Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Animal Faces – at Woodland Park Zoo
It had been years since we visited Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, so we headed north on the sunniest day of the week, and the animals were happy to pose for us.
Gray Wolf
Once common in Washington State, by the 1930’s they were wiped out by hunters and settlers. With the help of state and federal protection, they are returning again.
Generally shy to people, they are very social with their own kind.
Canada Lynx
Endangered in Washington State, there are estimated to be between 40 and 60 remaining.
I love cats, but I wouldn’t want to encounter one of these in the wild.
Brown Bear
Coastal Brown Bears and inland Grizzlies are the same species and were once found by the thousands in Washington State. Today only few Brown Bear remain in Washington, while smaller Black Bear are common. Woodland Park is helping recover Grizzlies in the North Cascades.
Orangutan
These intelligent great apes are critically endangered and found only in Borneo and Sumatra today. They live high above in the trees and mostly feed on ripe fruit. What’s not to love?
My hand
Giraffe
We didn’t have enough time to explore the African Savannah, but I managed to see this handsome Giraffe in the distance.
The Zoo closed early for a private event the day we were there so we didn’t get to see everything. But since it was close to 80 degrees and also overrun with tiny humans who arrived on yellow school buses, we didn’t mind the shorter stay. 🙂
~ Susanne
#WoodlandParkZoo
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Looks like so much of it has the open feel that gives animal a non-cage life?
Yes, the zoo has done a great job at creating large, expansive, natural habitats for the animals. 🙂
Ohhhh my 🥰❤️
😺😺
🧡🧡🧡
Lovely animal portraits Sue – I especially like the wolves and that expressive orangutan!
Thanks, Sarah! The orangutan really was expressive!
I went through a phase of refusing to visit zoos because I hated to see the animals trapped in cages or ‘habitats’. I later changed my mind when I realised that so many would be extinct now, if not for captive breeding and rehoming in the wild. Humans have a lot to answer for.
Best wishes, Pete.
I know what you mean. I especially dislike seeing big cats in ‘cages.’ But so many animals are on the edge of extinction, and the best zoos are doing what they can to help.
Great photos, especially the lynx.
A beautiful cat. 🐱
Thank you
Beautiful animals.
Thank you ☺️