Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2015

AmbikaFan said:
Yes. Anyone know how it went?
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Ditto. I haven't seen any photos or anything, even from the zoo's Facebook or youtube account but i'd love to see some. I figured it would be heavily broadcasted considering his popularity. Anyways, can't wait to have him here and I'm excited to get to see him.
 
ZooElephantsMan said:
When they get rid of the great ape house, will they make a new exhibit for apes?
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They've had plans for years to breed Batang and Kyle {Orangutans} so i'm sure if they get rid of the great ape house they will make new exhibits.

What's the point of breeding them if you want to eventually get rid of them?
 
Before the cubs come the hormones. Maintaining a healthy African lion population in human care starts with understanding what normal reproductive hormone levels should look like in the species. Our scientists published their results today from a 10 year study looking at female lion reproductive hormones. Their data will help diagnose fertility problems and better genetically manage the lion population in human care.
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Zoos facebook.

Characterization of Ovarian Steroid Patterns in Female African Lions (Panthera leo), and the Effects of Contraception on Reproductive Function

Because of poor reproduction after the lifting of an 8-year breeding moratorium, a biomedical survey of female lions in U.S. zoos was initiated in 2007. Fecal estrogen (FEM), progestagen (FPM) and glucocorticoid (FGM) metabolites were analyzed in samples collected 3–4 times per wk from 28 lions at 17 facilities (0.9–13.8 yr of age) for 4 mo—3.5 yr and body weights were obtained ~monthly from 17 animals at eight facilities (0.0–3.0 yr of age). Based on FEM, estrous cycle length averaged 17.5 ± 0.4 d in duration, with estrus lasting 4.4 ± 0.2 d. All but one female exhibited waves of estrogenic activity indicative of follicular activity; however, not all females expressed estrous behaviors (73%), suggesting silent estrus was common. Female lions experienced puberty earlier than expected; waves of estrogenic activity were observed as young as 1.1 yr of age, which may be related to a faster growth rate of captive vs. wild lions. Mean gestation length was 109.5 ± 1.0 d, whereas the non-pregnant luteal phase was less than half (46.0 ± 1.2 d). Non-mating induced increases in FPM were observed in 33% of females housed without a male, consistent with spontaneous ovulation. A number of study animals had been contracepted, and the return to cyclicity after treatment withdrawal, while variable, was ~4.0 yr and longer than the 1-yr expected efficacy, especially for those implanted with Suprelorin. For FGM, there were no differences in overall, baseline or peak mean concentrations among the age groups or across seasons, nor were there any relationships between reproductive parameters and FGM concentrations. Overall, results suggest that poor reproduction in lions after the breeding moratorium was not related to altered adrenal or ovarian steroid activity, but for some females may have been a consequence of individual institutions’ management decisions.
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PLOS ONE: Characterization of Ovarian Steroid Patterns in Female African Lions (Panthera leo), and the Effects of Contraception on Reproductive Function

NEW STUDY FROM SMITHSONIAN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE REVEALS SECRETS OF AFRICAN LION REPRODUCTION

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications/pressmaterials/pressreleases/press-release.cfm?id=2724
 
Gulo gulo said:
Hope they're your own photos and not ones you pilfered off of the web without permission from the photographers.
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My mom took them... and I found them in a box.

I've found old pictures of the zoo before on the internet and if I've posted them before either by adding them to the post or posting links.
 
The zoo will close early on the October, 23, 24, 25 and 30th.

23, 24 and 25 for boo at the zoo and the 30th for night of the living zoo.

Closing time:

23, 24 and 25:

3:00 PM, lower zoo exhibits and 4:30 PM entire zoo.

30th:

Lower zoo at 3:30 PM
 
On October 8, vets performed an exam on Bei Bei. He weighed in at 5.9 pounds. His eyes are now fully open and he is getting more active and rambunctious. He also received his first vaccination. Before the full veterinary exam, our chief veterinarian Don Neiffer settled the panda cub by massaging two pressure points at the base of his skull. Check out the video of Bei Bei! On October 12, keepers obtained an updated weight on Bei Bei. He is now 6.38 pounds!

