Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2018

Does anyone know what species are planned for the new bird house? If so Are they already housing some of them off exhibit?

 

The zoo has indicated on instagram that Spike has been observed breeding with the youngest cow from Calgary. Lets hope if she becomes pregnant, that she has better luck.

 

Seven Cheetah Cubs Born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

That massive parking garage planned for the National Zoo? Forget about it.

https://www.bizjournals.com/washing...t-massive-parking-garage-planned-for-the.html

 

I agree with the zoos decision. The only reason for this project was to open the existing lots to development, basically allowing giraffes to be brought in. Yet the zoo was definitely neglecting some of its existing buildings. I would much rather them focus on the great ape house and reptile house renovations. The great ape house especially is outdated and the outdoor exhibits need some work. Hopefully this can be done sooner, with the garage moved to the back burner. If say in 5 years the need for the garage is still their, then yes build it. Yet for now focusing on existing buildings is a great idea.

 

The plan for the parking garage goes back many years, almost to the development of Asia Trail. Nearly 20 years ago, an outside assessment was done on all existing buildings, and even the newest--then the Great Ape House and Lion/Tiger Hill--were given grades of C- while nearly everything else was considered worse. One building--the Australia Pavilion where the new panda yard is now--had to be demolished virtually overnight because it was considered to be so structurally unsound,

I offer this as context because ongoing concerns even at that time were increasing parking capacity and finding some way of helping visitors to navigate the very steep terrain of the zoo. The first step was to solidify/reinforce the huge retaining wall behind the road behind the reptile house. Once this was accomplished, the plan was to build the massive parking garage above the retaining wall and staff building, make this a significant new entrance to the zoo, demolish the Great Ape House, and create a new visitor's center at that spot. This visitor's center would also be a stop on whatever tram, train, or sky ride was determined to best assist visitors in getting around the zoo. At the time, the Great Ape House smelled to high heaven, and it seemed miraculous that Mandara had given birth to 6 in what seemed to be such a filthy atmosphere; this condition, though, was not the only reason the Great Ape House would have to be the one to go--the other three buildings in this area are all historically-protected structures that couldn't be demolished. Thus, for the parking/new side entrance/transportation system to be realized, several steps would have to fall into place sequentially.

Interestingly, since then, several things have happened. The retaining wall was completed. The Great Ape House's ventilation (and hopefully cleanliness) improved tremendously. Each of the people-mover plans had its drawbacks, and now I've read nothing about any options at all for some time. But not building the parking garage would be a deal-breaker for the other proposed plans. Without this huge influx of entry on the side there would be no need for the new side entrance, and without some modifications to some building, there would be no eastern anchor for a tram/train/sky lift.

I have mixed feelings about all of this. My drive is four hours, and before I had chronic arthritis, replaced knees, and a handcap placard, I had trouble finding parking every time. A walk from the south parking only adds to the difficulty in navigating the steep terrain. More, and more centralized parking would help with this problem, and some kind of tram would too. However, the amount of land recovered from lots A and B for exhibits is virtually negligible, not a worthwhile reason. In fact, those using walkers, canes, and crutches would really benefit from keeping at least part of B solely for the handicapped. The able-bodied might not think of it, but it's very difficult to safely use scooters on such steep paths. .I think this centralized parking garage had as a worthwhile secondary advantage some increasing means of assisting those with ambulatory problems.

 

I think the Zoo may have been caught in a bit of disingenuousness here. One of the advantages cited is getting zoogoers to stop clogging local streets by creating more zoo parking. However, even the first article's statistics showed that people were parking in the streets even when zoo parking was available. Why? Obviously to save the cost of zoo parking. It looks like the zoo was trying to claim a larger public good for the neighborhood when there would be none--unless parking were suddenly made free. Instead, the cost of parking has risen steadily in recent years, and free parking has become a perq of higher membership brackets. Yes, this garage may have been intended to solve a problem, but in fact, it was probably meant to be a FONZ money-maker, not free parking that would have unclogged local streets. A not-for-profit organization depends upon its credibility and goodwill and reputation, and the way this was presented hurt the zoo all around.

