NATURE’S HOMECOMING
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN ENGLISH AND LUSHOOTSEED
These are the lands of the Tribal signatories of the Treaty of Point Elliott (1855), whose stewardship for the waters, plants, land and animal relatives in the Northwest has continued since time immemorial.
Woodland Park Zoo acknowledges this stewardship, the sovereign rights of the Tribal signatories, and our responsibility to join with these Tribes to inspire and advance the restoration of relationships between humans and the living world around us.
gʷəɬ dibəɬ, ti dᶻixʷ ʔaciɬtalbixʷ, tiʔəʔ dəxʷƛ̕ubatəb ʔə ti tudᶻixʷqsčəɬ ti tliti ʔal bəkəltiu (1855).
sgʷaʔčəɬ swatixʷtədčəɬ. ləcutix̌dub ʔə ti dᶻixʷ ʔaciɬtalbixʷ tul̕ʔal tudiʔ tudᶻixʷ pədtab ti swatixʷtəd ʔi ti swətixʷtəd, ti qʷuʔ ʔi ti x̌ʷəlč, ti tatačulbixʷ ʔi ti titčulbixʷ. suxʷtəb ʔə ti Woodland Park Zoo tiʔəʔ cədiɬ ləcustix̌dxʷ ʔə ti dᶻixʷ ʔaciɬtalbixʷ ʔi ti sgʷaʔs šəɬx̌əčəbs dxʷʔal ck̓ʷaqid. huy, ʔuyayus ti Woodland Park Zoo ʔəsq̓ʷuʔ ʔə ti dᶻixʷ ʔaciɬtalbixʷ dxʷʔal kʷi ɬubəshəliʔtxʷs ti swatixʷtəd ʔi ti bək̓ʷ ʔucəɬdalb ʔal ti swatixʷtəd, ʔal ti qʷuʔ ʔi ti x̌ʷəlč, ʔal ti šqulgʷədxʷ. ti
Woodland Park Zoo gʷəl ʔabyid ti tatačulbixʷ ʔi ti titčulbixʷ ʔə kʷi shəliʔ. ʔəsx̌aƛ̕tub ʔə ti Woodland Park Zoo gʷəp̓aʔcutəs kʷi bək̓ʷ gʷat dxʷʔal kʷi skʷaxʷads tiʔəʔ q̓ič syayus.
To Our Friends and Supporters:
Nature is a place we call home. It connects us all to every animal, to each other, and to ecosystems throughout the Northwest and beyond. At Woodland Park Zoo, caring for this home is both an art and a science, fueling continued innovation that shapes everything from our first-class animal care to our drive to build a more sustainable zoo where everyone feels connected through powerful experiences in nature.
This year saw the arrival of several new faces, starting with the birth of sloth bear cub Bowie in January. We also welcomed two iconic species back to the zoo: a young pair of Malayan tapirs in the summer and four critically endangered Mexican gray wolves in the fall. We ended the year with more than 30 new species joining our animal population – a 29% increase over the previous year. Feathered, furry or scaled, these new residents are providing guests with an even more dynamic impression of just how awe-inspiring the diversity of nature can be.
Providing the highest level of care for all species that call Woodland Park Zoo home is central to our mission, and our commitment to meeting ever-evolving standards for animal care and welfare was recognized this year when we were granted accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Our zoo undergoes the rigorous accreditation process every five years, and we are proud to have held the distinction of accredited AZA member – the global gold standard for modern zoos and aquariums – since 1982.
Of course, powering Woodland Park Zoo’s 92 acres each day is no small feat, and in 2025 we continued to strive toward our sustainability goals. Whether reducing single-use waste, updating outdated equipment and infrastructure, or designing new habitats like Forest Trailhead to meet the highest sustainability standards, we are well on our way to reaching our goal of tripling on-site renewable energy and reducing our domestic water use and landfill waste by 30% each by 2030.
