Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2018

A House Call for Mountain Gorillas

New at the Zoo: Sloth Bear Niko

 

Niko, the male, is an immigrant bear from Rheine Zoo in Germany. Sloth bear zoo management seems well on the way to become another global species management affair. A number of recent sloth bear transfers have happened ex Europe to AZA facilities.

 

Western Lowland Gorilla Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

TLDR: Calaya gave birth to a male at 6:25 p.m. yesterday. His name, Moke (source the zoos Facebook).

 

Spike Update: Training and Treats

 

#GorillaStory: Welcome, Moke

Cheetah Conservation Community Bolsters Cub Count

Field Notes: Talking Takin in Bhutan

Field Notes: Experiencing Brown Pelican Migration

 

I watched the Elephant Cam on my lunch break today and saw Spike in the inner yards, separated from the cows. I think his public debut was today. He was playing with the rope toy. It was hard to stop watching when my break was up. Does anybody know why the Elephant Cam has no audio like the others on the zoo's website?

 

Today I watched the Elephant Cam and took some screenshots. Spike was inside the main indoor area today! Friday is his big public debut. All screenshot credit goes to Smithsonian National Zoo's Elephant Cam. Watch it if you can. It's a lot of fun!

 

Smithsonian’s National Zoo Celebrates Male Asian Elephant Spike’s Public Debut

 

I'd love to see National Zoo do a DNA test to see if Spike does indeed have Mammoth, Stegodon or Palaeoloxodon DNA in him since this study suggests that the Asian Elephant interbred with now extinct proboscideans. That could explain his mammoth-like back and his nearly straight angled tusks. But then again, Raja Gaj & Kancha the giant elephants of Nepal were from an isolated herd that experienced the Bottleneck Effect. Therefore, Spike may just have an unusual set of genes.

 

#GorillaStory: A Growing Gorilla

How to Train a Coati

The Mysterious Disappearance of Reticulated Giraffes

 

Spike, the National Zoo's new elephant, hits it off with an old flame

 

I watched the Elephant Cam today. At 1:00PM Spike & Maharani were together and they were holding each others trunks and Maharani was even hugging Spike's tusks. You can surely tell they have a chemistry! It was really touching seeing them together. About 20 minutes after I started watching the keepers were able to distract Spike from her and she was able to go into one of the private stalls. The hydraulic gate closed right before Spike could get to it. He was really frustrated and nearly ran out of the Elephant Community Center trying to find her! I saw Spike at BG Tampa and he showed no affection to any of the females while I watched him there. Here are some screenshots:

 

The zoo received a new Holstein calf, and you can vote for her name.

Vote to Name the New Calf!

 

Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Holstein Calf is Named Magnolia

 

The "Smithsonian National Zoological Park Central Parking Facility Authorization Act" passed the house in late April and passed the Senate unanimously last week.

H.R.4009 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Smithsonian National Zoological Park Central Parking Facility Authorization Act

Bill summary:

"This bill authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to plan, design, and construct a central parking facility on National Zoological Park property in Washington, DC, using funds from nonappropriated sources"

 

Is this what is going to give them ability to convert the current parking lots into space for giraffes and other exhibits?

 

"Notes that the proposal would consolidate four of five surface parking lots into a Central Parking Facility (CPF) to reclaim space for new animal habitat and stormwater management."

https://www.ncpc.gov/docs/actions/2...al_Parking_Facility__Staff_Report_Oct2017.pdf

"The existing surface parking lots no longer meet the needs of the Zoo’s growing attendance and future programming. The development of a central parking facility is a key part of the Zoo’s 2008 Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan, enabling the Zoo to decommission and repurpose some surface parking lots for animal habitats. The CPF is the catalyst to unlocking the Zoo’s Master Plan."

RFP Smithsonian National Zoological Park Central Parking Facility P3 Project | District of Columbia | FreeRFP.org

The quote was taken from exhibit C.

 

Bennett's wallabies have debuted at the Small Mammal House.



Bennett's wallaby

 

Spike and Rani are adorable together! Did anyone make it to the giraffe presentation they recently did?

 

Extinct-in-the-Wild Bird Hatches at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute