Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2017

• I noticed the mara on my trip this week as well. I was a bit disappointed after hearing it was supposed to be bushdogs as the replacement for giant anteater. From what I saw, there's three of them.
• The kudu exhibit is blocked off with fabric pieces again. There's at least one new female kudu they are introducing to the space.
• They are building a new area by the kids farm. I'll have to look at my photos again to see what it entails, but I remember it will include new bathrooms and I believe meeting spaces.
• I did notice some small caves in each sloth bear exhibit (one is still closed off entirely).
• Some maintenance people were installing something in front of each giant panda exhibit. I believe it may be a new camera for each.
• The red ruffed lemur and big multi species exhibit in the small mammal house are open again. It looks like they put up a sound barrier on the hall ways near the exhibits to decrease the noise.

 

https://www.ncpc.gov/files/projects/2016/7718_Project_Synopsis_Jun2016.pdf

 

One of the Cuban Crocodiles just laid a healthy egg very early in nesting season.

 

However her partner swallowed it before keepers got to it.

A Surprise Egg

 

Why is swallowing eggs "normal croc behavior"?

 

Two prairie dog pups were born recently according to the zoos facebook.

 

Parental behavior in male crocs is a virtual unknown. In some croc species the females do nest guarding and sometimes even up till the time that hatchlings move into the water (being brought in to safe place by their mother) and then staying on for a couple of weeks.

But it is quite normal for crocs to ad hoc feed on hatchlings or eggs as they are opportunistic feeders.

 

Baby Boom at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

Visit notes:

The construction of the electric eel exhibit is well under way. The exhibits for toad (unknown species- cane?) and terrible poison frog have been removed to make room for it.

The exhibits in the Small Mammal House that were slated for renovation until November are back open again, with no visible changes. Also in the Small Mammal House, the second of two exhibits that the Geoffroy's marmosets can normally access was closed to them. Instead, brush-tailed bettongs were in it. The lights were still on as normal. The normal brush-tailed bettong exhibit was empty and had been cleared out a bit. The cages in the back are being renovated. One had mesh completely removed. The only species on exhibit there presently is black howler monkey.

I've learned that the zoo does still have a greater hedgehog tenrec. It's a 9 year old male that is still used in the "Meet a Small Mammal" presentations.

 

Mei Xiang the giant panda is showing signs of being in estrus.

National Zoo’s giant panda is in heat and may be ready to breed soon

 

The prehensile-tailed porcupine born in February is male.

 

A tufted deer fawn was born May 26 at SCBI.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

 

I believe it was a smooth-sided toad.

Also the exhibits in the back of the small mammal house are open again. It's home to two white-nosed coatis.

White-nosed coati

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155369666402902

 

The Smithsonian released their fiscal year 2018 budget request in late May.

https://www.si.edu/sites/default/files/about/fy_2018_cjb_linked_table_of_contents.pdf

The zoos section starts on page 63.

 

"A Sumatran orangutan named Redd was born to parents Kyle and Batang, the first at the zoo in 25 years..."

Redd is a Bornean orangutan.

 

Did anyone claim he was a Sumatran orangutan?

 

It was my mistake, way back on the first page of this thread, but it was corrected accordingly back then.

 

By me.

 

According to the zoo on facebook, the bird plateu (the area surrounding the bird house) will close Monday, June 26.

 

The former Geoffrey's marmoset exhibit is now designated for the rock hyrax (their former exhibit near the tamandua is papered up) and the bettong are back in their former exhibit. I think they changed the mesh for the outside coati exhibit at the back of the small mammal house. They went with a lighter gray color and it's very hard to take photos through it now.