SEATTLE — It's been a baby-full year at Woodland Park Zoo. And now the public can catch a glimpse of some of these new additions when they visit.
Newcomers Dory the river otter pup - and snow leopard cubs Raya, Phyllis and Lenny are fan favorites.
Dory is 5 months old, and adept at stealing the show – even during interviews. She frolicked in the background with her mom Valkyrie when we talked to Beth Carlyle-Askew, Woodland Park Zoo’s interim animal care manager.
"That's Dory there. She does follow mom but as she's gotten older she's gotten much more out on her own. And independent,” said Carlyle-Askew. “She has more of an outgoing personality like her mom so she will swim with mom, she will follow mom...she's also willing to go out on her own.”
Dory’s favorite pastime appears to be pestering mom.
“She's learning skills so mom does do a lot of wrestling with her and allows her to do it, but there's always a line," said said Carlyle-Askew. "Mom says ‘No, you need to go. Time out.’”
When snow leopard mama Marai gave birth to her cubs on Memorial Day this year - they captured hearts even before people could meet them in person.
Tens of thousands of fans watched on the zoo's Instagram page as they learned to carnivore and grew big enough to go out in public. Best time to see these three newcomers is between 9:30 a.m. and noon.
"These guys are pretty cute to see, they've got a lot of energy, and then, they all have to take a nap," Carlyle-Askew said.
Woodland Park Zoo has long been a conservation partner with the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT).
This baby boom means much more than cuteness overload for zoo-goers.
“This tells us that we are doing things right with our husbandry,” said Carlyle-Askew. “Breeding comes about when you've got good nutrition, good spaces, and the animals feel like they're in a good place.”
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