#Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

[wigmund]

Willow the Muskox getting a serious case of zoomies at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington

[ft-fenwick]

Seattle Road Trip

Point Defiance Aquarium - Tacoma, WA

[trans-yllz]

beasts from the zoo today

[digitalcockroach]

i think this year for my bday im gonna try and take a greyhound up to tacoma and go back to the point defiance zoo and aquarium - i went there kind of spontaneously as a detour on a trip to seattle way back for my 16th bday and have followed them on social media for a while now too bc they're just a really great zoo and aquarium imo and since i go to the oregon zoo all the time (and its a pain in the ASS to go to the oregon coast aquarium ive only been once as a little kid and i WANTED to try and do that but the transit infrastructure to/at the coast is pretty dismal) it would be great to see that one again! i remember their tiger enclosure especially is SO much nicer and newer than ours <3 it's like a 2.5 hour greyhound into tacoma then another hour-hour and half of city transit and between the roundtrip bus tickets and the admission cost it'll be like $100 for a day out and I'll probably have to go alone bc it's expensive and nobody else will put up with 5 hours roundtrip bus travel BUT ITLL BE SO FUN

[the-pessimists-paradigm]

° jellyfish °

[engagemythrusters]

^ the only thing keeping me sane in this world

the only thing that will fix me now is visiting the baby tapir

[haveyoubeentothismuseum]

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, please <3

Have you been to...

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, WA

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

You’ve seen those photos of dogs snapped through catching a treat, with just the silliest faces? I see those and raise you: a tiger catching meatballs.

This is Kali, a Sumatran tigress at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from National Geographic. All photographs byJoel Sartore:

CARACAL | CARACAL CARACAL Consummate predators, some small wildcats can take down larger prey. The caracal of Asia and Africa is less than two feet tall but has been filmed leaping over nine-foot fences to prey on sheep. PHOTOGRAPHED AT COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM, OHIO

PALLAS'S | CATOTOCOLOBUS MANUL A famously grumpy expression made this Central Asian species an Internet star. Conservationists hope the cat’s celebrity will help save its habitat from encroaching farms and other threats. PHOTOGRAPHED AT COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM, OHIO

IBERIAN LYNX | LYNX PARDINUS One of the world’s rarest cats, the Iberian lynx is slowly increasing in number as scientists release captive-raised cats and boost populations of rabbits, the lynx’s staple food. PHOTOGRAPHED AT MADRID ZOO AND AQUARIUM, SPAIN

FISHING CAT | PRIONAILURUS VIVERRINUS The cat may look peculiar, but it’s perfectly adapted to its lifestyle: Big eyes help snare prey underwater, double-coated fur keeps out the wet, and partially webbed feet and a muscular, rudderlike tail aid in swimming. PHOTOGRAPHED AT POINT DEFIANCE ZOO AND AQUARIUM IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON

EURASIAN LYNX | LYNX LYNX The largest of the four lynx species, the Eurasian lynx also has a huge range, including most of Europe and parts of Central Asia and Russia. Unlike many other small cats, its population is stable and threats are relatively low—although some isolated subgroups are critically endangered. PHOTOGRAPHED AT COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM, OHIO

JAGUARUNDI | SHERPAILURUS YAGOUAROUNDI With long, squat bodies and tiny ears, jaguarundis are otterlike in appearance. Thanks to their huge range—parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America—and lack of widespread hunting, the cat is considered a species of least concern. PHOTOGRAPHED AT BEAR CREEK FELINE CENTER, FLORIDA

LEOPARD CAT | PRIONAILURUS BENGALENSIS. PHOTOGRAPHED AT ANDERSON, INDIANA

RUSTY-SPOTTED CAT | PRIONAILURUS RUBIGINOSUS The smallest of the small cats, the rusty-spotted cat, a native of India and Sri Lanka, can weigh as little as two pounds. Not much is known about the speckled feline, but destruction of habitat, hunting, and hybridizing with domestic cats are threats. PHOTOGRAPHED AT EXMOOR ZOO, ENGLAND

