Tickets on sale now. Purchase tickets here.  Ghosts, goblins, and gourds – you can find all of that at the Zoo’s annual Halloween event, Zoo Boo. But something else festive is … Continued

An underwater crisis is happening, and there isn’t one apparent reason. Since the 1870s, South Puget Sound’s shorelines have lost about two-thirds of their bull kelp forests, according to a … Continued

Larry Gordon, a 30-year-old leopard eel, recently traveled from his home at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium to Summit Veterinary Hospital to receive a CT scan. In April, Zoo Associate … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is now home to a new rescued Arctic fox named Sven. Guests can meet the three-year-old fox in the newly renovated fox habitat in the … Continued

After six sets of teeth and one additional molar, Suki the Asian elephant has lost her final tooth. Suki is extraordinary. At 57, she is a senior elephant and has … Continued

What takes up to 10 hands, a calm demeanor, incredible skill … and maybe a little luck? Try drawing blood from a snake. Unlike some species, snakes don’t have visible … Continued

If you have children at home, it’s likely you’ve heard the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the Disney movie Encanto. And if you don’t have children, you may … Continued

The word “enrichment” is said dozens of times a day around the Zoo. As in, “we have Suki’s enrichment ready” or “Indah really seemed to enjoy her enrichment today” or … Continued

Did you know that Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is home to the largest jellyfish display in Oregon and Washington. And now we have even more! Upside down jellyfish are … Continued

Lunar New Year is on February 1. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. If you were born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 … Continued

Love is in the air at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! There’s no concrete way to measure an animal’s love but many of the animals at the zoo are coupled … Continued

Alduin, a five-year-old axolotl, recently underwent a routine wellness exam at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Veterinary and animal care staff weighed Alduin, took X-rays, and checked his eyes and … Continued

Love animals? Care about conservation? Become a volunteer at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and inspire others to make protecting wildlife a priority. The zoo is accepting applications through Feb. … Continued

What a year this has been! Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium provided a home and second chance to a rescued sea lion named Björn, celebrated the births of a Southern … Continued

Blizzard the polar bear celebrated his birthday at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium with all his favorite things: cake, a tree, a big barrel and more than 2,000 pounds of … Continued

A four-month-old clouded leopard cub named Rakhan (pronounced Rah-kaan) recently arrived at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The cub joins the zoo on a breeding recommendation through the Species Survival Plan®. … Continued

PUPDATE Jan. 11: At 1.5 pounds, Segway has more than quadrupled her weight in two months. The growing pup is doing well and continues to be with Vespa behind the … Continued

On Friday, November 5, federal, state, tribal and partner biologists released five fishers from Alberta, Canada into the lush, coastal forest near Lake Ozette, the latest event in a nearly … Continued

UPDATE: 12/7/2021: The pup has a name! Keepers named the pup “Segway.” Read more here. Southern three-banded armadillos Vespa and Scooter welcomed a female pup into the world in late … Continued

“I love Tippy and Tippy loves me.” Meet Liam Parnell. He’s a sweet boy who really, really loves sharks, especially the blacktip reef shark at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium … Continued

More than 21,500 people have come eye-to-eye with the sharks at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in an underwater cage to see nurse, sandbar, blacktip reef, sand tiger and zebra … Continued

UPDATE: Our South Pacific Aquarium will reopen in Spring 2024. After 32 hardworking years, the popular South Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium needs some love. In November … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium staff are mourning the loss of Kirana, a female  Sumatran tiger who died this morning after experiencing severe injuries during a breeding introduction as part … Continued

UPDATE December 2021: Our veterinarians have been working with veterinary oncologists and Blizzard’s care team to provide the best possible care for Blizzard. The senior polar bear is receiving oral … Continued

On a rainy, late-summer morning in Tacoma, keeper Cindy is watching the puffins. She’s drenched, but that’s just part of the job she loves. The “unglamorous” part of keeper life … Continued

Russell Pharr, a staff biologist at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). AAZK supports zookeepers … Continued

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is home to three sea otters in the Rocky Shores habitat. Every September, one week is dedicated to bringing awareness to sea otters. Sea otters … Continued

After a week of public voting, fans chose Gertie as the name for the new giant Pacific octopus in the Pacific Seas Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The … Continued

Clouded leopards are endangered. Their tropical forests are being cut down for logging, human habitat and to grow palm oil, a common food product. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium plays … Continued

Students from Tacoma School District’s Science and Math Institute (SAMI) recently helped shovel a truckload of sand into Blizzard the polar bear’s habitat. “The sand cools off Blizzard in the … Continued