Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2013

African Wildlife Ambassadors - National Zoo| FONZ

 

* Mei Xiang and Tian Tian (Giant pandas) will be together for at least one more breeding season.
* The sitatunga(s) and red river hog are in the exhibit next to the cheetah cubs. As of now, it looks like they are rotating opposite of each other in the exhibit. The wallaby is still in its yard. I feel like a new animal should be put in this yard as it's quite big for just one or two wallabies.
* The fishing cat adults have been put back together on exhibit. A friend told me the two juveniles were moved to the old coati exhibit. This area was closed off when I visited.

 

blospz- In regards to the wallaby exhibit, I've heard Abysinnian Ground Hornbills will be coming to the zoo, so perhaps they are suitable replacements for wallabies. Lesser Kudu should also come to the zoo soon.

 

The wallabies are in an exhibit that was also occupied by Emu until the Emu was moved to a renovated part of the cassowary exhibit just a little while back so the exhibit is pretty large and I think still may be a little too big for just one or two ground hornbills. I've always found it surprising that the zoo does not have Ostrich yet has other flightless birds like kiwi and cassowary so maybe the zoo can make this exhibit into an Ostrich exhibit. The size would be fine and the zoo could pretty much leave the exhibit as is.

~Thylo

 

I also forgot to mention the black howler monkeys have a baby. I am not sure if this has been announced by the zoo yet.

 

The howler's first baby (the zoo's first baby howler) just died a few months ago. I'm surprised they already breed again and that the zoo hasn't announced the birth!

~Thylo

 

I was surprised about it myself! However, now that I think of it I felt like I was told once the zoo has two pairs of howler monkeys, so 2.2. Maybe this is the other pair. Regardless, I did see the baby crawling around on its mother's body.

 

That is right; I forgot about the Lesser Kudu. I would imagine they would be in that yard with the ground hornbills. I am excited to see these new additions, as I've enjoyed seeing them at the Maryland Zoo.

 

According to an email sent to me by the zoo, Kavi and Damai, the Sumatran Tigers, have bred!

Now here's some photos and videos of the Sloth Bear cubs from Flickr:
[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalzoo/8293585745/in/set-72157632304371836/"]Sloth Bear Gives Birth at the Smithsonian's National Zoo | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]

@blospz- Did you photograph the baby or at least the mother?

~Thylo

 

I did photography them, but the photo is a little blurred due to inside lighting and my camera. I can send it to you in a PM since I don't think it's worthy to be posted in the zoo's photo album here.

 

That'd be helpful, thank you.

~Thylo

 

Official article on it;
Sumatran Tigers Finally Mate at National Zoo | LiveScience

 

Now that the National Zoo has undergone a rejuvenation over the past decade, what is up next? The zoo's strategic plan that came out several years ago announced that the zoo would be "the world's finest by 2016". Hmmm...I've been to 150 zoos just in the United States and I'd personally place the National Zoo in the top 20 American zoos.

2004 - Kids' Farm opens
2006 - Reptile Discovery Center (facelift in terms of graphics and interactive items)
2006 - Asia Trail opens ($53 million)
2012 - American Trail opens ($42 million)
2013 - Elephant Trails is finally complete ($55 million and a 5-year construction project)

 

There was an exhibit where America Trails is now that was pretty much the same. America Trails was more of a renovation. Also, they're now adding more species to the Cheetah Conservation Center and they opened a Carosel.

~Thylo

 

I do not imagine a big project in the next few years. Maybe some renovations to the buildings like Small Mammal House, Inverbrates, Birds, etc. Small Mammals and Birds definitely need a new face lift and more resident as there have many many empty exhibit under construction for awhile. If there was to be a big project, I think it would be the Great Ape House and their yards. Although I'm a bit curious how they would renovate as they don't have much room to expand. I finally noticed the old bear grotto behind the anteater exhibit and I am curious if that will be used for an animal or knocked down.

 

The zoo has expressed through their website that they hope to display Red-necked ostriches some day, so hopefully they will find a place for them now. Here is a link to the article, but it is kind of dated.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/Zoogoer/2009/6/BackFromTheBrink.cfm

 

1) Welcome to ZooChat!
2) I do hope they add them to the Cheetah Conservation Station as there appears to be room for them now that the Emus have moved.
3) Where do they want to source them from?
4) Do any North American zoos currently hold Red-Necked Ostriches?
5) Does the Front Royal facility have them yet?

~Thylo

 

Thank you!
I agree that the former emu/wallaby exhibit would be more than adequate. But I'm not sure if ostriches require a stand-off barrier or not? I'm sure that it wouldn't be too difficult to install one if it were.
I know for a fact that San Francisco Zoo has three hens, and there is a drive-through animal park in GA that has two hens. I'm sure that there are more facilities throughout the country with them..
and I'm not sure if SCBI is breeding them yet, but I doubt it as of yet.

 

Does San Francisco have any males?

~Thylo

 

It seems that there was at least one at some point after the 'new' savanna opened. But I've only seen pictures of him, and I don't think that he was of the red-necked subspecies.