The rut is ON at Northwest Trek! 🦌 Our massive bull elk are in full display mode, bugling to declare their dominance, sparring with rivals, and even decorating their antlers with vegetation to impress the herd. 🌿 This dramatic season only comes once a year.

The elk rut is in full swing! 🔥 Watch as two bull elk clash with their massive antlers, while the lead bull bugles in the background, keeping a watchful eye on the female herd. Nature’s drama is on full display at Northwest Trek! 📹: Keeper Stephanie

Our rescued cougar cubs, Sienna and Sullivan, are getting braver every day! 🐾 Lately, they’ve been perfecting their tree-climbing skills in their habitat. It’s incredible to watch them leap, balance, and explore from new heights. 🌲

Great news, pups! 🐶 Dog Days is back on Friday, Oct. 31, for more tail-wagging fun! Guests ages 18+ may bring one well-behaved, leashed dog with a pre-purchased online dog ticket. (Dog tickets will not be sold at the admission entrance.) 🎟️: nwtrek.org/DogDays

🦊 Happy #NationalFoxDay! 🦊 Meet our red foxes, rescued as pups in Idaho back in 2013. Born that April, they were given a safe, caring forever home here at Northwest Trek. Twelve years later, they’re still delighting guests with their playful personalities and foxy charm. 🧡

Take a one-minute snack break with Thistle the porcupine! 🍪 📹: Keeper Wendi

Sound on to hear this bull bugling and showing off his strength by “decorating” his antlers with branches and grasses. During the rut season, bulls use their impressive antlers to spar with rivals and impress potential mates, sometimes accessorizing with a little extra forest flair along the way.

Grizzly bears, Huckleberry and Hawthorne, are soaking up the season, taking in all the scents while they relax in their pool. 🐻 📹: Keeper Haley

Check out the bull in front showing off his strength by “decorating” his antlers with branches and grasses. During the rut season, bulls use their impressive antlers to spar with rivals and impress potential mates, sometimes accessorizing with a little extra forest flair along the way.

Look who’s climbing high! 🐾 Sullivan, our rescued cougar cub, has taken his playful energy to new heights, literally. This curious youngster loves to explore with our female rescued cub, Sienna. Today, he showed off his natural climbing skills by heading up into the trees.🌲

Baby bison energy!✨ Our adorable three calves are frolicking with the herd in our Free-Roaming Area, leaping, bounding, and kicking up their heels. And Misty is living her best life, rolling around in a hay spa day. 🦬

Thank you to everyone (two-legged and four-legged!) who joined us for our first Dog Days event! 🐕🌲 From happy hikes to wagging tails, it was a paw-some day of adventure. 🐾 Good news, pups! Dog Days will be back. Keep your ears perked for details. 💚

Another beautiful day in the Free-Roaming Area! Baby bison and elk calves sticking close to their moms, fluffy mountain goats, caribou strolling by, swans on the water, and more. 🦬🐐🦢

Talk about a traffic jam! 🚋 Our electric tram tour rolled right past our large herd of bison snacking along the road. Guests got an up-close look at these powerful American icons. 🦬

Big stretch, big yawn! 😴 Rainier the wolverine is starting his day in the coziest way possible. Wolverines may look fluffy, but they’re tough, powerful animals. 📹: Keeper Wendi

🌿 Nine days of nature. One wild deal for seniors! 🌿 Senior Days are back at Northwest Trek this September. Guests aged 65+ get half-price general admission (just $13) on select dates: 📅 Sept. 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 & 30 ✨ Offer available at the gate only. www.nwtrek.org/senior-days

🐕 Woof it up, it’s #InternationalDogDay! 🎉 What better way to paw-ty than at Dog Days, Sept. 4? So don’t sit & stay… go get your tickets 👉 nwtrek.org/dogdays

The fuzz is off! 🦌 Our bull elk just shed their velvet, and that means rut season is almost here. Did you know elk antlers are the fastest-growing bone in the world? Antlers can sprout up to ¾ of an inch per day. That’s some serious headgear growth! 📹: Keeper Deanna

🍖 It’s a Feeding Frenzy! 🐾 Watch eagles, wolves, owls, cougars & more chomp, shred and snack their way through mealtime. 📅 Aug. 30 – Sept. 1 | 🕘 9:30 am–5pm | 📍 Northwest Trek Wildlife Park 🎟 Free with admission or membership → www.nwtrek.org/feeding-frenzy

Snack time! 🐸 Whopper the spadefoot toad is showing off its quick reflexes while enjoying a crunchy mealworm treat. With a lightning-fast tongue and big appetite, these little amphibians are expert insect hunters! 📹: Keeper Kameron

This is Tanner the bobcat. 🐾 He heard "doggy paddle" and said, "hold my whiskers." 💦 Tanner takes a dip to stay cool during these warm summer days. ☀️ 📹: Keeper Haley

Splash alert! 💦 Grizzly bears Huckleberry and Hawthorne are making the most of this sunny summer day with some serious pool fun! 🐻☀️ 📹: Administration Tracy

Young raccoons Hickory and Bluebell beat the summer heat with a special frozen “ice cupcake” enrichment. 🧁💦 Packed with tasty treats and icy layers, it’s the perfect way to keep curious paws and clever minds busy on a warm day.🦝 📹: Keeper Kameron

Webbed & fabulous! 🦢 Trumpeter swans use their feet as built-in temperature regulators. They’ve got a special system of blood vessels called “rete mirabile” in their legs. Warm blood flowing from the body to the feet passes right next to colder blood coming back up from the feet.

