Latin music, a ribbon cutting and other festivities ushered in Woodland Park Zoo’s new West Entrance and its new meerkats exhibit yesterday morning.

The new entrance on Phinney Avenue between North 55th and 56th streets features a wide walkway winding its way down to a large central courtyard framed by a long ticketing area. The upbeat Latin sounds ofCocoLoco brightened the atmosphere on an otherwise gray, but dry, day.

“It’s so open,” said zoo spokesperson Gigi Allianic of the new entrance. “It’s a nice welcoming space.”

Whether it was the more inviting environs, or an improved setup, ticketing seemed to be much faster than at the old west entrance where long lines were common. Allianic said the true test will be on a warm, sunny, summer day, when crowds are at their peak.

Many zoo visitors who made a beeline for the heavily advertised meerkat exhibit were not disappointed by the playful, scampering animals.

We weren’t kidding about all the activity this weekend to usher in the beginning of a real spring to Seattle. We’ve posted about the Fremont Village Festival, May Day (Fremont Arts Council) and now, the opening of the Meerkats exhibit on Saturday.

After a 10-year absence, meerkats are back at the Woodland Park Zoo - and yes, it’s made the heart grow fonder. Perhaps it was “Meerkat Manor,” or the impression left by Rudyard Kipling’s mongoose hero Rikki Tikki Tavi, but for whatever reason, it’s hard to resist these social creatures.

Visitors to the zoo will be able to see 8 meerkats at the revamped Adaptations Building, where they can observe them diving into tunnels, taking care of their young, or in the pose most associated with them, standing at attention “as sentinels of their new habitat.”

Their new Seattle digs are a world away from their natural habitat: the semi-arid savanna of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. Temperatures reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and drop close to freezing in the winter.

The zoo has created an experience that allows visitors to look into a log den and see what life is like inside meerkat burrows, which serve as nursery and nesting rooms.

Parents: your kids can co-opt meerkat behavior in a newly-built play area located at the north entrance of the building.

If you haven’t gone to the zoo in awhile, you’ll notice something else: the new West Entrance (at Phinney Ave. N. between N. 55th Street and N. 56th Street), which replaces the current North and West Entrances.

The zoo is going to debut a new entry system that is designed to reduce wait times on busy days from 45 minutes to no more than 5 minutes. Also at this new 58,000 square-foot entry point: access to stroller or wheelchair rental, restrooms, coffee, souvenirs, and improved membership services.

The annual Spring Fecal Fest is here again. The popular Zoo Doo has been piling up and the “Prince of Poo” is ready to get rid of the “most exotic and highly prized compost in the Pacific Northwest,” as the zoo calls it.

Photo courtesy Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo
To enter for a chance to buy some of this steamy Zoo Doo or Bedspread (similar to Zoo Doo, but with higher amounts of wood chips and sawdust), send in a postcard from March 5 through March 20.

You are only allowed to send in one postcard for each drawing. For Zoo Doo, mark your postcard “Zoo Doo.” For Bedspread, mark your postcard “B.S.” Entry cards will be selected randomly for as many entrants possible. Dr. Doo will contact the lucky drawn entries only. Send a standard postcard to:
Dr. Doo
Woodland Park Zoo
601 N. 59th St.
Seattle, WA 98103.

Include the following information:

• Name
• Day and evening phone numbers
• Preference: Zoo Doo or Bedspread
• Amount of Zoo Doo or Bedspread you’d like to purchase (anything from a garbage bag to a full-size, pick-up truck load)
• Weekday or weekend preference for pick-up

The cost for Zoo Doo and Bedspread: Pick-up truck 8×4 bed: $60; 6×4 bed: $45; 6×3 bed: $35. Limit one full truck per person. Garbage cans: $8 to $10 depending on size; bags: $4 to $6 depending on size. Two-gallon and pint-sized buckets are available anytime at the ZooStore for $14.95 and $4.95, respectively.

Pick-up dates for Zoo Doo or Bedspread begin April 16 through May 2. The lucky winners load the compost, using shovels provided by the zoo.

Determined to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the animals of the Woodland Park Zoo, a crowd of hearty Washingtonians scoffed at the wind and rain last Saturday to watch animals share Valentine’s Day-themed treats like heart-shaped boxes filled with fruit, heart-shaped fruit wreaths and heart-shaped ice pops.

The annual event is what’s called “thematic enrichment,” according to zoo spokesperson Gigi Allianic. “Enrichment is the process of creating a challenging environment to address an animal’s social, psychological and physical needs,” Allianic said. She added that such events contribute to successful breeding of endangered species in captivity and connecting zoo visitors to the animals. “It’s an opportunity for visitors to learn about behavioral enrichment,” Allianic said.

