Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2018

The bobcats have been off exhibit for over a year ever since the female bobcat, Ollie escaped. I think they were holding off on construction until the geriatric caracal passed away so the noise didn't bother her. However, she has been gone for the past few months, and no construction work has begun. I am unsure what will be going in the place of the caracal exhibit, but I heard from a zoo regular the zoo no longer whats to exhibit caracals.

 

I find it interesting that they no longer want to exhibit caracals, I've always liked them. If I can find a keeper or volunteer when I go again later this week I'll see if I can find out anything new. Also do they no longer have caracals? Because I remember there always being two of them and they're still listed on the site.

 

Are the elephants visible inside their barn during weather too cold for them to be outside, or does the new barn not have public access?

 

The barn does not have public access, however the elephant community center does.

 

Both caracals passed away last year.

 

Sparky, the Sumatran tiger is still at the zoo as of my visit last week. I am not unsure if plans to move him to Zoo Atlanta on a breeding recommendation will still occur in the future.

 

On January 17th, researchers from Smithsonian reintroduced 500 captive-bred variable harlequin frogs Atelopus varius into the wild in Panama. This is a first step towards hopefully the full reintroduction of the species.

The full article about this reintroduction, including videos, is available below:
Smithsonian Releases Endangered Frogs in Panama

 

From the zoo's website:
"Please note that despite the government shutdown, the Zoo is scheduled to remain open on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. Please check back back for updates."

Those who do not know, the National Zoo receives a lot of funding from the U.S. government, which has shut down at midnight EST last night. When that happens (the last time this happened was in 2013; the zoo closed then for as long as the shutdown lasted), all non-essential government functions cease operations, including Smithsonian institutions like the National Zoo. It's nice that the zoo will be open those extra two days, but that almost certainly will be it (unless the shutdown only lasts for those two days, which I doubt be likely).

 

If you’re referring to the titi living in the Amazonia building, they are still alive and well as of yesterday when I saw them.

 

I was referring to the coppery titi which until recently resided in the Small Mammal House. I have confirmed with a volunteer that he has passed away.

 

I went to the zoo today. Here's some notes.

Small Mammal House:

• I posted this comment here: New greater hedgehog tenrec exhibit | ZooChat but i'm gonna paste it here.

The comment is about what will happen to the current Damaraland mole-rat/naked mole-rat exhibits once the new naked mole-rat exhibit opens (volunteer said September).

"The new exhibit will be home to an entirely new colony of naked mole-rats (I believe the volunteer said 45 individuals). The Damaraland mole-rats are fairly old apparently, so once they die and the current naked mole-rat colony dies off the exhibit will be renovated. The volunteer said the top of the curators wish list is some species of fruit bat, though that's not 100% confirmed."

No specific species was mentioned.

• I asked about the empty exhibit along the path that leads to the back of the building (old peccary yard). The volunteer said the plan is wallabies (no specific species mentioned). She said sometime this summer they would go on exhibit, however I don't remember if she was saying that was the plan or what she believed was the plan.

• On my visit earlier this month the zoo had one banded mongoose on exhibit. Today that exhibit was just another fennec fox exhibit.

• Ms. Chips (two-toed sloth who died earlier this month) old exhibit is empty. The rock hyrax that lived in it were in the exhibit next to it (which I thought had screaming hairy armadillos in it, but they weren't signed) and as mentioned above the coppery titi monkey that lived with them passed away.

And that's pretty much it. Didn't see any keepers and only saw two volunteers in the entire zoo that weren't at small mammals.

 

Despite the shutdown, the zoo will be open tomorrow, 1/23/18.

Since I have no social life and it was a nice day, I went to the zoo again today.

Small Mammal House

• Ms. Chips old exhibit has been filled! By a Prevost's squirrel, apparently named Jack (I was told this by a really nice girl who knew the name of all four of the zoos squirrels, and probably knows the name of every animal in the building. She was walking around squishing plankton, to make sure they don't steal the secret recipe). I believe this was the squirrel that lived next to the chinchillas since that exhibit was completely empty.

Great Cats

• The path that leads to the old caracal and bobcat exhibits has been blocked off (as has the exit to the the Think Tank). A keeper said the exhibits will be renovated since Ollie the bobcat was able to escape. When I asked if caracals would be returning or not, she said "I'm not sure, but probably a new animal".

 

• When I went, the rock hyrax were in Ms. Chips exhibit and their exhibit with the artificial tree was empty. Is the exhibit with the artificial tree the one the squirrels are now or did they switch it again?
• I am glad the path is closed off and I hope they finally start doing work on the bobcat exhibit so we may see them again. I also look forward to whatever goes in the former caracal exhibit.

 

What happened to the caracal? Did it die?

 

I actually remember seeing Ms. Chips in both exhibits. The one with the artificial trees is the one with the squirrels in it now. I've just been calling it Ms. Chips old exhibit since that was the exhibit that was empty when I first went, but it's probably more accurate to say the rock hyrax are in her old exhibit.

 

A mother-son red panda duo named Nutmeg and Jackie debuted on Asia Trail this morning.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10156031751027902

 

I believe there were two, both geriatric, and both passed away in the past year or so.

 

Bringing Back Guam Rails

 

Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra Dies at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

The Smithsonian released their FY19 budget request to congress. The zoos section starts on page 51/56 of the PDF.

https://www.si.edu/sites/default/files/about/fy2019-budgetrequestcongress.pdf