Bintang (Bini) knows how to relax, enjoying a refreshing soak beneath the waterfall in one of his pools. Catch Bini living his best life at the Asian Forest Sanctuary. 🐅 📹: Keeper Chrissy

Our Shark Dives just got cooler! 🦈 Now diving with Fender the guitarfish, plus sharks and rays, for an unforgettable underwater adventure! 💙 Ready to take the plunge? www.pdza.org/dive

Sven the Arctic fox is showing off a trained stand behavior with keeper Katie, and it’s more than just impressive. Standing upright calmly allows his care team to safely check his fluffy abdomen and helps build toward other important behaviors, such as nail trims and ultrasounds.

Ume is officially 11 months old and already weighs 483 pounds! 💗 That’s more than halfway to mom Yuna’s impressive 800 pounds. This adorable Malayan tapir is gaining size, confidence, and curiosity by the day, still keeping close to mom while steadily growing into her almost-teen tapir era.

We witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime event when two very different agave species bloomed side by side, an occurrence almost unheard of in the wild. With a little help (and some careful hand-pollination), we’ve sparked the beginning of a brand-new agave hybrid that may be completely unique.

Our Asian small-clawed otter pup is officially on the move, eyes open, extra fuzzy, and full of squeaks. Behind the scenes, proud parents Sebastian and Pintar are providing gentle, attentive care as their curious little pup explores the world one wobbly step at a time. Stay tuned for more pupdates!

Laerke living her best life: chilling in her saltwater pool and enjoying fresh bamboo for enrichment. Nothing like a little snack and a splash to make the day perfect! 💙 📹: Keeper Russell

Meet Twiggy, our 20-year-old seriema for #NationalBirdDay. With her graceful stride, striking crest, and timeless charm, Twiggy shows just how incredible birds can be at every age. Twiggy lives behind the scenes at the Wild Wonders Theater and can be seen during close encounters. 🪶

Tonight’s the final night of Zoolights! As we flip the switch one last time, we want to say thank you. Thank you to our guests for making Zoolights part of your holiday traditions, to our incredible staff and volunteers who brought the magic to life each night, and to our sponsors for their support.

Shark Nursery Update from Raja Ampat! We have exciting news to kick off the new year: all 7 zebra shark eggs we sent to Bali have officially hatched at the RARCC nursery! That’s a 100% hatching success, which is truly incredible for this endangered species. The pups include 2 males and 5 females. 💙

Asian small-clawed otter couple, Yuki and Arista, are redecorating and getting cozy with fresh wood wool behind the scenes as we ring in the new year. 💗 📹: Keeper Katie

New Year, new reZOOlutions! 🎉 If you’re still deciding, our animals have a few ideas: meditate, take a walk, keep smiling. 🐾 #happynewyear

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back on the memories that made this year unforgettable. 🎉 From meaningful milestones to everyday moments of wonder, our talented staff photographer, Katie, captured it all! 1/2

Muskox zoomies, activated! ⚡ Charlotte (10 years old) is taking on a giant red enrichment ball, encouraging natural behaviors like charging, strength-building, and curiosity. Sound up for muskox grumbles, hops and zoomies! ❤️ 📹: Keeper Russell

Otter pupdate! 💙 Our Asian small-clawed otter pup is growing fast. His eyes are now open, and he weighs 586 grams, right on track for a healthy, curious little otter. Proud first-time parents Pintar and Sebastian continue to do an excellent job caring for their fuzzy male pup behind the scenes.