We were able to meet this year’s challenges – including a significant decrease in tourism activity and the loss of federal funding dollars – head-on thanks to you, the incredible members of our zoo community. With your support as guests, donors, volunteers and voters, we continue to advance our mission. You are a part of this movement, and because of you, nature is home. I invite you to explore all that you made possible in this report. Thank you for your generous support and for choosing to make Woodland Park Zoo a part of your family.
Sincerely,
Alejandro Grajal, President and CEO
2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Irwin Goverman, Chair
Mike Ronan, Vice Chair, Treasurer
Katie Matison, Secretary
Anders Brown, Immediate Past Chair
DIRECTORS
Linda Allen
Vikram Baskaran
Christi Beckley
Andy Bench
Dori Borjesson
Stacey Campbell
Kristi Dansereau
Adjua Dupree
Jeni Elam
Rosemarie Havranek
Marlon Herrera
Cathy Herzig
Jonathan Kil
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Jackie Kopson
Jeff Leppo
Lian Neeman
Clare Pedersen
Larry Phillips
Robert Plotnick
Nate Porter
Dave Raney
Andrea Russell
Sandy Stelling
Effie Toshav
Justin Umagat
Jill Walker
Layne Washington
Alison Winfield
Joe Woods
Ex officio
J orge Barón, ex officio
AP Diaz, ex officio
Alejandro Grajal, ex officio
Joy Hollingsworth, ex officio
The zoo is a model of sustainable ecosystems and an exemplar of animal care, wellness, and scientific research for the benefit of each individual animal and every generation of wildlife in zoo care.
HOWL-O WOLVES!
A new pack of 6-year-old male gray wolves moved into the Living Northwest Trail! The four brothers, Tamaska (tuh-mah-skuh), Hayes, Lorenzo and Benito were born at the California Wolf Center in southern California and have been settling into their new home at the zoo. The new family group represents a subspecies of the gray wolf, known as the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), a relative of gray wolves found in the Pacific Northwest.
A New Icon: Sloth Bear Bowie
Sloth bears Bhutan and Kushali welcomed a cub on January 8. Sharing the same birthday as icon David Bowie, the cub was named Bowie, and she quickly became a zoo star. She has been seen riding on mom Kushali’s back, exploring new heights, and embarking on a culinary adventure sampling a variety of foods, bug treats and her new favorite – watermelon!
NOSE-TO-NOSE WITH TWO NEW TAPIRS
Thanks to the zoo’s exhibits and animal care teams, the tapir habitat underwent major upgrades. After all the upgrades were completed, the zoo welcomed two Malayan tapirs, Binti (bin-tee) a 2-year-old female, and Tuah (TOO-uh), a 5-year-old male to the newly upgraded space. Both have been enjoying their new digs and their care team, and Binti even squeals and whistles loudly for her keepers! Guests have been able to welcome them at the viewing point nose-to-nose.
Learn more about the upgrades here
SAY A BIG HELLO!
In addition to the new wolf pack, baby Bowie and a pair of tapirs, the zoo welcomed many new faces.
Sloth: Say hello to Fezzick, who can be found in the Tropical Rain Forest.
Flamingo Chicks: There are some new feathers at the zoo with the hatching of flamingo chicks who will make quite the additions to the flamboyance.
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
To celebrate the close of our eight-month mentoring season, we took a group of children on a joyful daytrip to Woodland Park Zoo — and what a day it was! One of the biggest highlights was spotting the snow leopard and her cubs—a breathtaking moment that left so many of our kids wide-eyed with wonder. For many, it was their first time seeing this elusive animal, and they talked about it all day long!
Best of all, the day was filled with moments of deep connection between mentors and mentees—shared wonder and memories that will last a lifetime. It was truly one of our favorite outings of the year.
–Community Access Program Partner, Royal Family Burlington
Penguin Chicks: New penguin chick, CALiente, is in a league of her own as the 98th Humboldt penguin hatched at the zoo and named in honor of Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners.
Goliath Beetles: These new additions to Bug World were hard to miss with their goliath size!
