Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium welcomes 7 goat kids

TACOMA, Wash. - You goat to be kidding me! The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma announced the arrival of seven 7-week old baby goats.

The kids are viewable to guests but are not ready for touching or feeding yet. Once they're bigger, they'll be able to mingle with the current herd in the Kids' Zone Area.

"We will give them plenty of time to get settled in and acquainted with keepers," said Curator Natalie Davis.

Keepers will bottle-feed the kids and monitor their weight and overall development. Like human kids, they have plenty of toys or "enrichment" items to explore, like a slide.

The kids were named Kettle, Biscuit, Hopper, Crumpet, Daisy Mae, Rhubarb and Thistle by their keepers.

The keepers will teach the kids to recognize and respond to their names, using positive reinforcements, like treats, to train them.

Guests can meet and feed the herd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Again, this will not feature the kids until they are bigger.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Things to see at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Penguin nesting

The Magellanic penguins have started their nesting season. Guests will see long grass added into the habitat so penguin mates can begin gathering materials to build their nests.

This year, keepers added a new nesting material: lavender.

"Lavender has antibacterial properties that make a cleaner nest and more sterile environment for chicks," explained the zoo’s Marine Mammals and Birds Curator Jen. "The lavender has proved to be very popular among the penguins!"

For the penguins with eggs, the attentive parents take turns incubating the eggs to keep them warm and switch off every few days. Each penguin parent has a bare patch on their lower abdomen called a brood patch that allows their body heat to help keep the eggs warm.

If the incubation is successful, chicks will hatch by May to early June. It takes around 38-42 days for the eggs to hatch. New chicks in the penguin colony would make this the eighth consecutive year of hatching.

Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater Animal Show returns

Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater keepers are currently working with the animals on jumping, flying, running, and other athletic behaviors in preparation for the show's opening weekend at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium on May 4 and 5.

"Throughout the show, staff explain the animals' behaviors and teach about positive-reinforcement training," said Wild Wonders Curator Lacey Zeno. "Training the animals allows the keepers and veterinary team to easily give them wellness exams when needed, and ensures they live healthy, stimulating lives."

During the show, the live audience meets a wizard who cares for mythical creatures with a magical staff. The keepers teach the wizard how they train animals to participate in their own health care and how to provide daily enrichment to encourage natural behaviors. With help from the keepers and the wizard's mentor, Professor Dumbledog, she has a realization about the importance of caring for animals.

The show returns May 4 and runs daily at 11:30 a.m. Beginning June 17th, the show will run daily at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

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