Mei Xiang has begun spending time outside during the day. She is eager to go out first thing in the morning to eat and usually returns inside after 20-30 minutes. Some days she also goes outside for 20-30 minutes in the afternoon. Mei Xiang will gradually increase the time she spends outside over the next few weeks and months. She has even recently started bringing Bei Bei out of the den and into her larger indoor enclosurefor brief outings. When Mei Xiang brings Bei Bei outside the den, the door to her outdoor exhibit remains closed to prevent her from bringing him outside before he is fully vaccinated.

The David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat has been closed to the public since Aug. 20, and will remain closed until further notice to provide quiet. Bei Bei will go on exhibit for the first time in early 2016.
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Bao Bao has been rotating through mom Mei Xiang's and dad Tian Tian's yards also for a change of scenery. Giant pandas are solitary in the wild, so she is not interacting with her parents directly. But, it's very enriching for Bao Bao to engage with the smells and surroundings in her parents' yards. According to keepers, she seems to enjoy the variety of trees for climbing! Yesterday Bao Bao participated in her first routine veterinary blood draw. She sat in the training chute, just like her parents do, extended her arm into the blood draw sleeve, and held still while vets collected the sample. According to her keepers, she did very well and got a honey water treat for choosing to participate in the checkup.

And finally...good news for panda cam viewers: Bao Bao is getting a bit more screen time on the panda cams. Since Bei Bei's birth specially trained volunteer watchers have been collecting behavioral data on him and Mei Xiang every few minutes while they operate the panda cams. When Bei Bei was very young, it was too difficult for a behavior watcher to record data and simultaneously follow Bao Bao. Now that Bei Bei is older, it's easier for the cam operators to follow both pandas at times.
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Giant Panda Bulletin.
 
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The "Jewels of Appalachia" opening will be tomorrow in the Reptile discovery center from 10 am till 2 pm.

Also the "Asia trail" turns 9 years old tomorrow.
 
I was searching the web and I found a website that had a lot of pictures of the zoo and one of the images I found was the original { I don't know if the literal original but the zoo was advertising it} plan for elephant trails and you can see how much it sadly changed.

SINZEL_061119_332.JPG


Bruce Guthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Parts not covered elsewhere
 
AmbikaFan said:
Yes. Anyone know how it went?
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It was a bitter sweet morning today. FONZ members celebrated Kandula as he prepares to make is big move to Oklahoma. Members shared well wishes on a farewell card, watched as he enjoyed a special goodbye treat and even Kandula got in on the action with a goodbye trumpet!
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This is all I've found about it.
 
Kandula is still there as of yesterday.

The jewels of appalachia enclosure is really nice and big (8'x2'x4') for its inhabitants.

There are new Varanus acanthurus in the reptile house.
 
dcpandafan said:
I was searching the web and I found a website that had a lot of pictures of the zoo and one of the images I found was the original { I don't know if the literal original but the zoo was advertising it} plan for elephant trails and you can see how much it sadly changed.

SINZEL_061119_332.JPG


Bruce Guthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Parts not covered elsewhere
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This draft of the plan isn't so very far off what was actually built. The only land area projected here for ET that didn't make the final cut is the piece on the far left that hooks around to the left when looking from the bridge. I have never seen any elephants use even the upper area adjacent to the bridge, so perhaps it was realized that this section was too far out of the way to make a practical difference. It looks as if they removed this area and added the quarter-mile trek instead. I've heard people around the country pooh-pooh the "dead-end road that leads to nowhere," but our elephants both use and seem to enjoy it. The biggest change here affects demonstrations and keeper talks; the pool in the lower yard would have been right at Elephant Outposts, preventing its use as a visitor/keeper interface.

There were a couple of things on ET that could not be completed due to cost over-runs, two which could be very useful. There was originally supposed to be a direct pathway/shift from yard 1 (Kandula's yard) to yard 4 (by Elephant Outpost) using part of the old pedestrian walkway that still exists. Without this, keepers must move all elephants out of both yards 2 and 3 just to shift a male down into the lower yard and the trek. With a larger herd, this has to be cumbersome. The plan also called for Happy's old outdoor hippo yard to be fortified into a small bull yard. It's not necessary now, but the ET plan was so well-designed with so many options for flexibility that small features like this demonstrate how an exhibit can make the very most of limited acreage in a landlocked zoo.
 
