Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2019
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AmbikaFan
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Here's an amusing keeper update about Maharani, who is indeed one feisty girl! Maharani is so food-motivated that she will take the hay right out of Spike's trunk! Nevertheless, she reports that they have been breeding.
Happy Birthday, Maharani!
Happy Birthday, Maharani!
The citation from the feature sounds hopeful:QUOTE "Maharani and Spike have a recommendation to breed from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants, and we have observed breeding behavior between them over the last few months. It is too early to tell if she is pregnant, but the elephant team is working closely with Zoo veterinarians and our endocrinology lab to monitor her hormones for any changes that indicate she is (or isn’t) pregnant. We will be sure to keep you posted!" UNQOUTE
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
This does sound hopeful, but unfortunately this has been the case for the last year, with no luck yet. Spike's parents were both wild-born, so he's very valuable--and I'm sure there are other zoos clamboring for him--but we have to credit the SSP for realizing that this would be the only way to achieve success with Rani. She's difficult, Spike is very understanding, and their time together in Calgary is probably the only way to make use of her before it's too late. If she will succeed with anyone, it will be Spike. I just worry how long the SSP will give this before moving Spike to somewhere where his genes can be more fully used. In about 4 years, he'd be IDEAL for the seven young girls at ALS and their moms.
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
The weekly zoo member letter just confirmed what many have suspected--Sumatran tiger Sparky is now at Zoo Atlanta. Dumai is still here, and Amur tigers Pavel and Nikita are described as a "breeding pair.". Good to be doing our part on Tiger Day! Well, allowing them to do their part lol.
Sparky has been at ZA for over a year and has been public knowledge (at least from ZA) since he cleared quarantine.
Damai's genes are a bit overrepresented so she is not going anywhere, for this year at least.
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
There was still some question when the Amurs arrived, as one notice still mentioned Sparky, and another did not. I agree--I don't think Dumai is needed for the genepool any longer. I wonder why she isn't moved to a facility housing Sumatrans? With the Amurs here, she is hardly needed as an ambassador animal, and removing her would free up space so Nikita, Pavel, and the Lions could spend for time outside without having to share the space. I absolutely adore Mei above all pandas, so I share your sentiment about her!
Good question, but SSP decided she stays in DC. They call the shots.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that's crazy about her
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
Totally crazy about her--among other things, she's the only female panda I've seen who seems feminine! I can only imagine that could help the species, and I personally love watching her behavior. As you might guess from my avatar, I'm also devoted to Mei's neighbor across the way, 71-year-old Asian elephant beauty Ambika. Lol. She was brought to the zoo the same year I was brought into this world, so we go back a long way.
Here's a summary of my first visit last Monday (22nd July 2019), from a European perspective (although I have visited several US collections).
Asia Trail
This is where we started our visit, there were signs saying the sloth bear was off show due to veterinary reasons (unspecified) which was a shame but I thought the enclosure was huge and really well done. We got to the clouded leopard enclosure just in time to see one of them get up and switch napping spots, which since it was a very hot and humid day I thought this would probably be as active as he/she'd get all day. The fishing cat enclosure was one of my favourites in the zoo, beautifully designed and good viewing, with the cat snoozing on show in one of the boxes. Finally we saw the pandas, beautiful, naturalistic outdoor enclosures and although the indoor enclosures weren't up to the same standard, considering the only indoor panda enclosures I've seen before were at Edinburgh (they're often described as looking like men's public bathrooms) they were quite nice, and all three bears could be easily seen and were moving around and eating in full view of quite large crowds already (this was at 9am).
Cheetah Conservation Station
I'll be honest, I rushed round this section a little bit, I was ever so slightly pushed for time and wanted to spend it at exhibits with animals I hadn't seen before. I really enjoyed seeing the ground hornbills and even when they're just sleeping maned wolfs are always very exciting to see (I can only think of a couple of zoos in the UK that have them). I'd never seen a vulture enclosure that was not enclosed and it was cool seeing them mixed in with the Dama Gazelles.
