No, I've been to the zoo every month in 2014 and they are not there. Shama and Rusty went to the Conservation Center in Front Royal, VA in the winter. They wanted them to have privacy for breeding season and there was too much traffic in the area with visitors seeing Bao Bao, the baby giant panda. There have not been any replacements for them yet.
Spock, the Zoo's last Sulawesi macaque, was euthanized. National Zoo?s last Sulawesi macaque is euthanized - The Washington Post
The Grey Seal pup, Rona, made her debut on the American Trail on July 2nd. A male Stanley Crane hatched July 6th at the Bird House. On July 18th, the zoo's last Collared Peccary, a 23 year old female named Mo, was euthanized after a softball-sized mass on her left rear leg began affecting her quality of life.
Do you know where the zoo's Collared Peccary pair originally came from? Also, when did the other when die? ~Thylo
Their facebook page mentioned the Detroit Zoo, born in 1991. I am unsure about the information on the other one.
It seems someone called in a bomb threat at the zoo yesterday and parts of it was closed down. The area was searched and it later reopened. ~Thylo
The bison are here; two females will go on display in a few days. Buffaloes, gentle giants of the plains, return to the National Zoo after a decade - The Washington Post
Thew new bison Are named Zora and Wilma Video About the new bison; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3aeyWc4usY Interactive bison exhibit; http://www.americanbison.si.edu/
The zoo has reintroduced another six Black-Footed Ferrets into the wild: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQtGLXRoIo ~Thylo
Has anyone heard or seen how the Calgary elephant trio is doing getting integrated with D.C.'s herd? I haven't heard anything since the trio made their debut. Odd considering there were constant updates on how Bozie (the female that came from Baton Rouge last year) was getting integrated.
My SO just arrived back from D.C. (like, two hours ago). I'll ask if the full herd was out and about or not. Though, I'm curious on what the zoo's future plans are for the lion pride? The habitat doesn't quite seem large enough for nine fully grown lions. I've also been informed that the tiger cubs -- Bandar & Sukacita -- have been separated. Per the keeper, they had to separate them for Sukacita's sake. Bandar has been... well, hormonal.
I haven't visited to the zoo as often as I usually do, but I went this past Sunday. It's still hard for me to tell them apart, but here is what I gathered. Ambika, the eldest, was in her own yard. There was two cows in the other side yard. I don't think I saw a collar on either so Shanti must have been in the back yard. If that's the case, I would assume two Calgary cows were in the side yard and the other one was in the middle yard with Bozie and Shanti.
If it's anything like their last litter, when they are old enough, they will be shipped off to different zoos based on SSP recommendations. The juvenile males will most likely be on exhibit with their father when the mothers have had enough and/or their sisters are sexually mature. That will make the lions take two out of the three yards so hopefully by then the tiger cubs are at other zoos. Then, the adult female tiger will have the last yard. I think they plan to get her a mate in the future, but that probably won't happen until the lion cubs ship out since each tiger would need their own yard when not mating.
The latest heated debate about this zoo has been the climbing structure added to the giant panda exhibit for the baby, Bao Bao. Although it provides climbing opportunities for Bao Bao and allows guests to see her easier, a few visitors hate the look of it in a naturalistic exhibit. A few photos are posted on their facebook page. What I have seen throughout the week, it looks like it was simplified and looks less cluttered now. Also, the last coati died recently. Its exhibit behind the prairie dogs has a new resident; North American porcupine.
Since when is there an enclosure by the prairie dogs? I remember they were displayed by the Caracal on my last visit. I know that enclosure now holds Bobcats but I didn't know the coati was moved to another enclosure. ~Thylo
It is tucked away a little bit. You have to go on the pathway to the left of the prairie dogs, where the kid play area is, and if you continue down the path there's a small exhibit. The coati was move a little after the bobcats took up their former exhibit. However, I never did spot it there.
Disappointing, but not surprising. I'd like to see somebody attempt to maintain an actual pride rather than a breeding pair. We have five between Oakland & San Francisco, but neither zoo will ever have cubs apparently. Oakland's are a brother & sister pair of unknown parentage, and SF screwed up the girls with a bad batch of birth control. Is this an actual controversy? I didn't see any disparaging comments on the Facebook post. It doesn't look bad to me. They probably could have done more to make it less "dropped in", but it looks okay to me.