Happy #WorldGoatDay! How do you weigh a mountain goat? Very carefully… and with a whole lot of goat cooperation! 🐐 Watch as our mountain goat herd steps up to the scale for their weigh-ins, which is an important part of keeping them healthy and strong.

Happy #WorldGoatDay! 🐐 We’re throwing it back four years to one of our cutest arrivals, mountain goat kid Nettle, born here at Northwest Trek. 🌿 From a fluffy little climber to a confident member of the herd, Nettle has truly grown into her hooves! 🤍

Biiiig stretch, tiny yawn. 💤 Wolverines Ahma and Rainer waking up from their naps in the coziest way possible. 📹: Keeper Matt

Sullivan, the rescued cougar cub, continues to thrive! 🐾 The young cub was found orphaned, malnourished, and dehydrated in the Spokane area around four months old. He came to Northwest Trek for life-saving medical treatment and a loving, forever home after being deemed non-releasable.

Meet Trillium, our newest trumpeter swan! 🦢 Keeper Deanna shares a special moment with Trillium—snacking, bonding, and building trust one snack at a time. Trumpeter swans are North America’s largest native waterfowl, and we're thrilled to welcome Trillium to Northwest Trek. 📹: Keeper Deanna

Say hello to Huckleberry & Hawthorne! 🐻 Orphaned grizzlies, rescued from Montana and Alaska in 2018, are now inseparable “brothers” at Northwest Trek! At seven years old, they still wrestle, splash, and snuggle their way into our hearts daily. ❤️

Meet Sullivan and Sienna!🐾 Our rescued cougar cubs are growing bolder every day as they explore and make their new habitat home. Both cubs have come a long way since being found alone, malnourished, and fighting to survive. They are growing stronger and more confident every day.

Rescued red fox Kamiah soaking up the summer sunshine this week. ☀🦊 📸: Keeper Intern Michael

Happy #InternationalWolfDay! 🐺 Our gray wolves wasted no time turning a fresh pile of mulch into the ultimate playground! From digging, rolling, and pouncing like playful pups. Enrichment like this keeps their minds sharp and their spirits high. #wolf #graywolf #enrichment #nwtrek 📹 Keeper Carly

☀️ The elk called a pool party. 🦌 The bison RSVP’d. 🦬 📹: Keeper Stephanie

🐾 Two Zoos. Two Days. Endless Tail Wags. 🐾 📍 Northwest Trek Wildlife Park – Sept. 4 📍 Point Defiance Zoo – Sept. 25 🎟 Dog tickets $20 (online only) + human admission 🐕 One dog per adult ✅ Vaccinated, leashed, & well-behaved pups welcome Grab tickets now 🎟️ nwtrek.org/DogDays | pdza.org/DogDays

Huckleberry says hi! 👋 Your Monday just got a little bear-able. 🐻

Watch Samson, our curious two-month-old bison calf, happily munch his way through a bundle of fresh browse in this one-minute moment of pure cuteness. 🦬🧡 📹: Keeper Jordan

🐾 Happy #InternationalCatDay! 🐾 Rescued cougar cubs Sullivan and Sienna are growing bolder every day as they explore and settle into their new habitat. Their devoted keepers can’t wait for you to meet them and hear their incredible story.

Our rescued raccoon, Bluebell, has claimed a cozy nook inside this log as her new favorite napping spot. Getting in? Easy. Getting out? Well... let’s just say she’s still perfecting her exit strategy. 💙 📹: Keeper Intern Michael

Our baby bison, Misty and Chilly, are busy playing, even if mom says it’s time to settle down. 💕 Bison moms have their hooves full! 🦬 📹: Keeper Stephanie

Turn up the volume… Taiga has something to say about #OwlAwarenessDay! 🦉 Our beautiful female snowy owl isn’t shy about speaking her mind. Snowy owls are excellent communicators, using a variety of hoots, screeches, and calls to stay in touch with their owl pals. #snowyowl #owls

Close-up snack time with two-month-old Samson the bison calf. 💗 The reddish-orange bison calf will stick close to its mother for a while, then gradually gain more independence. As Samson grows, his fur will turn the darker brown shade of his parents. 🦬 📹: Keeper Jordan

Apple tree buffet? Yes please! 🍎 Our bison herd is loving this fresh apple tree browse, grown right here on site! It’s a crunchy, leafy treat that’s as enriching as it is delicious. 🌿 And if you look closely, a certain handsome caribou bull makes a cameo behind the scenes.

Surprise roomies! While checking on our barn owl, keeper Wendi spotted some unexpected guests, a pair of Pacific tree frogs! 🐸 These tiny amphibians are masters of hide-and-seek and love hanging out in sheltered areas. 📹: Keeper Wendi

The elk herd is beating the heat the best way they know how—splashing, soaking, and chilling out in the water. Baby calves included! 🥰

🧁 Rescued raccoons Hickory and Bluebell are living their best lives with this giant ice cupcake for enrichment! 🦝

Rescued grizzly bear Hawthorne spent the afternoon splashing around with a bison hide in his pool for pure enrichment fun! Activities like this help keep Hawthorne and Huckleberry mentally and physically active, encouraging natural bear behaviors and making each day more dynamic.🐻💦 📹: Keeper Haley

Marigold the skunk is on a roll, literally! 🦨 She loves getting her steps (or spins!) in on her exercise wheel for enrichment. Way to stay active, Marigold. You’re an inspiration to us all!

Ever wondered what it’s like to feed an entire herd of elk at Northwest Trek? Keeper Deanna gave us a GoPro view from the keeper truck as she made her rounds in the Free-Roaming Area. From a safe distance, Deanna ensures each member of the herd gets the nutrition they need.