Elephant Trails
Didn't spend too much time here, but got a great view of the very impressive bull elephant coming out of the Asia Trail and the females were grazing down the other end of the exhibit. Good sized enclosure for a city zoo.
Amazonia
This was the one of the exhibits that I was most looking forward to and I can't quite put my finger on it but I was left feeling ever so slightly disappointed, I don't think there was anything wrong with it at all but I think I'd put unrealistically high expectations on it. The Arapaima are amazing and I'd never seen an Electric Eel before which I really enjoyed. Most of the area seemed to be a bunch of relatively uninspiring tanks scattered throughout the room and the walk through rain-forest, whilst nicely planted, seemed to not have a huge number of animal species.
American Trail
The Sea lion pup (and mum) were off-show today which was a shame but I did really like the mix with the pelicans and having three pinnipeds in one collection is really nice. The wolves were nowhere to be seen but I didn't expect them to be considering the weather. There was a really active otter swimming around and a sleeping beaver, a volunteer said that they'd recently had pups and if you're very lucky you can see them swimming in the morning or late afternoon out of the heat of the day (I wasn't lucky).
Small Mammal House
I went into this exhibit fully expecting to hate it from pictures I'd seen and comments I'd read, and, on the whole, I was pleasantly surprised. There were some really bad exhibits (Fennec Fox and Sand Cat) and some okay exhibits (Black-footed ferrets, which I didn't hate that much, one of the individuals was quite active going in and out of the burrows and this was one of my highlights of the day, I've wanted to see this species for longer than I can remember). The Meerkat enclosure was a weird one, on the one hand it was one of the most densely set up enclosures I've seen for Meerkats, but it was also the smallest and I've never seen them just kept as a pair before. I was really disappointed that the bird house was closed (until 2020?!) but seeing the Red-billed Hornbill and the Aracari went some way towards making up for that.
Great Ape House and Think Tank
Both really nice exhibits, it must be amazing seeing the orangutans going around the park on the high wires (do they use these much?) I've seen it done to a smaller extent at Dublin but this was incredible, they went on forever! I liked the orangutans controlling the mister, a really clever addition and the potential for an amazing encounter for both the visitor and the orangutan.
I like seeing the Allen's Swamp Monkey but couldn't for the life of me find the Schmidt's Red-tailed Monkey, are they still in the collection? Couldn't see any signs for them and the map was pretty useless, also couldn't find anyone to ask.
Reptiles
Amazing for someone as interested in crocadilians as I am, I was so excited to see Gharials, Cubans, American and Chinese Alligators and Tomistomas. A surprisingly large and diverse collection in all other aspects too, some enclosures looked better than others but on the whole a really nice reptile house.
Great Cats
Another exhibit that I was sceptical about but in person I was pleasantly surprised with it. Both tiger enclosures had as big a pools as I've ever seen for big cats, however I think maybe for the lions, this space would be better used if it was (at least partially) filled in to increase the land space as these aren't the biggest enclosures in the world so I would make the most of it where I could. Some more natural climbing with logs or some non-natural some wooden platforms/climbing frames (as the enclosures aren't natural looking at all so I don't see any problems with adding) to increase the space without having to expand the enclosures, which due to the design would probably be difficult.
On the whole, a really nice zoo, lots of ABC species but plenty of others that I've never seen/rarely seen before. Unbelievable that a zoo of this size and quality is free to enter, I'm very jealous of any locals! I purchased both the visitor guide and the panda guide which were both nice and informative, the guide is a little small for $5 but you can't really complain when you don't get charged entry. The map was pretty useless when looking for specific, non-ABC species, although the signage around the zoo was very good to overcome this. Will be back to see the renovated birdhouse!
