Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2012

American Trail opens on July 4th, 2012, (appropriate date!) which means that the old Beaver Valley area (closed since 2009) will re-open to the public. Beavers, river otters and bald eagles will be joined by animals never before displayed at the zoo: gray wolves and ravens. Does anyone know when the seal-sea lion exhibit will open? Will Elephant Trails be finally complete this year? It seems as if there has been a tremendous amount of construction during the past few years, but with the 2006 opening of Asia Trail the zoo appears to be rejuvenated and better than ever according to a few ZooChatter reviews. Since about 2004 there has been a never-ending stream of construction projects, and while the zoo's strategic plan boasted that by 2016 the National Zoo would be "the finest in the world" I still feel as if the zoo is a top-notch facility that is well worth visiting.

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On their website there's a paragraph including this link and they also mentioned sea lions being a featured animal. So I'm hopefully assuming it opens all at once!

Were the elephants supposed to have another yard built for them? There's one area closed off for constructions which I always wonder if it's supposed to be another yard or not.
 
I visited the zoo last weekend, the construction over the past several years certainly has been fairly expansive, and the new seal/sea lion exhibit is no exception. It's a massive construction site, and while it's come a long way - I'd say it's still got a fair ways to go - so whereas they originally planned for it to be open "by 2012" I'd say that July 4 date may be the new target (purely speculation on my part).

The American trail section (formerly Beaver Valley) is also being renovated to a greater extent than I'd anticipated, and I really hope they can get it all together by 7/4. Have to say, I'm a little disappointed that they won't be taking this opportunity to incorporate new and exciting species/exhibits, and was really thinking an announcement was on the way. They are now touting the addition of gray wolves and ravens, but they had Mexican wolves on exhibit until 2009 and have had wolves in this section of the zoo as far back as I can remember. There was also a small exhibit used for bobcat or puma that presumably has been phased out.

Asia trail is a pretty good exhibit, Elephant Trails is fantastic. These are great additions and had a lot to do with improving infrastructure which was sorely needed, but in doing so the Zoo has phased out several interesting exhibits and species I still miss seeing. Off the top of my head: hippos (Common and Pygmy), rhino (Indian and black), giraffe, bongo, Matchie's tree kangaroos, New Guinea singing dog, Malayan tapir, Pere David's deer, Andean condor etc. I can't say that these were all phased out because of the construction - it may have happened gradually, but all of these species were represented in the years leading up to Asia Trail/Elephant Trail - in those areas. These were necessary upgrades, just wish they'd incorporate something a new and exciting along with the upgrades! To be fair, clouded leopards were added with Asia Trail - I just happen to think it's the weakest exhibit along Asia Trail.

Incidentally, renovation of the original elephant house continues.
Elephant Trails Site Plan - National Zoo| FONZ
Habitat 2 and 3 are essentially complete, as is the exercise trail - habitat 1 is not, and I assume that'd be coordinated to open when the new barn is completed.
 
The current renovation of beaver valley is the result of damage sustained from the addition of infrastructure (to support the new pinniped exhibits) below the Olmsted Walkway. Because of the damage sustained, the zoo took the opportunity to redo the pathway, particularly to make the trail more accessible for handicapped individuals.

In other words, the construction in beaver valley, excluding the pinnipeds, is not an effort to renovate the existing animal enclosures.
 
Terp924 said:
Asia trail is a pretty good exhibit, Elephant Trails is fantastic. These are great additions and had a lot to do with improving infrastructure which was sorely needed, but in doing so the Zoo has phased out several interesting exhibits and species I still miss seeing. Off the top of my head: hippos (Common and Pygmy), rhino (Indian and black), giraffe, bongo, Matchie's tree kangaroos, New Guinea singing dog, Malayan tapir, Pere David's deer, Andean condor etc. I can't say that these were all phased out because of the construction - it may have happened gradually, but all of these species were represented in the years leading up to Asia Trail/Elephant Trail - in those areas.
Click to expand...

@Terp924: Do you have a feeling for whether any of the species that you list may return at some point? People have made reference in other threads to a master plan for the zoo with an African section to be built at some point that would presumably bring back species like giraffes, hippos, etc. After visiting the zoo last summer I was curious where such a section would be built as it seemed like there wasn't a lot of flat area to build open savanna exhibits.

Do you have a copy of the National Zoo master plan or know where it can be read? There is something like a masterplan on the zoo website. but its says almost nothing about future exhibit concepts. It does point out that there is an endemic isopod in a spring in the zoo. That would be a cool exhibit.
 
