Phinney Ridge families walking past the Reptile Realm exhibit at Woodland Park Zoo have a new neighbor to look for: a round-faced, absurdly fluffy wild cat named Goose.

The zoo announced Sunday, July 19, that Goose, a two-year-old male Pallas's cat, is now on display in the outdoor portion of Reptile Realm.

He arrived from Columbus Zoo in Ohio and is the first manul — the Mongolian name for the species — to live at Woodland Park Zoo since 2005, when the zoo's last one died of age-related causes.

That's a 21-year gap.

Pallas's cats weigh about 10 pounds and stretch roughly 26 inches long, similar to a house cat, the zoo said in a blog post. Their dense, long coats make them look much bigger.

Their flat faces, wide-set ears, and round pupils give them expressions often compared to a perpetual scowl.

Verador noted that Goose got his name at Columbus Zoo to rhyme with his father, Moose, and his brother, Rooster.

A sister city connection

Woodland Park Zoo's manul history traces back to Seattle's relationship with Chongqing, China. The zoo received its first two Pallas's cats — both females — in 1992 as a gift from Chongqing Zoo, part of the Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association.

That partnership, established in 1983, has produced more than 200 exchanges in education, arts, government, trade, and science, according to the city of Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

Goose didn't arrive through that same diplomatic channel. But his presence returns the species to a zoo where manuls first appeared through international friendship more than three decades ago.

If you go

Woodland Park Zoo is open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

Tickets must be purchased online at tickets.zoo.org; they are no longer sold at the entrance. Children age 2 and younger enter free. The zoo is at 5500 Phinney Ave. N.

Coming up at the zoo

The BECU ZooTunes concert series continues Thursday, July 23, with Maren Morris performing at the North Meadow. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.