Some VIP tiny animals are being closely monitored and cared for by Northwest Trek Wildlife Park zookeepers Chelsea and Kameron. Their charges started out looking like a gooey cluster of chia seeds when they arrived from Grant County earlier this spring. Soon, those tiny black “seeds” sprouted pointy dorsal fin tails, and their little bodies morphed into plump ovals with small eyes. They were hungry, mobile, and thriving in large black aquatic tanks carefully managed by Chelsea and Kameron. If everything goes smoothly, these little ones will grow into northern leopard frogs and be released back to Grant County later …

The 2024 Summer Olympics are starting this week, and our animals are joining in to show off their unique skills and talents. See who we think would win gold in the Zoolympics! These siblings duel and play together. Hawthorne and Huckleberry love to show off their powerful boxing and wrestling moves. Bald eagles have incredible grip strength to help them catch and hold their prey or get to higher branches. Our bald eagles are flightless due to injuries but use their claws to reach new heights! True fencing experts, the elk bulls use their antlers during rut (breeding) season to …

Summer is in full swing, and temperatures are soaring into the 90s this week. Here’s what Northwest Trek Wildlife Park keepers are doing to help the animals beat the heat. The river otters, badgers, skunks, and beavers enjoy fruit, goat milk, or popsicles. Many animals also have additional air conditioning or fans in their behind-the-scenes bedrooms. The wolves have misters around their habitat and a fan in their den, and they also receive whole prey popsicles daily.  All the cats, like the lynx, bobcats, and cougar, get goat’s milk popsicles. The black bears and grizzly bears enjoy fish-sicles and splashing …

It’s the baby season at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. During a Wild Drive or Keeper Adventure Tour, guests can try to spot five Roosevelt elk calves and multiple black-tailed deer fawns in the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area. Plus, a bonus: wild goslings and ducklings occasionally make an appearance. Roosevelt elk (named for President Theodore Roosevelt) are social, polygamous members of the deer family that can form very large herds. They breed from September- November, and after an 8.5-month pregnancy, the female gives birth to a single calf weighing 30-35 pounds. Black-tailed deer breed from October to December, and after an 8.5-month pregnancy, females …

The animals at Northwest Trek are getting into the Independence Day spirit with red, white, and blue enrichment items! Northwest Trek is OPEN July 4. Guests can see animals native to the Pacific Northwest, like patriotic bald eagles, majestic gray wolves, and mighty grizzly bears. Oh, my stars! River otters Oakley and Blakely enjoy frozen fish treats. Slither and stripes! Matcha, the garter snake, glides through patriotic pom poms. Grizzly bears Hawthorne and Huckleberry devour frozen berries and fish in their own kind of firecracker popsicles. Northwest Trek is open daily 9:30am-5pm.

State wildlife officials moved nearly 200 endangered northern leopard frog tadpoles raised at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville to their new home at the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Washington in late May. The tadpoles will continue growing in secured rearing pens until they are mature enough to hop into the wild alongside 200 additional mature frogs later this summer. “Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is proud to work with our public and private partners on the northern leopard frog project to restore the wild population,” said Curator Marc Heinzman. “It’s incredible to watch them grow from egg masses …

A group of us climbs into the open-air green Jeep at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville. We know the Keeper Adventure Tour will be memorable, and we are eager to go off-road and get up close with the bison, elk, mountain goats, and other free-roaming animals. “Hi, I’m Sunni and will be your tour guide,” says the enthusiastic keeper. “All the animals you’ll see today can be found in Washington and the Pacific Northwest, which is super cool.” When Sunni is not guiding Keeper Adventure Tours, she cares for the animals that call the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area of the …

Nearly 400 endangered northern leopard frogs will leap back into the wild soon, thanks to a recovery effort at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials delivered the frog eggs to the Eatonville wildlife park in April. “They’ve already grown from egg masses to tadpoles in a short time,” said Northwest Trek Zoological Curator Marc Heinzman. “At this rate, the frogs should be ready to hop back into the wild this summer.” Once abundant throughout North America, northern leopard frogs are rapidly disappearing from their native ranges in Washington, Oregon, and western Canada. The species has been …

Happy 2nd birthday to our rescued moose, Calli and Luna! The female moose have come a long way, and they celebrated with an out-of-this-world party. Keepers made them space-themed enrichments and fresh leafy bouquets for browsing!          

RECORD NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, OBSERVATIONS, AND SPECIES IDENTIFIED IN 2024 SEATTLE-TACOMA CITY NATURE CHALLENGE Nearly 900 observers participated in this year’s City Nature Challenge spanning King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Snohomish, and any place in between. From April 26 through April 29, community scientists submitted 16,395 nature observations—up 63% from 2023—and identified 1,868 species (+30%), showing the world the incredible biodiversity in the region’s home turf. That’s the region’s record! “It’s exciting to set a new record, year after year, and to see our community discover and appreciate native wildlife,” said Zachary Hawn, Conservation Engagement …