Not big news, but updates I saw and heard when I visited this week:

* An elegant crested tinamou has been added to the big exhibit in the Small Mammal House. I'm talking about the exhibit that has the sloth and white faced saki monkeys. The volunteer said he came from the Atlanta Zoo, but I spoke with a fellow zoochatter who works there and he said he wasn't aware the zoo had them recently and they were thinking about getting some in the future.
* Two female Asian small clawed otters (sisters) were also moved to an exhibit in the Small Mammal House. The other females weren't getting along with this pair so it was decided they would be separated. Although their exhibit may look a concrete mess compared to their lush exhibit in Asia Trail, it was nice to have an opportunity to finally see them up close. They also seemed pretty content being with each other, sleeping, and coming up to the glass hoping to be fed. The North American river otters are in the outside exhibit connected to this and once they return to American Trail, the Asian small clawed otters will have access to both indoor and outdoor exhibits.
* I spoke with a volunteer who didn't seem so sure that American Trail would be open by Independence Day. She also mentioned the sea lions would be returning, but she wasn't really sure if they were going to get seals.
* A volunteer in the Reptile House was happy to show us the activity of inhabitants who are usually quite still. He mentioned that the Tentacled Snake were seen mating that day and the curator was down earlier to observe them. Apparently the ones they have now are a bit older, six years old, and they didn't expect this to happen. A hellbender lab is also being constructed and will eventually be opened to the public.
* A new male sunbittern has been added to Amazonia. He's staying low to the ground trying to get familiar with the area. The two females were calling to him and he was calling back.
 
Thanks for the update blospz, good stuff...skipped the small mammal house on my last visit so will have to make a point of going next time. I'd be really surprised if they don't bring back the seals, given they've kept both pools.


David, I really don't have any info as to what they are planning, I've been told they would like to bring back giraffes, hippos, etc down the line but I'm not sure where there'd be space for it either. This Master plan is on the website, it's shorter than the original as I recall, and at one point I think there was intent to go forward with an aerial tram (don't hold me to that, though), but a lot changed when the economy collapsed. I've tried to find oy what's next to no avail, I wouldn't be surprised if it were an upgrade for the gorillas.

National Zoo Facilities Master Plan - National Zoo| FONZ
 
The smithsonian's zoo conservation biology institute had the birth of four Maned wolf pups.
 
Tiger Update

It’s official! Guntur will be leaving soon and going to Zoorasia.There is a young female there who was recommended as a breeding partner for Guntur. She is not related to any tigers in the USA, and Guntur is not related to any tigers in Japan, so this is really an excellent match.There's a new male tiger coming to the smithsonian's national zoo from Zoo Atlanta to breed.
 
Does anyone happen to know if this new breeding male from Zoo Atlanta is the cubs father "Kavi" or the male cub (can't remember which gender goes with Sonhi and Sanjiv). I would imagine it is Kavi, as the male cub isn't even a year old yet.

I remember also the new male was originally supposed to come from Honolulu, does anyone know what happened to that plan ?
 
A bird baby boom happened with the hatching of a Kiwi, a Wattled Crane, Guam Rails, Rheas, and Sunbitterns.
There are Impressed Tortoises at the zoo now.
There are two new brother Scimitar-Horned Oryx at the Cheetah Conservation Center.
The National Zoo celebrated the first Black Howler Monkey birth in its history on March 22.
On April 16, the zoo celebrated the 40th anniversary of welcoming Giant Pandas.
The gorillas at the zoo are the first Western Lowland Gorillas to participate in a heart disease study.
The zoo artificially inseminated their female Giant Panda Mei Xiang today.
Soon, 11 Asian Small-Clawed Otters will go on exhibit on the Asia Trail. There was originally 13 otters, but 2 died in quarantine.
 
BeardsleyZooFan said:
A bird baby boom happened with the hatching of a Kiwi, a Wattled Crane, Guam Rails, Rheas, and Sunbitterns.
There are Impressed Tortoises at the zoo now.
There are two new brother Scimitar-Horned Oryx at the Cheetah Conservation Center.
The National Zoo celebrated the first Black Howler Monkey birth in its history on March 22.
On April 16, the zoo celebrated the 40th anniversary of welcoming Giant Pandas.
The gorillas at the zoo are the first Western Lowland Gorillas to participate in a heart disease study.
The zoo artificially inseminated their female Giant Panda Mei Xiang today.
Soon, 11 Asian Small-Clawed Otters will go on exhibit on the Asia Trail. There was originally 13 otters, but 2 died in quarantine.
Click to expand...

Along with these 11 new otters, will the zoo's breeding pair be rotating on exhibit as well ?
 
Zoogoer2000 said:
Does anyone happen to know if this new breeding male from Zoo Atlanta is the cubs father "Kavi" or the male cub (can't remember which gender goes with Sonhi and Sanjiv). I would imagine it is Kavi, as the male cub isn't even a year old yet.

I remember also the new male was originally supposed to come from Honolulu, does anyone know what happened to that plan ?
Click to expand...

It's Kavi that is coming to Washington. Sonhi and Sanjiv are a male and a female

The plan was originally that Damai's new mate would be "Malosi" from Honolulu (as you say) However it was later decided that he was too closely related to Damai to allow them to breed. Hence the plan was scrapped and Malosi was recently moved to Point Defiance, Seattle. Malosi has two brothers, one of which was moved to Japan in 2011 (different collection to Guntar) and the other which will go to Le Parc De Felins in France later in 2012

Guntar arrived safe and well at Zoorasia, Japan
 
Brilliant - I think this has been rumored for almost a decade, glad to see they are ready to move forward.
 
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