Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2019

This is shocking. Catalina was only 3 years old. How could she have such a serious infection and two collapsed lungs without someone noticing breathing or behavioral changes before they left for the night?

To put this in perspective, NZP's longtime resident sea lion before Summer and Calli were rescued lived to almost 39 years. 39, admittedly, far exceeds average life expectancy, but 3 is so far below as to raise eyebrows, especially in a species that's been bred successfully and understood thoroughly in human care for generations.

 

Also from Europe, thoroughly enjoyed the zoo here, agree with the previous post saying that the small mammal house and reptile house are not to be missed. The Asia trail, while not showing any species I hadn't seen before, the species shown are far from common in most zoos (in the UK at least) and the enclosures for all were the best I've seen for each.

My list of species that I hadn't seen before and wanted to see is below, might be similar to yours.

- Black-footed ferret
- Hawk-headed parrot
- Gharial
- Tomistoma
- Allen's swamp monkey
- Von der decken hornbill
- Japanese giant salamander
- Electric eel
- Beaver
- Ground hornbill
- Prehensile-tailed porcupine
- Green aracari
- Schmidt's red-tailed monkeys

Bold is animals I managed to see, the others sadly I didn't but it's nice to have a few reasons to return I guess!

 

I'd start with the zoo first, it opens at 8am most days I think, then I'd leave the NHM until later in the day, there was a line going down the street when we tried to go early on in the day, but we pretty much walked straight in when we went back around 3pm

 

I think you got to see some of the best, like the Van Der Decken hornbills and the tomistomas and the porcupine and ferret! I'm a member, and I have yet to see the giant salamander since Asia Trail opened probably a decade ago now. That the plain old beaver is on your list of species you've never seen has convinced me why beavers--who are so abundant in nature here--have a place in zoos.

Lol. Your advice to oflory failed to provide for his proper lunch and dinner! Unlike UK zoos, ours rarely have fare beyond hamburgers and chicken fingers, and the amount of indoor seating is very limited. I'm looking forward to hearing how his day went. It seemed like something to be done at great speed, like a competitive scavenger hunt!

 

The salamanders has been off display for a few years now. At one point they were gonna build an exhibit for them in the reptile house, near the exit, but that never happened. You could see them by looking into a staff door, but last time I looked I didn't see them anymore.

 

Do you know why? They were originally touted as being so endangered and exciting. Surely they planned for the right climate conditions? I think shortly after the opening, they said the salamanders were going to SCBI for a while, and I assumed it would be temporary, perhaps for breeding or research. It's a real shame to waste the exhibit long-term.

 

What have they done with the giant salamander exhibit along the Asia Trail? Is it covered up with a board or something?

 

A few times it's simply looked as if the animals weren't out. One time a good while ago there was a sign that may have said something to the effect of the exhibit being temporarily closed. But they were part of all the exciting promo done to get funding for Asia Trail going way back to the Lucy Spellman era. Clearly a lot of research was put into what kind of endangered reptile to bring to Asia Trail. It seems something didn't go as planned. Too cold? Too few specimens? I'm going next week. Will try to find out.

 

The new dinosaur hall is responsible for these crowds, and from the initial reviews and videos, I can see why! Normally, though, there are never lines. I'm glad you got to see it! You should post a review so we can all live vicariously through you!

 

Japanese Giant Salamanders should be perfectly suited to the DC winters. When I visited last year the enclosure was filled with water and filtered, but there was no signage and it was empty as far as I could tell. I thought I'd spotted one in their "bts" tank, but maybe I didn't..

~Thylo

 

The salamander on Asia Trail died back in 2016 (Japanese Giant Salamander Dies at the Smithsonian's National Zoo), and since then they've all been kept bts at the reptile house. I saw one in the off exhibit tank viewable by looking through the window in the staff door. Each time since I haven't, and the sign that identified them was taken down. I haven't been to the zoo recently, and I'm not gonna lie, I tend to skip the RDC anyway. Maybe they're still viewable, im not really sure.

 

There's clearly some reason they're not putting the remaining salamander in the exhibit. I don't think they have any on reserve at SCBI. Maybe they just can't get another salamander. I've still never seen one unless I've missed one in my travels. I'd like to!

 

I'm fairly positive they have more than just one salamander, and I've never heard about them ever keeping them at SCBI.

 

I've always been gutted that I didn't know there was a tank for one in Asia Trail when I visited in 2012...

It is entirely possible that they're just letting the young animals grow and therefore haven't wanted to exhibit them. I remember reading that the individuals received from Japan were quite young.

~Thylo

 

Completely unrelated to the current topic, does anyone know what kind of duiker Calvin Coolidge had, that was later given to the zoo?

 

Beavers are not common at all in European zoos so I was excited to see one! Amazing how a species can be so common for one visitor to see but a rarity for another!

I recently saw the Chinese salamander in London after many failed attempts so this made up for not seeing his Japanese cousin in the US!

 

And with regards to food, we just got (very average) sandwiches and burgers in the zoo like you said and then we ate in the hotel in the evenings. We were lucky enough to have 2 days in the city so we able to do some museums (I would also recommend the National Archives to olfory, apologies as i know you'll already be pushed for time but it's amazing there!) and monuments on one day and the zoo on another.

 

The Sea Lion pup has started to go on exhibit

 

Clouded Leopard Cub Media Preview

 

Not nearly as interesting as the cubs and pup, but there's also a new calf in the children's zoo.