Asia Trail
This is where we started our visit, there were signs saying the sloth bear was off show due to veterinary reasons (unspecified) which was a shame but I thought the enclosure was huge and really well done. We got to the clouded leopard enclosure just in time to see one of them get up and switch napping spots, which since it was a very hot and humid day I thought this would probably be as active as he/she'd get all day. The fishing cat enclosure was one of my favourites in the zoo, beautifully designed and good viewing, with the cat snoozing on show in one of the boxes. Finally we saw the pandas, beautiful, naturalistic outdoor enclosures and although the indoor enclosures weren't up to the same standard, considering the only indoor panda enclosures I've seen before were at Edinburgh (they're often described as looking like men's public bathrooms) they were quite nice, and all three bears could be easily seen and were moving around and eating in full view of quite large crowds already (this was at 9am).
Cheetah Conservation Station
I'll be honest, I rushed round this section a little bit, I was ever so slightly pushed for time and wanted to spend it at exhibits with animals I hadn't seen before. I really enjoyed seeing the ground hornbills and even when they're just sleeping maned wolfs are always very exciting to see (I can only think of a couple of zoos in the UK that have them). I'd never seen a vulture enclosure that was not enclosed and it was cool seeing them mixed in with the Dama Gazelles.
Elephant Trails
Didn't spend too much time here, but got a great view of the very impressive bull elephant coming out of the Asia Trail and the females were grazing down the other end of the exhibit. Good sized enclosure for a city zoo.
Amazonia
This was the one of the exhibits that I was most looking forward to and I can't quite put my finger on it but I was left feeling ever so slightly disappointed, I don't think there was anything wrong with it at all but I think I'd put unrealistically high expectations on it. The Arapaima are amazing and I'd never seen an Electric Eel before which I really enjoyed. Most of the area seemed to be a bunch of relatively uninspiring tanks scattered throughout the room and the walk through rain-forest, whilst nicely planted, seemed to not have a huge number of animal species.
American Trail
The Sea lion pup (and mum) were off-show today which was a shame but I did really like the mix with the pelicans and having three pinnipeds in one collection is really nice. The wolves were nowhere to be seen but I didn't expect them to be considering the weather. There was a really active otter swimming around and a sleeping beaver, a volunteer said that they'd recently had pups and if you're very lucky you can see them swimming in the morning or late afternoon out of the heat of the day (I wasn't lucky).
Small Mammal House
I went into this exhibit fully expecting to hate it from pictures I'd seen and comments I'd read, and, on the whole, I was pleasantly surprised. There were some really bad exhibits (Fennec Fox and Sand Cat) and some okay exhibits (Black-footed ferrets, which I didn't hate that much, one of the individuals was quite active going in and out of the burrows and this was one of my highlights of the day, I've wanted to see this species for longer than I can remember). The Meerkat enclosure was a weird one, on the one hand it was one of the most densely set up enclosures I've seen for Meerkats, but it was also the smallest and I've never seen them just kept as a pair before. I was really disappointed that the bird house was closed (until 2020?!) but seeing the Red-billed Hornbill and the Aracari went some way towards making up for that.
Great Ape House and Think Tank
Both really nice exhibits, it must be amazing seeing the orangutans going around the park on the high wires (do they use these much?) I've seen it done to a smaller extent at Dublin but this was incredible, they went on forever! I liked the orangutans controlling the mister, a really clever addition and the potential for an amazing encounter for both the visitor and the orangutan.
I like seeing the Allen's Swamp Monkey but couldn't for the life of me find the Schmidt's Red-tailed Monkey, are they still in the collection? Couldn't see any signs for them and the map was pretty useless, also couldn't find anyone to ask.
Reptiles
Amazing for someone as interested in crocadilians as I am, I was so excited to see Gharials, Cubans, American and Chinese Alligators and Tomistomas. A surprisingly large and diverse collection in all other aspects too, some enclosures looked better than others but on the whole a really nice reptile house.
Great Cats
Another exhibit that I was sceptical about but in person I was pleasantly surprised with it. Both tiger enclosures had as big a pools as I've ever seen for big cats, however I think maybe for the lions, this space would be better used if it was (at least partially) filled in to increase the land space as these aren't the biggest enclosures in the world so I would make the most of it where I could. Some more natural climbing with logs or some non-natural some wooden platforms/climbing frames (as the enclosures aren't natural looking at all so I don't see any problems with adding) to increase the space without having to expand the enclosures, which due to the design would probably be difficult.
