Our favorite panda, Tai Shan, has gone to China. But visitors to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC, will meet a number of new animals in 2010, several of them born at the Zoo. Part of the National Zoo’s mission is to help species conservation by contributing to zoo breeding programs. Several of the recent births are among endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species — and scientists are hoping for more.
Rare Brown Kiwi Hatches
She’s fluffy and roly-poly, with a long beak and comical oversize feet. The kiwi chick that hatched at the National Zoo on March 30, 2010, is also a conservation breakthrough. Though the brown kiwi is New Zealand’s national bird, it is an endangered species. Most kiwi chicks in the wild are killed by weasels and other predators, and captive breeding has had limited success. Only four zoos outside New Zealand have produced brown kiwi chicks. The National Zoo is the only zoo in the United States that currently has a breeding female.
It’s especially lucky that the new chick is a girl, because there are only 12 female brown kiwis in captivity worldwide. The chick is not yet on exhibit, but she can be seen by webcam on the National Zoo’s website. On April 7, 2010, the zoo’s breeding kiwi pair produced another egg, and keepers are hoping for a second chick.
Andean Bear Has Cubs
It’s twins! Billie Jean, the National Zoo’s Andean bear, gave birth to two cubs in January. Blind, bald, and toothless at birth, the cubs have grown into healthy and playful little bears. The father is the Zoo’s male Andean bear, Nikki.
The twins are the first Andean cubs born at the National Zoo in 22 years and the only ones to survive in a North American zoo since 2005. Andean bears, or spectacle bears, are native to South America. They are listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Animals.
The twins live in a cubbing den and can be seen by webcam on the Zoo’s website. They may go on exhibit in late spring.
Octavius the Octopus Arrives
He’s just three pounds or so, a bit bigger than a softball. But the Zoo’s new giant Pacific octopus may eventually top 100 pounds, with an arm span of 25 feet. His name, chosen by fans in an online poll, is Octavius. (“Oct” means eight — the number of arms an octopus has.) He's thought to be male, but it's too soon to know for sure.
Octavius can be seen up close in his tank in the Invertebrate Exhibit. He takes the place of the tank’s previous (and much larger) occupant, Augusta, who died of old age in December 2009. Augusta delighted zoogoers by removing the lids from jars to get treats during octopus enrichment sessions. Zoo staff have begun enrichment activities with Octavius, too, introducing objects such as rubber toys, a whiffle ball, and a flashlight into the tank.
Baby Gorilla Has First Birthday
The National Zoo’s baby western lowland gorilla, Kibibi, turned one year old on January 10, 2010. She was born in the Zoo’s Great Ape House. Western lowland gorillas are listed as critically endangered. They are native to the equatorial forests of central Africa, where expanding human settlement, new roads, and increased hunting have put pressure on gorilla populations.
Panda Pregnancy Watch Ends
Tai Shan arrived at his new home in Sichuan, China, in February, where he will participate in a breeding program to help the endangered giant panda become reestablished in the wild.
Tai Shan’s mother, Mei Xiang, and his father, Tian Tian, remain at the Washington Zoo. When Mei Xiang became fertile at the beginning of January, zoo scientists artificially inseminated her. In March, veterinarians detected hormonal signs that Mei Xiang might be pregnant. But on April 28, zoo staff confirmed that it was a false pregnancy, as is common in pandas. Sadly, there will be no cub at the National Zoo this year.
There are only about 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild in China. Restoring the population will depend both on breeding programs and on efforts to reverse the destruction of the bamboo forests that provide panda habitat.
Sad Loss of a Lion Cub
The Zoo has three African lions — Luke, Naba, and Shera. Zoo scientists have gradually introduced the male, Luke, to the two females. Luke and Naba have bred, and a lion cub was born on May 18, 2010. But sadly, the cub died just two days later when the tip of a blade of hay accidentally lodged in its lungs.
Zoo staff expect that the lions will breed again, and they hope eventually to build a lion pride at the Zoo. African lions are a vulnerable species, as hunting, disease, and habitat loss have made it increasingly difficult for lions to survive and multiply in the wild.
Also of interest:
Visiting the Washington National Zoo
Restaurants Near the Washington National Zoo
Tai Shan, Beloved Giant Panda, Leaving for China
Octopus Enrichment at the National Zoo
Visiting Washington, DC with Children