There’s a new tiger in Tacoma! 🐯 Bintang (“star” in Indonesian), affectionately known as Bini, is a 7-year-old Sumatran tiger now exploring the Asian Forest Sanctuary. He is expected to play a key role in the Species Survival Plan breeding program alongside our female tiger, Mawar. 🐅

Holiday meerkat enrichment throwback! ✨ These stockings were filled with mealworms and treats to encourage natural digging and foraging behaviors, one of many ways we keep animals active and engaged. 🐾 Wishing you happy holidays! ❤️

Deck the halls with walrus carols. 🎵 Wishing you a joyful holiday season from all of us at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! ❤️

Sven and Freya got a fresh pile of chopped Timothy hay and immediately got to work by digging, rolling, and turning it into the ultimate enrichment playground. Enrichment encourages natural behaviors for our fluffy Arctic foxes, like digging, scenting, and exploring! 🩵 📹: Keeper Kacie

Meet Yuki! This male Asian small-clawed otter recently arrived through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan and has been successfully introduced to one of our female otters Arista. The pair is comfortable, bonded, and exploring their habitats together. 💕

Meet Bintang, our new Sumatran tiger, this weekend! 🐅 This stunning 7-year-old male just made his debut in the Asian Forest Sanctuary! Bintang, meaning “star” in Indonesian, also affectionately known as Bini, is here to inspire action for his critically endangered species.

Otterly adorable news! 🎉 Pintar, our four-year-old Asian small-clawed otter, gave birth to a healthy pup on Nov 18. Head veterinarian performed a wellness exam on the one-month-old pup, and it appears healthy, weighing just under one pound and exhibiting strong vigor, with a round, healthy belly.

Otterly adorable news! Pintar, our four-year-old Asian small-clawed otter, gave birth to a healthy pup on November 18. Pintar and Sebastian are first-time parents and are doing exceptionally well, keeping the fuzzy male pup safe and cozy behind the scenes.

Crunch time with adorable Ume! The 10-month-old tapir now weighs 483 pounds. 💗 📹: Keeper Katie

Meet Bintang, our new Sumatran tiger! 🐅 This 7-year-old male just made his debut, and guests can meet him for the first time this weekend. Bintang, meaning “star” in Indonesian, also affectionately known as Bini, is here to inspire action for his critically endangered species.

Calling all good pups! 🐶 Tomorrow night, Dec. 17, is our LAST Dog Nights at Zoolights with tickets still available! Come sparkle, sniff, and stroll. 🐾 PDZA.org/zoolights ✨

Meet Bintang our new Sumatran tiger!This 7-year-old male just made his debut in the Asian Forest Sanctuary and guests can meet him for the first time this weekend. Bintang, meaning star in Indonesian, also affectionately known as Bini, is here to inspire action for his critically endangered species.

The federal government is considering changes to the Endangered Species Act that would severely weaken our most powerful tool for saving threatened and endangered wildlife, and the public comment period is now open. Learn more at www.oregonzoo.org/news/defend-endangered-species-act

Stroll through a magical world with over 1.5 million sparkling lights during Zoolights, now through Jan. 4. A classic holiday tradition, Zoolights has dazzled our community for 38 years! Online timed tickets are required, pdza.org/zoolights

For the first time ever, you can bring your dog to Zoolights! ✨ It’s a magical way to enjoy the lights with your furry friend by your side. Zoolights Dog Nights are sold out on Dec. 9 & 10, but a few tickets remain for our final Dog Nights on Jan. 4. 🐾 www.pdza.org/zoolights

For the first time ever, you can bring your dog to Zoolights! ✨ It’s a magical way to enjoy the lights with your furry friend by your side. Only a few Zoolights Dog Nights tickets remain for our final Dog Nights on Jan. 4. 🐾 Online timed tickets are required: pdza.org/zoolights

A big pile of fresh shavings for fluffy Arctic foxes Sven and Freya. This enrichment is great for mental stimulation and encourages natural fox behaviors like digging, pouncing, and sniffing!  📹: Keeper Russell

Laerke the polar bear found the perfect winter toy: a giant stick! ❄️🐻‍❄️ 📹: Keeper Russell

✨ ZOOLIGHTS ✨ Now through Jan. 4! Stroll through the Zoo as it sparkles with over 1.5 million dazzling lights. 🎟️: pdza.org/zoolights

10-month-old Ume is now 456 pounds and still enjoys the occasional nursing session! Mom Yuna is as patient as ever, letting her growing calf get in a little extra comfort time behind the scenes. 💗 📹: Keeper Katie

Our new siamang has officially swung into the Asian Forest Sanctuary, and she’s full of personality! At 6 years old, Senya joins Remy in a special conservation pairing (our first primate breeding recommendation in over 20 years), and she’s already exploring her habitats and vocalizing with Remy.

