SEATTLE — Behind the locked gates, there's an unusual stillness at Woodland Park Zoo. It’s been closed to guests since March 12.
"It's got this peaceful vibe, but at the same time we'd rather it be the other way," said Rachel Salant, Curator of Behavioral Husbandry and Ambassador Animals
Essential staff like Salant miss the crowds. But the truth is, no one really knows what the animals think.
Many of them resemble humans in quarantine right now – napping, snacking, and finding ways to amuse themselves.
One of the zoo's newest members, a two-month-old baby gorilla, is living his best life in his mama's arms.
Salant said certain species, like the wolves, do acknowledge people more than they used to.
"They take notice, and how we know that is sometimes animals will watch and track the essential employees that are walking around the zoo, and maybe normally they would have ignored them,” she said.
The big difference isn't so much what's happening inside the exhibits, but outside.
“Ambassador animals” – the ones you usually see on stages or in programs for guests – are being brought out to “meet” other species.
"Interacting with people is their job, and so they're not doing that right now,” Salant said.
The visits keep Ambassador Animals engaged, and the exhibit animals stimulated.
On the day we visited behind-the-scenes, Skyaana the porcupine roamed next to the penguin exhibit. Her eyesight isn’t top-notch, but the penguins definitely saw her. She enjoyed some treats as they looked on in wonder.
"It's fun for everybody,” Salant said. “It's fun for the ambassador, it's fun for the animal in the exhibit, and it's also fun for the keepers."
Many of the encounters are being shared on Woodland Park Zoo’s digital platforms.
Salant said keepers monitor the animals’ reactions and don’t ever force them to do anything outside their comfort zone.
She emphasized the effort to make sure an uncertain world outside has a minimum impact on those living inside.
"Animal welfare comes first and we're all so happy to be here to provide that to our animals,” she said.
Only critical operations personnel are still allowed on zoo grounds - they include animal care, veterinary staff, exhibit staff, maintenance and groundskeepers. Employees have been split into two different teams so there's no overlap, helping to better protect everyone from coronavirus exposure.
Woodland Park Zoo is participating in the 2-day GiveBig event on May 5 and 6, hoping to reach a $40,000 fundraising goal.
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