AFRICAN GOLDEN CAT | CARACAL AURATA Inhabiting the rain forests of West and Central Africa, this species is threatened by forest loss and bush-meat hunters. This seven-year-old male, Tigri, is likely the only cat of its kind in captivity. PHOTOGRAPHED AT PARC ASSANGO, LIBREVILLE, GABON

SAND CAT | FELIS MARGARITA. PHOTOGRAPHED AT CHATTANOOGA ZOO, TENNESSEE

CANADA LYNX | LYNX CANADENSIS Like the Iberian lynx, the Canada lynx is a specialist hunter, preying almost exclusively on snowshoe hare. The North American species has giant paws that help it run through deep snow after prey. PHOTOGRAPHED AT POINT DEFIANCE ZOO AND AQUARIUM, WASHINGTON

MARGAY | LEOPARDUS WIEDII. PHOTOGRAPHED AT CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN, OHIO

SERVAL | LEPTAILURUS SERVAL. PHOTOGRAPHED AT FORT WORTH ZOO, TEXAS

[typhlonectes]

Today, we’re celebrating our wonderful Malayan tapir, Yuna, who turns 11 today! (April 15th)

Yuna welcomed her calf, Ume, just two months ago, and she’s been an incredible mother from day one. Yuna's spending her birthday doing what she loves most — relaxing in the pool, snacking on her favorite treats, and keeping a watchful eye on little Ume.

via: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

[mountrainiernps]

NPS/K. Bacher Photo of a fisher being released at Mount Rainier National Park in 2016.

World Wildlife Day recognizes the importance of recovering endangered species, an essential part of conserving and restoring healthy ecosystems. Historically a common species in Washington, fishers (Pekania pennanti) were over-trapped to extinction due to their highly valuable fur. Fishers are a medium sized carnivore belonging to the weasel family. Known for their skillful and ferocious hunting, fishers are the only animal able to effectively predate porcupines. The Cascades Fisher Reintroduction Project was successfully able to translocate 170 fishers from Canada to the Washington Cascades, including 81 fishers into the Southern Cascades around Mount Rainier. Reproduction was documented in both the North and South Cascades within two years of release, and survival through a breeding season was high in both areas. Some animals were located enough times to determine that a home range had likely been established.

NPS Photo of a fisher.

The success of this project is due to the collaboration and participation of many project partners including the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Conservation Northwest, Calgary Zoo, Northwest Trek, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, expert trappers, and many others.

Learn more about fisher reintroduction at https://go.nps.gov/FisherReintroduction.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium: Tacoma, WA

Hello, little one! Meet the adorable Malayan tapir calf that was born Sunday night. The newborn, covered in distinctive white spots and stripes that resemble a tiny, walking fuzzy watermelon, is only the second ever born at the Zoo in our 120-year history. Mom and baby are both doing well and bonding behind the scenes. We will announce the sex and name soon.

pdza.org

[boobookittenartblog]

Artwork by Elise Jaskiewicz

“A little illustration I made of Ume, the endangered Malayan tapir that was recently born at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium”

[wannabeezoology]

This was early (for me) in the morning when I had training. Usually I don’t see the red wolves so well!

Red wolves are highly endangered and at one point there were only about 14 of them on earth. Thanks to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, the numbers have gone up but sadly they have give down again due to gun-happy men shooting them thinking they are taking their livestock when in reality they only eat small critters. They’re not eating your cows and sheep! They are often confused with coyotes. They are a little bigger than a coyote but smaller than a gray wolf. In the wild they have been reintroduced to an an island in North Carolina where there is less than 20. Luckily there are more in captivity but the numbers are still low at around 250-290 animals left in the world.

Red Wolves eat smaller mammals like raccoons, rabbits, and rodents, and rarely, white-tailed deer. They are NOT after your livestock.

Learn more

[the-pessimists-paradigm]

° aquarium °