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 …

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 …

For many, it’s a late-winter hobby, but for the keepers in Northwest Trek Wildlife Park’s 435-acre Free-Roaming Area, it’s just another part of their job: shed hunting. The bull (male) elk are beginning to drop their antlers—a yearly occurrence that happens a few months after breeding season due to a decrease in testosterone. “We’ve already seen some impressively large antlers drop,” said assistant curator Dave. When a bull elk drops its antlers, they immediately begin growing a new set. “Antler grows faster than any other bone,” said Dave. “During the summer months, bull elk antlers can grow up to ¾ …

As another year ends, we reflect on the special moments Northwest Trek Wildlife Park had the privilege of being a part of in 2023. We raised and released hundreds of endangered northern leopard frogs into the wild, provided a new home to a hoary marmot, and helped Tacoma students develop empathy for wildlife through our award-winning Wildlife Champions program. Enjoy some of our favorite photos from this year, taken by staff photographer Katie Cotterill. Brothers gotta hug! Grizzly bears Huckleberry and Hawthorne hug during a wrestling play session. Mountain goat Klahhane sticks out his tongue. An elk calf stays close …

Ride the Jeep to the elk rut action.
Members $110 / Non-Members: $125

Some people think springtime is their favorite time to visit the wildlife park to see baby animals. To others, summer is the best time: grizzly bears splashing around in pools and icy treats for everyone. And to others, winter offers a chance to see how animals adapt to colder temperatures and grow extra layers of fur. But to many, autumn is the most magical time: A palette of bronze sweeps the hillsides—golden light streams through the trees. Dust rises from animals, rolling and sparring. And through the forest comes an eerie, haunting whistle – the sound of elk bugling.   …

At Northwest Trek, fall is a magical time. A palette of bronze sweeps the hillsides. Golden light streams through the trees. Dust rises from bison, rolling and sparring. And through the forest comes an eerie, haunting whistle – the sound of elk bugling. The rut – mating season – runs September-October. Out in the Free Roaming Area, male elk, bison and bighorn sheep vie for dominance and select their mates. The perfect way to experience this magic up close? An Elk Bugling Tour. This year, we get you off-road and up to the action in the keeper Jeep, with just …

Ride the Jeep to the elk rut action.
Members $110/Non-Members: $125

Ride the Jeep to the elk rut action.
Members $110 / Non-Members: $125