Hornbills: These forest-dwellers have been making a home at the zoo including the rhino hornbills, ground hornbills and many more species.
A New Partnership: Wildlife Confiscations Network
As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) which accredits only organizations that meet the highest standards in animal care and wellbeing, the zoo joined the Wildlife Confiscations Network, a new and growing partnership created by AZA to support U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and other federal agencies who intercept and seize wildlife being trafficked across borders and through U.S. ports of entry.
A “prickle” (or group) of African crested porcupines were seized as part of a suspected neglect case in Oregon and is now receiving housing and care at the zoo while that case is ongoing. In July, the prickle multiplied with the birth of a pair of porcupettes (baby porcupines). Guests can see the prickle in the African Savanna’s former hippo habitat.
The zoo broadens access and welcomes all to experience nature, creating unforgettable moments with emotional and social bonds that build life-long empathy for wildlife, motivating environmental values and conservation connections that can power lasting change.
So Much to See and Zoo: Events Extravaganza
On most warm, summer days, the zoo is packed with curious young children running around discovering their new favorite animals and building inspiring life-long memories. This summer, the zoo created an all-inclusive experience for adults 21+ to experience child-like wonder for themselves through special experiences at All You Can Zoo.
“NO Kids and ALL DAY!!!! From the animal keeper talks, face painting/tattoo/caricature art stations, the food, I mean the Dino cup at the Dino entrance? Come on! The s’mores, postcard, games station?!?!? The event lawn with [a] bouncy slide?? This was such
an amazing event! I expected to only be there for an hour or two and stayed five, and I still didn’t get to see everything!” - All You Can Zoo Guest
Not only did the zoo host this one-of-a-kind
All You Can Zoo event, the zoo was alive with many other memorable events including the popular beer festival, OktoBEARfest, the wine event of the year, Tasting Flight, beloved summer concert series, BECU ZooTunes presented by Carter Subaru, the firstever comedy show at the zoo featuring Seth Meyers, painting classes, brunches and much more! There was so much to see and zoo!
Jurassic Woodland Park
This summer, zoo visitors traveled back to a time when prehistoric giants roamed Earth, experiencing the wonder of more than 25 life-sized dinosaurs at our immersive Dinosaur Discovery exhibit.
Did you find this colorful dinosaur? A Dino for All was designed by Mabel, 7, who won the Design A Dinosaur Coloring Contest open to Community Access Program youth.
...I expected to only be there for an hour or two and stayed five, and I still didn’t get to see everything!
- All You Can Zoo Guest
Zoo
All You Can Zoo
BECU Zoo Tunes presented by Carter Subaru
Nobody Walks Alone
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, more than 80 seniors gather at the West Entrance of the zoo for Senior Zoo Walkers, an animal-filled social walking experience. Since 1990, this program has offered seniors a chance to make friends, socialize in nature and keep active. Many of the walkers develop deep bonds not only with each other but also with our animals including Carson, a red panda. At the end of each quarter, the program offers a senior social for the Senior Zoo Walkers to come together after a walk and learn more behind-the-scenes updates on animals and conservation initiatives.
One Senior Zoo Walker, Chris Kelly, has been participating in the program for more than six years, and in a Seattle Times article about this program, he shared, “This is the perfect combination of socializing in a beautiful environment and caring about living things. Those are really good things for your brain and soul.”
Read more about our Senior Zoo Walkers in this article published by The Seattle Times here
Senior Zoo Walkers
The partnership between Seattle Children’s Hospital and Woodland Park Zoo has created invaluable opportunities for our patients and families, bringing the magic of the zoo directly to the hospital. Through monthly virtual field trips and ambassador animal visits to the hospital, we’ve been able to offer experiences that not only enhance the well-being of our patients during hospitalization but also provide moments of joy that may otherwise be out of reach for many families.
