks, and the public can witness their treats, and see the animals, between 10a and 2:30p on February 11th.
The schedule for feedings is:
- Jaguar 10:00a
- Lions 10:00a
- Orangutans 10:30a
- Snow Leopards 10:45a
- Komodo Dragon 11:00a
- Anoa 11:15a
- Golden Lion Tamarins 11:30a
- River Otters 11:45a
- Grizzly Bears Noon
- Steer 1:00p
- Kunekune Pigs 1:15p
- Meerkats 1:30p
- Penguins 2:00p
- Ambassador Animals 2:00p
- Wolves 2:15p
- Wallaroos/Wallabies 2:30p
Zoo admission gets you, and your loved ones, in to see all the animals and enjoy the celebrations. The Zoo will be open from 9:30a – 4p, for its normal winter hours that day.
Come celebrate Valentine’s Day with the critters, and their newborn, on Saturday, February 11th!