Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

 Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is one of the few institutions in the United States that exclusively display currently and previously native wild animals of the region. Apart from walking in a forest with exhibits for bears, mustelides, raptors and other species, visitor can take a tram tour through a free roaming area where they can see various hoofed animal species in semi-natural conditions.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, owned by Metro Parks Tacoma, opened to the public in July 1975 to offer the public, especially children, the opportunity to see and learn about native wildlife in a natural setting. The land was donated to Metro Parks Tacoma by Dr. David and Mrs. Connie Hellyer in 1971.

The Free Roaming Area Exhibit located in the heart of the park encompasses 176 hectares of rolling landscape with native forest, meadows, wetlands, ponds, creeks and two lakes. It is enclosed by a 2.5 meter high chainlink perimeter fence with two strands of electric wire on top to keep large predators like the native cougar from climbing in.

Three-unit propane-powered, 90 passenger trams transport park visitors on 55-minute naturalist-narrated tours through the Free Roaming Area where they see and learn about native hoofed animals such as moose, elk, bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, deer, caribou, all living freely within the exhibit's meadows, forest and wetlands.

2010 Zoo Trip Plans Update

Thus far this year I have visited the Akron Zoo. I still have hopes to visit:

Cleveland Zoo

The Wilds

Columbus Zoo

That's all I can see being possible right now. We're currently planning our honeymoon for the Florida Keys so that should be a good wildlife viewing opportunity. What are your 2010 zoo trip plans?

New At Busch Gardens Tampa: Walkabout Way

Busch Gardens Tampa has announced a new animal exhibit, Walkabout Way, scheduled to open at the park on June 14th. The new area will allow guests to hand feed kangaroos and wallabies, and see a kookaburra, magpie geese, Australian black swans, and more.

Kangaloom, the centerpiece of the new area, features red and grey kangaroos and Bennett's wallabies, which guests can feed at regularly scheduled times. The Kookaburra's Nest, a free flight aviary, will feature many species of birds native to Australia, and Aussie Station will allow guests to interact with a variety of exotic species.

The new area is an expansion of the Bird Gardens section of the park.

The park is also rumored to get a new coaster in 2011.

SeaWorld Orlando orca dies giving birth

More sad news out of Orlando. A killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando died Sunday from complications that arose while she was giving birth, officials said. The park said Taima, a 20-year-old orca born at SeaWorld Orlando in 1990, died late in the afternoon, approximately 20 hours after going into labor Saturday evening. The calf was stillborn. Read more from The Orlando Sentinel.

Detroit Zoo Fall 2009 Video

I've been sitting on this footage for almost a year. I'm not happy with the result but I'd figure I would post it anyways. The Detroit Zoo in October is a great time to video the animals, like the baby red panda!




Music is We Were Promised Jetpacks. Starts out good but probably turns too heavy for the video.

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