During our in-person ambassador animal visits serving over 100 patients and families, we’ve witnessed patients, some of whom are critically ill, interacting and expressing emotions for the first time while hospitalized. The gratitude from families has been overwhelming, as they are given an experience they may not have otherwise had.
–Ursala Schwenn, Community Access Program Partner, Seattle Children’s
Curious Yousef’s Day at the Zoo
Inspired by Curious George, Yousef, a 5-year-old Make-A-Wish child, wished to meet a monkey, and in collaboration with Make-A-Wish, the zoo helped make this wish come true! Yousef started his adventurous day by meeting a staff member dressed as the Man with the Yellow Hat who presented him with a zoo scavenger hunt.
First up on his scavenger hunt was to find and meet the western lowland gorillas, and Yousef connected with young gorilla, Kitoko, who was also 5. Next,
he met the red ruffed lemurs and François langurs. Yousef was captivated by the primates, and an orangutan keeper shared a special orangutan plushie with a big heart on it, which Yousef kept close to him for the remainder of the visit. Wrapping up his day, Yousef rode the zoo’s Historic Carousel and met Glenn, the rhino. Glenn even created a colorful masterpiece with a painted nose print for Yousef to always remember his special day.
Kitoko
Glenn
Red ruffed lemur
A Buzzing Success: Protections for
Pollinators
In 2024, Woodland Park Zoo championed a major win for pollinators by driving the passage of Washington State Senate Bill 5972. This groundbreaking legislation empowers the Washington State Department of Agriculture to take action against pesticides that threaten pollinators—specifically neonicotinoids.
Building on this victory, this year, the Department announced that all neonicotinoid products for home and community gardens’ outdoor ornamental plants will be pulled from shelves by January 1, 2026. This bold step marks a huge leap forward for pollinator conservation in our state.
Discover more at zoo.org/ hellopollinators
The zoo helps reverse species and habitat loss, invests in climate mitigation and resiliency, and creates lasting conservation solutions in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, while collaborating with and equipping individuals, communities, and policy makers with the tools and capacity to boost this impact locally and globally.
Farm to Stable: Sustainable Browse Program
Did you know the lush 92-acre forest oasis of Woodland Park Zoo is also a growing ground for browse for our animals? One percent of branches, stems and leaves are harvested from the zoo’s grounds and distributed within 24-48 hours to ensure it retains its nutritional value.
The zoo has also teamed up with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle City Light (SCL) to cut back on waste, highlight sustainability and provide enrichment to animals at the zoo. As street-lining trees grow across Seattle, SCL trims them to protect them from obstructing utility lines. The zoo collects some of those cuttings using an electrically powered silage press and brings them back to the zoo for the animals to enjoy some extra crunchy treats, ensuring the branches do not go to waste.
Providing free zoo tickets to Cowlitz Indian Tribe members and other native community members promotes social well-being by offering families access to educational and cultural experiences that strengthen connections to nature—an important aspect of our heritage. This program reflects respect for our culture and sovereignty by creating opportunities that celebrate our values and enhance quality of life.
–Community Access Program Partner, Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Woodland Park Zoo has partnered with HUTAN’s Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program to restore critical habitat corridors.
Protections for Orangutans
Fostering a balanced relationship between people and nature, UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves announced a major milestone this year, adding 26 new Biosphere Reserves. These reserves have ecological significance and cultural diversity and demonstrate sustainable management of natural resources. In total, they protect five percent of the planet. These new additions have expanded protections in the Kinabatangan landscape, where Woodland Park Zoo has partnered with HUTAN Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program to restore critical habitat corridors for endangered species including orangutans and to help meet the needs of people who live in the region.
The zoo works closely with conservation partners across the world taking a comprehensive approach to conservation, including in the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program.
Sly as a Fox
A rare visitor made an appearance at a high-elevation camera station in the North Cascades—a red fox! Scientists are hopeful that this sly animal was a native Cascade red fox, an endangered species living in very remote mountainous locations. Cascade red foxes are endemic to Washington and historically occurred in the Cascades Range of Washington and southern British Columbia, but today, only a small population survives. Due to the fox’s precarious status, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) identified it as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need and wants to determine if and where Cascade red foxes occur in the North Cascades.
