Drama, large and small, at Woodland Park Zoo for New Year

New Year's Day and what to do? Well, cuddle up under the heat lamp and chow down, of course.

So it went at Woodland Park Zoo on New Year's Day, as animals rang in the new year doing what they do best. The lion strutted and roared, and eschewed his heated rock in favor of a lie down in the cool, wet grass. But then, he's said to be in love. His mate was not out New Year's morning to give her side of the story, but lion cubs may be in store for 2009, according to Rebecca Whitham, spokeswoman for the zoo.

The hippos were pouting in the morning chill, as hippos do so very well, lumped in a heap, backs to the visitors, and lying still as stones. No New Year's resolutions to pare off the pounds in that crowd.

The zebras stoically cropped grass, and the giraffes swan-necked toward one another.

Over at the gorilla exhibit, a family drama was unfolding.

"It's sort of a soap opera," explained keeper Hugh Bailey of the situation with Pete, a silverback gorilla who needs help managing his transition to elder statesman.

As he ages, Pete, 40, isn't as assertive as he used to be, which complicates his relations with other gorillas in his group. "He doesn't have the energy he used to keep them in line, he can't settle things like he used to, so there is more tension," Bailey said.

Pete munched on holiday treats of fresh vegetables as Bailey spoke, looking philosophical. The zoo intends to regroup the gorillas in 2009, separating them in to three smaller populations instead of two groups of six and five, to help Pete cope.

And over at Bug World, survival itself was at stake. Drab brown, barely moving, and no bigger than a pinkie fingernail, partula snails imparted their quiet charisma for keeper Susan Andersen, who is attuned to their subtle charm.

"They are beautiful little things," she said softly, lifting the plastic wrap from their tank to watch the partulas slide over a glass plate smeared with a green goo of powdered trout chow, cuttlebone, oatmeal and vitamin powder. "You have to look for it, but they have their little personalities," she said.

The snails were wiped out in their native Tahiti because of a plague of introduced exotic carnivorous rosy wolf snails. From a rescue of 126 partula snails in 2003, the zoo has rebuilt a population of about 1,000 partulas.

"I go home and think, you know what, we saved something today," Andersen said.

She's rooting for the possibility that some of the partulas she cares for will be flown to Tahiti, to reintroduce the species there in 2009.

Of course the big splash in the coming year is a penguin exhibit, opening in May, including underwater viewing areas. It will be the biggest new attraction at the zoo in a decade.

But with more than 1,000 animals and 300 species at Woodland Park, "there's always something new at the zoo every day," Whitham said.

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com