Allianic said themed events are not only a great way for visitors to learn about the zoo’s animals, but is also an important part of caring for the animals. “It reinforces natural behavior such as exploring and foraging and is a part of the daily care program,” Allianic said.

While Valentine’s Day at the zoo is a hit with heart-shaped treats being fed to the animals, Allianic said it’s not the only event that draws a crowd. The zoo offers other events on Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Allianic said she proposed the idea in 2004 of having a series of zoo events that corresponded to yearly holidays. The idea became reality with the help of the zoo’s animal management team.

On Saturday, zoo visitor Carroll Ladasgaskin was standing in a nearby tree to watch several lemurs fight over a heart-shaped box smothered in smashed bananas. She said she found out about the event by accident last year during a Valentine’s Day visit.

“We were so excited; we went around to every place we could go,” Ladasgaskin said.

Ladasgaskin said this year she was going to hurry to visit all of the animals she could before the zoo closed for the day.

“As soon as these [lemurs] are finished we’re gonna run, even in the rain,” she said.

Ladasgaskin added that she is very excited not only for her own enjoyment of the animals, but for the positive affects these events have on the animals themselves.

“I think it’s great because animals that are enclosed, as beautiful an environment as this is — they need enrichment; they need to have little spices in their life just like us,” Ladasgaskin said. “I think it’s quite perfect.”

Zoo visitor said Beau Hayden said he and his family didn’t know about the event prior to their visit, but really enjoyed it and are looking forward to coming back next year. Hayden said his favorite animals of the day were the snow leopards. “They gave them a box and they were playing with it; it was really cool,” Hayden said.

Of course adults weren’t the only ones who had a good time; a young brother-sister duo by the names of Liam and Frances said they had a lot of fun, too.

When asked what his favorite animal was and what treat it got, Liam said he liked the gorillas and that they got a paper bag as their treat.

Frances said she liked most of the monkeys but wasn’t able to see what their treat was.

The next enrichment event at the Woodland Park Zoo will be Easter-themed, on April 3. For more information about upcoming events, visit the Woodland Park Zoo events calendar.

(Contributor Chris Mongillo is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.)

A Chilean flamingo chick hatched at the Woodland Park Zoo last Tuesday.  The little fluff ball is the first of its kind to hatch there in the history of the zoo.

The first flock of Chilean flamingos arrived at the zoo in 1983 but were moved to make way for construction of the Rain Forest Food Pavilion.  A new flock of more than 25 flamingos were later donated to the zoo for an exhibit that opened in 2008.

This spring represented the first full breeding season for the new flock in the new exhibit as the graceful birds put on a striking show of synchronized courtship and ritualized behaviors for zoo guests - head flagging, wing saluting and marching in sequence and unison. This active display culminated with nest building, egg laying and one chick to date!

For the meantime, the chick is off public exhibit while expert staff hand-raise and hand-feed it to give the chick a higher chance of survival.  However, visitors can see the adult flamingos and nests in their exhibit near the Temperate Forest.

Three more eggs are currently being artificially incubated and are expected to hatch in the next few days.  (Photo: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo)

A second penguin has died at the new Humboldt Penguin exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo.

According to a press release sent out today, 21-year-old “Burkles” died Tuesday night from complications related to a possible case of avian malaria. The bird had been undergoing intensive treatment, including a blood transfusion, since the onset of the symptoms last week. “Penguins are known to be especially prone to avian malaria. However, like other diseases spread by mosquitoes, avian malaria is not typically a major concern in the Pacific Northwest because of our relatively small mosquito population,” said Dr. Darin Collins, Woodland Park Zoo Director of Animal Health. “It’s important to stress that zoo visitors are not at risk. Neither birds nor mosquitoes can transmit avian malaria to humans,” Dr. Collins added.

This is the second penguin death this month. It was thought that the first bird died after ingesting sealant material from a pipe. Subsequent tests done on that bird revealed the presence of avian malaria, which may have contributed to his death. Three other penguins are showing minor symptoms of avian malaria and are undergoing treatment. The zoo has sent in blood samples to the lab and results are due back within ten days. (Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo)

The colorful, creative and bedazzled penguins start their march today toward the Woodland Park Zoo. Back in April the Zoo did a “call for artists” to dress up 22-inch fabricated penguins in honor of the new Humboldt Penguin exhibit. Today, more than 50 penguins will start migrating from the Seattle Center through Ballard, Fremont and Greenwood/Phinney. Shown here is Laura Bee Designs’ “Dorothy Parker Penguin” complete with a pearl button necklace and a patent leather purse. Tonight the Art Up/Open Up Greenwood-Phinney art walk will feature 30 of the penguins from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The penguins will be auctioned off in July to benefit Woodland Park Zoo’s field conservation program.