Woodland Park Zoo field biologists, Robert Long, PhD, Senior Conservation Scientist and Director, Northwest Carnivore Recovery Program and Paula MacKay, Carnivore Conservation Specialist, deployed the cameras last summer as part of their leadership role with the Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Program, a highly-collaborative, longterm monitoring program for wolverines, Canada lynx and other carnivores of conservation concern, including the Cascade red foxes. They will continue to operate survey stations in the area of the fox detection and work with WDFW and others researching and exploring further action steps for this species.
Learn more about carnivore conservation at Woodland Park Zoo on this wolverine feature on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.
WATCH HERE
Caught on Camera!
For 125 years, we have been creating an accessible and sustainable zoo in our 92-acre urban forest with world class animal care, immersive exhibits and conservation leadership. Woodland Park Zoo has charted a robust financial path to expand our relevance and accessibility to our community.
Community Access: Doors Open Grant Awards
Thanks to a new King County cultural funding initiative called Doors Open, Woodland Park Zoo received three grants in 2025—Sustained Support, Public Access and Cultural Equipment— administered through local nonprofit 4Culture. These grants supported access to the zoo through general operating funds, support of free and reduced admissions through the Community Access Program and more and providing essential program equipment for summer camps and internships. This support reflects the Doors Open goal of ensuring
that all residents of King County can participate in the cultural life of our region regardless of income, background or circumstance.
In 2023, the King County Council unanimously passed Doors Open legislation to increase the funding to the County’s arts, heritage, science and historic preservation non-profit organizations through a 0.1 percent sales tax. The designated distribution agency is 4Culture. Thank you to King County and 4Culture for supporting Woodland Park Zoo.
Milestone Achievements for Advancing Empathy
Congratulations to Woodland Park Zoo’s ACE for Wildlife Network® for welcoming their 1,000th member to the network in 2025! This network of zoo and aquarium professionals is led by Woodland Park Zoo’s Empathy team. Collectively, network members create, use, and evaluate practices that foster empathy to inspire their peers and communities to join in taking conservation actions across the United States.
The zoo’s Advancing Empathy (AE) Grant Program provides funding for network partners to expand capacity for empathy-based programming at their institution. Originally serving a seven-state region, the grant program now welcomes a growing geographic footprint of eligible organizations to apply. This broader geographic footprint is deepening empathy-based programs and practices across the zoo and aquarium field to inspire everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives.
You Said Yes to Green Spaces!
Since 2008, King County parks, trails, open spaces, and the zoo have depended on voter-approved levies for upkeep and preservation–and cities across our county rely on levy funding to maintain and expand local parks and playfields. At the zoo, the King County Parks Levy supports animal care, horticulture and maintenance of grounds to create accessible green spaces for all, public programs, access and more.
Thanks to voters and community members, the King County Parks Levy passed in August! This levy is a critical investment in places to recreate, play and learn. It also helps safeguard forests, farmlands, and watersheds critical to public health and climate resilience. Thank you for your support.
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Every person has the power to create meaningful change. Explore the connections we have made together to activate a powerful conservation movement.
Advancing efforts to build a more sustainable future in the Evergreen State and around the world.
247 remote cameras deployed around the Northwest to study, monitor, and recover native carnivores such as lynx, wolverines, urban carnivores and more.
50 tons of the most coveted compost, Zoo Doo, saved the zoo around $175,000 in disposal costs and turned animal waste into a valuable resource. From rhino to tigers, our animals provided plenty of material to work with this year!
Community
members advancing conservation and connecting with their natural neighborhood
120+
community members observed more than 600 amphibians in local conservation wetland areas to monitor for indicators of healthy habitats and ecosystems.
More than 170 community members joined the Seattle Urban Carnivore Project to manage remote cameras across central King County and and captured more than 360,000 wildlife photos! These photos are turned into detection data that is used for our urban carnivore research.