On the whole, a really nice zoo, lots of ABC species but plenty of others that I've never seen/rarely seen before. Unbelievable that a zoo of this size and quality is free to enter, I'm very jealous of any locals! I purchased both the visitor guide and the panda guide which were both nice and informative, the guide is a little small for $5 but you can't really complain when you don't get charged entry. The map was pretty useless when looking for specific, non-ABC species, although the signage around the zoo was very good to overcome this. Will be back to see the renovated birdhouse!
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
A European viewpoint is good! You have hit on one or two things that always seem to bother me but no one else. You're right--Amazonia definitely feels much heavier on the flora than the fauna, and I never leave fully satisfied. And I've always felt that the water-to-land ratio at Great Cats was too high and that the tiered terrain does not represent at all what their natural terrain is like. NZP has been my home zoo since childhood, and I have never ONCE seen an orang on the O-line. Everyone has pictures, everyone talks about how cool it is; I simply must have the poorest luck imagineable to have never seen them use it!
I also love the five crocodilian species and really, the reptile holdings in general, and I too love the vultures and gazelles sharing their exhibit! I'm perhaps happiest that you approve of the size of Elephant Trails. It IS extraordinarily difficult to make room for larger exhibits for any species within a completely finite amount of space. We are beseiged by activists complaining about exhibit size, and I'm glad to hear it compares favorably to Europe.
The birdhouse renovation is taking so long that the last time I was there I decided to study the renovation. Fortunately, I had a construction expert with me who pointed out equipment used to protect workers digging underground. We came to the conclusion that not much looks changed on the outside--and it can't because it's a historic building--but they may be maximizing the building's footprint by expanding DOWNWARDS instead of with an addition. If they could be making at least two new floors underneath, that could be considerably more space, perhaps even one more for offices, incubator rooms, brooder rooms. I have no idea how the Great Migration theme will be carried into the Great Flight Cage, but if you return in 2020, it could be a first-class US bird center.
I also love the five crocodilian species and really, the reptile holdings in general, and I too love the vultures and gazelles sharing their exhibit! I'm perhaps happiest that you approve of the size of Elephant Trails. It IS extraordinarily difficult to make room for larger exhibits for any species within a completely finite amount of space. We are beseiged by activists complaining about exhibit size, and I'm glad to hear it compares favorably to Europe.
The birdhouse renovation is taking so long that the last time I was there I decided to study the renovation. Fortunately, I had a construction expert with me who pointed out equipment used to protect workers digging underground. We came to the conclusion that not much looks changed on the outside--and it can't because it's a historic building--but they may be maximizing the building's footprint by expanding DOWNWARDS instead of with an addition. If they could be making at least two new floors underneath, that could be considerably more space, perhaps even one more for offices, incubator rooms, brooder rooms. I have no idea how the Great Migration theme will be carried into the Great Flight Cage, but if you return in 2020, it could be a first-class US bird center.
They're still listed on the website, and let me know if i'm wrong here, but based on your wording it seems you couldn't find their exhibit? If so, you did! They share the enclosure with the swamp monkeys. Could've been hiding outside, in the small off exhibit area in the back, or sitting in the chute that leads outdoors, which can be hard for some people to see.
AmbikaFan
Well-Known Member
Great news all around. Finally, some primates to be seen in Amazonia! The flora is great in that building, but it's sadly short on fauna.
I love all hornbills, and especially in this mixed exhibit, which NZP should do more of. And the story of Karl's beak and the arrival of Karoline should make watching their interactions really enjoyable. Has Karl been in the zoo all this time? I knew the beak story though I thought he was at SBCI for some reason.
Can't wait to see these hinged tortoises. This herpetology collection has a great representation of species, especially crocodilians, and I always appreciate them. The downstairs Invertebrate exhibit closed several years ago due to lack of funding; I'd like to see them use this space for more endangered reptile species and keep the kimodo dragons using that back outdoor space. All in all, three exciting additions!
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