Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2017

Zoo veterinarians and nutritionists have cleared Bei Bei to go outside.

 

That's good. So if it snows again, Bei Bei can experience it first hand.

 

Preparations are being made for Bao Bao's departure.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wa...88226c-dda0-11e6-acdf-14da832ae861_story.html

 

Predicting the Future of Global Health

The Zoo in Your Backyard

The Secret Ingredient to Primate Development

 

The only thing I'm worried about is that anti-Trump protesters go anywhere near the zoo.

 

By Bao Bao.I really enjoyed the moment her birth was announced to the world but I guess that since it's such an endangered species they need to be breed with well numbers and well bloodlines.I guess her departure is for the survival of the species which is most important.Hopfully her departure can crave way for another cub born in the next couple of years.

BennettL

 

A gray seal was born to Kara and Gunther, making Kara the oldest gray seal to give birth in a zoo (she's 33).

Smithsonian's National Zoo Welcomes New Seal Pup to Gray Seal Colony

 

That pup is the cutest thing I gave ever seen! It's even cuter than pandas (With apologies to Pandas everywhere)

 

Also, I called the Gray Seal getting pregnant on the first page of this chat. Called It!

 

Pretty sure it was already public knowledge that the seal was pregnant before this thread was started....

In other news, the National zoo was involved in a twitter war today about what zoo or aquarium has the cutest animal.

#cuteanimaltweetoff: Zoos are having a Twitter war over which one has the cutest animals

Seal Pup at National Zoo Inspires Adorable Twitter War

#CuteAnimalTweetOff hashtag on Twitter

 

The zoo has a new screaming hairy armadillo named Amber at the small mammal house.

 

Does anyone know if anything about Trump and gutting funding for all these types of government environment programs will have any big affect on this zoo?

 

I imagine there won't be any effects, as it's part of the Smithsonian. I haven't heard of him mentioning it (I rarely watch political talks and such myself, instead sticking to recaps/highlights) but again, I doubt anything will change. Of course, it's still early and we should keep in mind that we've got four long years ahead of us, so perhaps it will be discussed in the future.

 

Exciting updates from my visit today:

Within a year, the zoo plans to import 1.1 sloth bear from Germany. The male will be for breeding with our current female, 3 year old Remi (not sure of spelling), and the female for companionship. However, I am slightly annoyed (perhaps more than slightly) as German zoos only keep Indian sloth bears, which will result in an Indian-Sri Lankan hybrid if/when any breeding occurs.

Another exciting import in the works: bush dogs! I was taken completely by surprise when I learned this, as I thought they were phase-out (any info about the current program would be appreciated!). They will occupy the former giant anteater exhibit, and hopefully arrive within a year. I know they're coming from Europe but I'm not sure of what country.

That's it for the major news, now just to normal updates:

The spectacled bear experienced a pseudo pregnancy. Another bear will hopefully be brought to the zoo soon, but I do not know from which zoo it will be coming or whether it will be a male or female.

All but one exhibit in the interior of the Small Mammal House is now occupied. Many of the animals that filled the empty exhibits were Prevost's squirrels, though the most recent prehensile-tailed porcupine offspring now is in a different exhibit than its parents.

We might expect some baby northern tree shrews soon

Sambava tomato frogs (D. guineti) replaced lowland leopard frogs in the Reptile Discovery Center.

 

Bush dogs will be cool. Any word on when/if giraffes are coming back to the zoo?

 

Are tree shrews rare in the USA do you frequently breed them?Here in Aus tree shrews died out and only had a few occurrences of breeding.

Thanks,BennettL

 

I know the details of the plan, but to avoid giving away too much I'll just say 7-10 years. It will involve a lot of construction, including other projects that are planned before it.

The US population seems to be hovering around 50, so not too rare. I see them in most zoos with a small mammal exhibit. Here's an article about breeding them previously at the zoo:
Zoo Celebrates Birth of Baby Tree Shrews | At the Smithsonian | Smithsonian
I'm not sure of how frequently breeding occurs (zoos usually don't announce births of animals as small as these).

 

Thanks Jayjds2.

I see the us has a common population.Do you know of the last giraffe at the zoo.I have records of Lionel (died 1998) and Grif and Ryma (died 2002).

BennettL

 

The last giraffe was a Rothschild's giraffe male. He was shipped out in 2006 to make way for the renovation of their building for the new elephant exhibit.

 

Thanks David brown.I wonder why they ended up phasing out the species as they were so popular?

BennettL