45 community members logged 219 bat passes around western Washington this summer—there may have been a bat pass in your neighborhood!
1,224 community members participated in the City Nature Challenge in the Seattle-Tacoma area, documenting more than 19,500 observations to advance scientific understanding of our region and discovering local nature and wildlife for themselves.
EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES
Woodland Park Zoo’s public benefits programs provided free and discounted access for our community amounting to over $37 million in value
Invested $3.3 million in 18 Advancing Empathy projects in partner zoos and aquariums
85% of guests rated their zoo experience as Excellent or Outstanding!
Visitors mentioned seeing gorillas as their #1 most memorable and favorite experience, and the bears came in at a close second!
Free and discounted tickets helping create an accessible zoo
102,399 Community Access Program tickets
5,922 Seattle & King County Public Library Pass
3,902 Explorer Pass memberships
40,736 Discover tickets
11,349 Kid at Heart day tickets
Welcoming the Young (and Young at Heart) Conservationists
63,898 Free or Discounted School Group Admissions, an increase of 30% from 2025
2,045 Summer camp participants and 146 scholarships
407 teens participated in Career Days and Teen Talks
875 Senior Zoo Walkers
300 participants in accessible Inclusion Fest
Volunteer Support
44,000+ volunteer hours amounting to more than $18.4 million in value, supporting our mission
328 Corporate volunteers from 14 unique corporations making conservation a priority in their lives by contributing to projects across the zoo
Nearly 400 community members contributed $75,000 through the fall 2025 All for Animals campaign to help care for and protect animals at home and around the world!
Nearly 4,500 guests sipped and sampled the best wines from more than 50 local wineries at Tasting Flight, raising more than $325,000 contribution margin.
More than 800 guests raised more than $2.6 million for Woodland Park Zoo at our 49th annual Jungle Party.
41st Season of BECU
ZooTunes presented by Carter Subaru welcomed 50,000 music lovers raising more than $990K contribution margin.
149,000 guests to WildLanterns presented by Western Washington Toyota Dealers generating more than $2.7 million to support the zoo’s operations and conservation mission.
Two WildLanterns Sensory Friendly evenings and one Holiday Senior Stroll welcoming more than 2,700 guests.
Open for seven days in the fall, Woodland Park Zoo’s animal ofrenda offered a space for remembrance in honor of Día de Muertos. Guests, volunteers, and staff shared photos of their beloved pets and beloved zoo creatures.
2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS AT A GLANCE*
The long-term viability of Woodland Park Zoo and our impacts on forests and our community are rooted in financial support and stability. Please see below for a 2025 financial report.
Membership
Visitor Revenues
Public Support
Donations and Grants, including In-kind
Contributions, including Bequests
Endowment Investment Gains
City-Funded Major Maintenance Funding
City Fire Insurance Reimbursements for Forest Trailhead Exhibit Construction
Animal Care
Exhibits, Horticulture,Facilities, Maintenance and Security
Guest Services, Admissions and Business Development
Fundraising, Administrative and Support Departments
Development and Membership
Marketing, Community Events and Public Affairs
Education and Conservation
City-Funded Major Maintenance
Forest Trailhead Exhibit Construction
*Unaudited. All numbers in millions.
Thank You for Supporting the Forests for All Campaign
Powered by nearly 100,000 donors and conservation advocates, Woodland Park Zoo ended its $110-million, seven-year Forests for All comprehensive campaign in 2024, surpassing its goal and raising over $120 million to reimagine what Woodland Park Zoo can be for the Pacific Northwest community, our nation and our world. At the heart of the Forests for All campaign is the signature Forest Trailhead exhibit, a place where guests will find their path in the global movement to protect, restore and sustain forests. Construction on the exhibit continued throughout 2025 and thanks to the generosity of forest advocates like you, opened in 2026 and is the most significant new exhibit at Woodland Park Zoo in a decade.