 

You're totally right! Spike and Dalip DO look like the big guy in the MNH rotunda!!!

 

When Elephant Trails was conceived, this end of the building was designed to house two males, a male suite. Happy's old yard and pool were to be the second enclosure, but cost overruns resulted in several project features never being completed. This was one, expanding yard 1 to the south was one, and utilizing the hillside between yards 2/3 and 4 was the other. In fact, at opening, there still wasn't a stairway for the staff to get down to the outpost for training sessions.

I just spoke with the assistant manager, who says that a larger yard 1 is needed. Spike is coming into musth right now, and it could be that seeing a fully hormonal adult male on the premises for the first time during these five months has made it very clear that a male really needs more physical space. The plan is for Happy's old pool to be filled in and the entirety of the old hippo yard simply adjoined to yard 1.

Apparently, everyone on the staff finds Spike very laid-back and pleasant. He has a long-established bond with Swarna, and they were being exhibited together on Tuesday. Even coming into musth, he was very tender with her, stroking her feet with his trunk, and she reciprocated by twining her trunk around his. The staff feels fortunate to have a laid-back male, one as sweet as Spike, and she says that having one who can get along and spend time with females makes things much easier and better for them!

 

My mom and I were talking about their lack of transportation just the other day. It seems most major zoos these days have some sort of monorail, train, etc, even if just for enjoyment. With the steep incline of the zoo, they could badly use something. I have some mobility and breathing issues - nothing is severe enough on its own to be a formal disability - and I struggle here every time I go. I sometimes have to skip the sea lions, probably my favorite part, because I know I can't do the paths there in addition to the main path. It's also the one zoo I never go to alone; my mom now drops me at a gate (she's one of those people who can walk for miles and miles and miles) and goes to find parking. There's also a shortage of indoor buildings to take a break in, and there's often no food or drink vendors anywhere between near the pandas and down at the bottom by the lions and tigers. I can easily manage other zoos of a comparable size on my own, with frequent AC and beverage stops and making sure to alternate inclined paths with flatter ones, but Smithsonian really doesn't lend itself to that. I've been opting to go to Philly a lot more lately.

 

LOL Yes, I said Swarna, not a mistake. Spike has indeed bred with Rani--she is not pregnant yet--but he has this very sweet bond with Swarna; she apparently stopped cycling in Calgary, so it's not even a reproductive attraction.

 

It was pretty clear to me the whole point of the garage was to make money. Everything else (like the extra space for exhibits) was just an extra benefit of building it.

 

Four Endangered Przewalski’s Horse Foals Born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

Elderly Emu Dies at Smithsonian’s National Zoo

 

I received an e-mail saying the zoo is still planning on closing half of the 13 entrances and putting up lots of perimeter fencing; this new plan will go up for approval in November. The link in the e-mail didn't work so I don't know specifics beyond that, but I assume they want to close off entrances that aren't near parking lots / the front entrance.

 

Spike and Rani are so adorable together! When they were holding trunks it was the cutest thing!!! Its like Ronald & Nancy Reagan came back to DC as their party mascot.Get it???

 

How tall does Spike look in person? He looked really big at BG but you couldn't get a true sense of his height because of the difference in elevation from where you were standing. With the historic bird house under construction for Operation Migration and the cranes probably gone, the only reason I'd want to visit the zoo again is to see Spike. And it makes you wonder if he is the biggest Asian Elephant in the country at the (eventual) time of his natural death whether he'll be put on display like the Fenykovi Elephant at NMNH or at another museum.

 

No plans for security checkpoints at Smithsonian's National Zoo

National Zoo gets flak over modified plan for entrance consolidation - TheDCLine.org

 

This is ridiculous! I can understand the White House, Capitol Hill, other government buildings including the National Archives and the Smithsonian Museums needing security but the National Zoo??? Get a grip people! I don't think anything bad would happen and the zoo is far out of the city.

 

What is the goal of terrorists? To instill fear. And to disrupt economies.
We are also talking about people who do not value other human lives- or often even their own. 13 entrances is excessive and while the National zoo is free
still there must be some sort of monitoring at each entrance.
Security concerns seem justified to me.