AmbikaFan said:
This draft of the plan isn't so very far off what was actually built. The only land area projected here for ET that didn't make the final cut is the piece on the far left that hooks around to the left when looking from the bridge. I have never seen any elephants use even the upper area adjacent to the bridge, so perhaps it was realized that this section was too far out of the way to make a practical difference. It looks as if they removed this area and added the quarter-mile trek instead. I've heard people around the country pooh-pooh the "dead-end road that leads to nowhere," but our elephants both use and seem to enjoy it. The biggest change here affects demonstrations and keeper talks; the pool in the lower yard would have been right at Elephant Outposts, preventing its use as a visitor/keeper interface.

There were a couple of things on ET that could not be completed due to cost over-runs, two which could be very useful. There was originally supposed to be a direct pathway/shift from yard 1 (Kandula's yard) to yard 4 (by Elephant Outpost) using part of the old pedestrian walkway that still exists. Without this, keepers must move all elephants out of both yards 2 and 3 just to shift a male down into the lower yard and the trek. With a larger herd, this has to be cumbersome. The plan also called for Happy's old outdoor hippo yard to be fortified into a small bull yard. It's not necessary now, but the ET plan was so well-designed with so many options for flexibility that small features like this demonstrate how an exhibit can make the very most of limited acreage in a landlocked zoo.
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Well I see some different changes.

1. the hippo yard is gone or added to the yard on the right but today nothing has been done with it.

2. the yard on the right is much bigger and was changed a lot.

3. the exhibits would have been bigger and different but obviously except for the yard next to the barn and the one that goes down to the elephant outpost all the yards were kept the same and they just changed the fences and added shade structures to match with the theme for elephant trails.

4. the pathway that went behind the yards to see the elephants better and the rhinos would have be open to the public but today it's blocked off.

5. I don't know if this was a change but to you doesn't it look like there's no barn in the plan above and they simply just made the elephant house a bit bigger?
 
dcpandafan said:
Well I see some different changes.

1. the hippo yard is gone or added to the yard on the right but today nothing has been done with it.

2. the yard on the right is much bigger and was changed a lot.

3. the exhibits would have been bigger and different but obviously except for the yard next to the barn and the one that goes down to the elephant outpost all the yards were kept the same and they just changed the fences and added shade structures to match with the theme for elephant trails.

4. the pathway that went behind the yards to see the elephants better and the rhinos would have be open to the public but today it's blocked off.

5. I don't know if this was a change but to you doesn't it look like there's no barn in the plan above and they simply just made the elephant house a bit bigger?
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1. Yes, as I noted, Happy's old yard is still as it was. However, there is now a full-size doorway to the building, which leads me to believe that plans were made after the above draft to keep this a second, smaller bull yard and not merge it into the bigger bull yard.

2. The bull yard does look much bigger in the plan for some reason. However, the current yard does run all the way down to the path to American Trail/Outpost, so perhaps the scale was off in this drawing? They did keep the pool in the same direction it was originally in, though.

3-4 This plan eliminates the previous viewing path along the edge of the yards--notice the area is green, not brown as the other pedestrian paths are. The yards became about 10' deeper by incorporating the area of the previous paths. This green area is hillside but was also supposed to include an elephant pathway from the bull yard to yard 4. It's not clear on here, but Lucy Spellman always pointed out that elephants were quite capable of negotiating hilly terrain seemingly for this reason.

5. It looks as if the old elephant house was added to, because that's exactly what happened. As a landmarked structure, they were required to use the entire exterior with only the most minor changes. If you look closely at the left end of the elephant house in the drawing, you'll see that the gray shaded area--the passageway into the new barn--is actually within the exact shape of the previous giraffe-end of the building. Or look at the other end of the building, and you'll see that it's symmetrical with the gray shaded areas. They had to craft this new usage out of the existing structure, which they certainly had to show on their plans. The new barn itself is the structure to the left of that featuring orange, with the new exterior paddocks on the left. Fyi, the old raised emblems of animals (wholly mammoth, indian rhinoceros, etc.) on the upper walls of the elephant house above the old cages were also landmarked; I've been told that they're still up there, just obscured by non-damaging materials.
 
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