Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2015

The spectacled bear cubs have been named Mayni and Muniri.

Public picks names for two Andean bear cubs at National Zoo - The Washington Post

 

There is a new gorilla at the zoo named Calaya

She came from the Woodland Park Zoo based on a Species Survival Plan breeding recommendation.

By the way does anyone know what the zoos current big project is?

 

An owl with puncture wounds was found in the fishing cat habitat.

Injured owl found in fishing cat exhibit at the National Zoo - The Washington Post

And an article about the new gorilla:

National Zoo home to new western lowland gorilla - WTOP

 

Just noticed the zoo edited it's website a bit

 

For the first time ever, the Zoo has brought in frozen semen from China for breeding.

National Zoo imports frozen semen for panda breeding - CBS News

 

I was recently looking on the Smithsonian's website and I found some exhibits the zoo used to have, And I was wondering if anyone had any photos of some of these old exhibits

Search | Exhibitions | Smithsonian

Some exhibits are:
Australia Pavilion
Animals Native to India
North American Mammal Exhibit

 

I was looking at some of the past exhibits on the Smithsonian website and I saw that the Invertebrates exhibit closed in June of 2014. I haven't been since 2010, but I also never remember seeing them mention it was closing. Does anyone know why they decided to close it down? I always thought it was a unique exhibit for the zoo being more than just insects but all types of Invertebrates.

 

This topic I believe has been extensively talked about on this thread in the past so if you dig around a bit you should find some more information. I believe it had to do with the cost of running the exhibit. I, too, find it a huge shame that it closed as it was one of my favorite parts of the zoo.

~Thylo

 

I don't think that National Zoo ever had a special exhibit dedicated to animals of India (not since late 90s for sure). The Asian Trail is fairly new but it is not limited to Indian species.
North American exhibit is still there - they recently revamped the seals and sea lions' pools, otherwise the exhibit is very similar to how it was in the 90s and has almost same species ( though timber wolves replaced Mexican wolves and ravens replaced bobcats).
Australian pavilion closed when they started work on Asian Trail. Back when it was opened it was housing a small coral reef tank, a few small reptile species, and an indoor mixed exhibit with tree kangaroos, a brush turkey, and a echidna. There were attached outdoor exhibits for red kangaroos, grey kangaroos, emus, and a New Guinean singing dog.

 

Zoo management announced that it was going to cost at least a million dollars to upgrade the exhibit infrastructure and they opted to close it instead. There was some outcry about it in the media if you Google around. They said that there are plans for some kind of biodiversity hall in the future that would probably bring back many of the inverts, but that is at some unspecified time in the future.

It was a cool exhibit and a shame that they did not continue it. Invertebrates, giraffes, and hippos are all animals that the zoo now has said that they would like to bring back, but it is unknown if they ever will.

 

According to website the animals native to India was only a 1 summer thing June 1-August 31 1985
and the north american mammals exhibit I understand they have the american trail but I wasn't around when they had the exhibit with puma jaguar ect. and they still have the bobcats they just live in the old coati exhibit at the great cats exhibit. The reason I asked if anyone had photos is because I haven't found any at all.

 

This is interesting. Do you know which species were kept in India exhibit? I did not even know that North American exhibit had pumas and jaguars, but then i only started visiting the National Zoo in 1998

 

It sounds like the India "exhibit" was just some special temporary graphics posted on the exhibits of animals at the zoo with ranges in India. This website lists: Indian sarus, Indian elephant, Bengal tigers, leopards, Indian spot-bill duck, red (lesser) pandas, bintarong, sloth bears, lion-tailed macaque, Eld's deer, and hoopoe bird.

Animals Native to India | Exhibitions | Smithsonian

 

Giant panda Mei Xiang has been artificially inseminated with sperm flown in from China from male Hui Hui and from the zoo's own Tian Tian. If a cub or cubs are born a DNA test will be done to determine the father. Let the waiting begin.

Panda at National Zoo Undergoes Artificial Insemination - US News

 

Beside the elephants red panda and sloth bears I don't remember the zoo having any of those [I was probably to young] so that's why I asked if anyone had photos of any of these old exhibits I love the zoo and I have always wanted to know what it was like before I was born

 

New male fennec fox:

Is love in the air for the National Zoo's fennec foxes? - WTOP

 

Anyone else agree fennec foxes are the cutest animals ever?

 

Sorry, but a baby pygmy hippo just tops it all...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4splOLLoOEw

 

They have added a new shade structure to the American Trail Ampitheater

https://www.facebook.com/nationalzoo [scroll down I was a bit late posting this like 12 days maybe :F]