Baby shark conservation news! In the past week, the RARCC nursery “shark nannies” welcomed two very special zebra shark pups, Jelly (female) and PowerTee (male), the first two pups to hatch from Peanut & Butter’s eggs sent to the nursery. 📹 Jelly dislodging her first snail off the bottom for eating

SEA Airport’s otterly adorable mascot, Jett the SEA Otter, splashed into Tacoma for a special visit with our rescued sea otters, Clara and Moea! 🦦 Keepers crafted @flysea.bsky.social’s Jett his very own aviation-themed seafood cake, and our senior otters were more than happy to help celebrate. 🎉

Only one more day for our BEST membership deals! 🔥 Join the herd ➜ pdza.org/cyber

Pepper’s serving full Spider-Sea Lion energy, hanging upside down like she’s about to save the day! 🕸️🦭✨ Young sea lions are incredibly agile swimmers and love to twist, flip, and glide underwater. 📹: Keeper Kristyn

The Zoo is glowing once again! ✨ Wander through more than a million shimmering lights, larger-than-life animal displays, and all the cozy winter magic that makes Zoolights a Tacoma tradition. Timed online tickets are required to help keep things comfy for everyone! pdza.org/zoolights

Happy Thanksgiving from our herd to yours! The goat's Thanksgiving feast included these veterinarian-approved foods: mashed turnip, a side of baby food, pears, blueberries, long-shaved carrots, mocktails (muddled beet juice), willow, maple, and evergreen.

Final touches are going up on the iconic Flame Tree, now sparkling with over 30,000 LED lights! ✨ #Zoolights starts Friday! Reserve your timed online tickets at pdza.org/zoolights.

1/3: Help us welcome Jelly to the world — a newly hatched endangered zebra shark pup in Indonesia! 🦈💙 Thanks to parents Peanut and Butter at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and our partnership with the global coalition ReShark, this tiny pup represents real hope for her species.

🎉 Seven Days of WILD Savings Are Here! 🎉 From Nov. 25 – Dec. 1, it’s our BIGGEST deal of the year on memberships! Give the gift of a year full of amazing animal encounters and adventures with discounted memberships to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. 👉 Learn more at pdza.org/cyber-deals

Happy Walrus Day! Our 2,640-pound male walrus, Balzak (pronounced BELL-zik), is enjoying fresh sustainable seafood and ice treats for enrichment. Walruses like Balzak are equipped with incredibly powerful suction abilities, allowing them to create vacuum-like seals to feed on the ocean floor.

Red Wolf sisters Peat and Willow have moved to our off-site Red Wolf facility in an effort to save this critically endangered species. Their new home is part of the SAFE American Red Wolf program, where carefully matched wolves help ensure a healthy future population.

Meet Ruby, our charismatic 10-year-old hornbill! While she can fly, ground hornbills actually spend most of their time walking across their habitat, carefully searching for food. They’re also incredibly vocal, using their bright red wattles to create deep, booming calls that can carry for miles.

Arctic foxes, Sven and Freya, the most perfect snow puffs! During summer, an Arctic fox's fur changes to a brown-grayish hue to camouflage with the tundra. They sport a fluffy white coat in winter to blend in with the snow and ice.

Join us in wishing Laerke a beary happy 5th birthday today! 🎂🐻‍❄️ Celebrate with us and learn more about Laerke during our daily polar bear keeper chats. Happy BEARthday, Laerke! 🎉