Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2019

Extinct-in-the-Wild Guam Kingfisher Hatches at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

An article on how Asian elephant Shanthi’s arthritis is being treated.

Elephant Update: Treating Shanthi’s Arthritis

 

Smokey Bear Exhibit Opens at Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Its where the old bear exhibits are. Would've been neat if they raised money to renovate them and actually have a real bear on display, but oh well.

 

From the zoos Facebook:

 

Seems one of the zoo's Asian water dragons underwent parthenogenesis.

Scientists Confirm Facultative Parthenogenesis in Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Asian Water Dragon

 

Birch the beaver has died.

Beaver Dies at Smithsonian's National Zoo

 

Do they just have one now?

 

Two

 

This could've been done awhile ago, but Minnie the opussom and the degus swapped exhibits.

The Northern Luzon giant cloud rat now has two exhibits right next two each. No clue if they did this because they could, or because they now have more then one.

Not much has been done, but they've started renovating the Prezwalskis horse yard.

Lots of cool food trucks at the zoo now, and my god are they expensive.

 

Did you see any cloud rats in the second exhibit (on the right)? On my visit last week I saw two in the left exhibit and nothing on the right, and it didn’t appear as if the two were connected.

Also of note, there are some new reptiles in the reptile house, such as Mexican alligator lizard and Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko.

 

I didn't see any in either.

 

Keepers Help Vulnerable Hooded Crane Hatch at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

Do anyone know is elephant cow Maharani pregnant? In the summer of 2018 she mated with Spike.

 

Seems like if she is, an announcement would happen soon, most elephant pregnancies seem to be announced about half-way through the pregnancy or they are not announced until after the birth in some cases. But the National Zoo seems to be fairly transparent.

 

Endangered Red Panda Cub Born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

 

Baby sea lion born at the zoo:

Sea Lion Pup Born at Smithsonian’s National Zoo

 

I wasn't planning on going to the zoo again for a few years but the pup going on exhibit might be enough to get me to change that <3

 

They may be showing extreme caution though too. Maharani doesn't have a great history with her calves and her last in Calgary was premature stillborn. They may or may not decide to announce a pregnancy. While the good press from an impending bundle of joy is great, the flip side is the criticism that will come if things don't go well. I can see both sides of the argument for announcing it if she is indeed pregnant.

 

These are REALLY cool foods, like both savory and sweet crepes. At around $10, they obviously aren't cheap, but they were filling enough to be a meal--and much healthier and cheaper than the longtime chicken fingers/fries and burger/fries options. I have had at least four of the crepe options, all wonderful.

 

The assistant manager told me in August of 2018 that they already knew she wasn't, even though Rani was off exhibit getting a sonogram at the time. There have been quite a few breedings, and staff will tell you what's up in person, but I think it will be a long time into a possible pregnancy before anything is announced. The team waited until a very long, near-death illness of Bozie miraculously resolved before revealing it at all. The panda, great cat and pinniped teams are known for providing very regular and informative updates about their lives in general. The elephant team has gotten a bit better with isolated reports on advances in Shanthi's arthritis treatments, and intro of Spike, and one on training Swarna to accept a radiograph plate next to her head for dental x-rays, but there's no regular update and never any breeding reports that I can recall. Back before the Calgary girls (Kandula's family) arrived, the zoo had been offered female calfs from Ringling--a big deal to DC because it would have meant homeboy Kandula could stay. However, the zoo and Smithsonian were nervous about accepting "controversial" Ringling elephants and all the activists that would rain down on DC, fairly perhaps feeling that a national zoo should represent everyone's interests and not show partiality. This is essentially their communication policy to this day--talk about nothing that could be controversial. Births and deaths are all reported in the Newsroom link way at the bottom of the page; from there, you can go back further than what's offered by hitting the Press Archive button.