News Archive 2005
Jan | Feb | Mar |
Apr | May
| Jun
Jul | Aug |
Sep | Oct | Dec
- National Zoo's Three Young Tigers Prepare to Go West
The three young Sumatran tigers born at the Zoo in May 2004 will be going to their new home at Landry’s Downtown Aquarium in Denver, Colorado, as part of the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan. - National Zoo's Tai Shan
Meets Public
at the Zoo's Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat
Tai Shan, the Zoo's giant panda cub, greeted the general public today for the first time, as the Zoo opened the cub’s exhibit for limited public viewing. - National Zoo to Examine Lion
The National Zoo’s 17-year-old male African lion has developed a small mass on his lower lip that the Zoo’s veterinarians plan to remove December 5. - FONZ's "Pennies for Pandas" Kids' Fundraising Challenge Raises $16,000 to Support the Zoo's Giant Panda Conservation Fund
Four children from among 159 participants across the country were selected as winners to receive a trip for four to Washington and a private visit with the giant pandas at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat.
- National Zoo's Giant Panda Cub Is "Peaceful Mountain"
The 100-day-old cub's name Tai Shan was announced on October 17. It won 44 percent of the 202,045 total votes cast in a naming vote. - National Zoo Euthanizes Giraffe
After several weeks of treatment for complications associated with skin cancer, the condition of a National Zoo giraffe worsened, and due to the poor prognosis, Zoo veterinarians and animal-care staff decided to euthanize it.
- National
Zoo and FONZ to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at
Fiesta Musical
On September 18, the Zoo and Friends of the National Zoo will commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month when they host Fiesta Musical, an annual festival celebrating the richness and diversity of Latin American culture and wildlife.
- Friends
of the National Zoo Launches Giant Panda Cub Naming
Contest and “Pennies for Pandas” Fundraising
Challenge
The Zoo and FONZ invite members of the public to participate in a naming contest and the “Pennies for Pandas” kids' fundraising challenge being held in celebration of the birth of a male panda cub on July 9. Contest winners will receive a trip to Washington for a special visit with the Zoo’s giant panda family. - Friends
of the National Zoo Recruiting Interpretive Volunteers
for Zoo’s Small Mammal House
FONZ is currently recruiting volunteers to serve as interpreters at the Small Mammal House—home to Asian small-clawed otters, black howler monkeys, mouse deer, naked mole-rats, and more than 20 other beguiling species.
- Smithsonian Names John Berry as New
Director for the National Zoological Park
John Berry, currently Executive Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has been named Director of the National Zoological Park, effective Oct. 1. Berry will oversee both the 163-acre facility in Rock Creek Park and the 3,200-acre Conservation Research Center in Front Royal, Va. - Giant Panda Cub Update (July 26)
Yesterday, the National Zoo’s female giant panda, Mei Xiang, ate for the first time since before giving birth to a cub on July 9. She left her cub in the den to drink and ate some bamboo for approximately three minutes before returning to her cub. - Friends of the National Zoo Partners With Washington Hotels to Offer Giant Panda Welcome Packages to D.C. Visitors
FONZ has partnered with Washington, D.C., hotels to offer special giant panda welcome packages in honor of the Zoo’s most famous residents, pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. FONZ has reached its target goal of ten participating hotels with the recent addition of two venues: Hotel Rouge and Washington Suites Georgetown. - Friends of the National Zoo Recruiting Interpretive Volunteers for Zoo’s Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat
FONZ is currently recruiting volunteers to serve as interpreters at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat—home to giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and the pair’s first cub, which was born at the Zoo on July 9. - Giant
Panda Photo Contest Winners Announced at the Zoo
FONZ announced today the winners of its 2005 Giant Panda Photo Contest. The contest, sponsored in part by Fujifilm, attracted hundreds of entries from the United States, Canada, and beyond. - Giant Panda Update (July 10)
National Zoo giant panda Mei Xiang and her cub—born Sat., July 9, at 3:41 a.m.—continue to bond and seem to be doing well. - National Zoo's Giant Panda Gives Birth to a Cub (July 9)
At 3:41 a.m. today, the National Zoo's giant panda, Mei Xiang, gave birth to a cub. -
Sunset
Serenades Concert Scheduled for Tonight (July 7)
Postponed to August 11
The Sunset Serenades concert scheduled to take place at the Zoo tonight, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., has been postponed due to possible heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast for the area and the flash flood watch issued by the National Weather Service. - Giant
Panda Update
National Zoo veterinarians are conducting weekly ultrasounds on the Zoo's female giant panda Mei Xiang to monitor any development in her uterus and perhaps detect a fetus if she is indeed pregnant. So far, the ultrasounds have not shown clear evidence of a fetus.
- FONZ
Volunteers Conduct Daily Pregnancy Watch of the Zoo’s
Female Giant Panda
FONZ volunteers have begun a pregnancy watch of the Zoo’s female giant panda, Mei Xiang, to monitor her for maternal behaviors that will allow Zoo staff to closely track a possible pregnancy and predict the birth of a cub.
- National
Zoo's Cheetah Cubs Make their Internet Debut on Live
Web Cams
Members of the public hoping to get a sneak peek at the five cheetah cubs born at the Zoo on April 14 can now visit the Zoo/FONZ website to view live, streaming images of the cubs and their mother broadcast from two infrared cameras placed behind the scenes at the Cheetah Conservation Station. - National Zoo Scientists Lend Expertise to Puerto Rican Biologists
Scientists from the Zoo's Conservation and Research Center will teach Puerto Rican biologists how to use satellite images and Geographic Information Systems to protect and monitor the habitats of endangered or threatened species on the island. - Zoo Scientists Use Quill DNA to Determine Porcupine Sex
Perhaps a first for science, scientists at the National Zoo tested DNA from porcupine quills to establish the gender of the baby prehensile-tailed porcupine born on April 11. - FONZ
to Host Annual "ZooFari" Fundraising Gala
The most celebrated and distinguished of the many special events held each year at the Zoo will take place this Thursday, May 19, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., as FONZ hosts ZooFari 2005, “Wing Ding,” the 22nd annual fundraising gala benefiting the National Zoo. - FONZ
Hosts "Guppy Gala," Annual Family-Friendly
Fundraiser to Benefit the National Zoo
Tonight (May 13), from 6 to 8:30 p.m., FONZ will host its annual family-friendly fundraising extravaganza, Guppy Gala, to benefit public education programs at the Zoo. - It's Three Girls and Two Boys!
On May 12, National Zoo veterinarians and animal-care staff got their first look at the newest litter of cheetahs—three females and two males. Each of the new cubs weighs just over three pounds. - FONZ
to Celebrate First Birthdays of Sumatran Tiger Cubs
with Special Birthday Party
On Saturday, May 7, FONZ will host a special party for the public to celebrate the first birthdays of three Sumatran tiger cubs born at the Zoo last May.
- Zoo
to Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day with "Bird
Fest 2005"
The National Zoo will celebrate the 13th annual International Migratory Bird Day with "Bird Fest 2005"—a free special event hosted by the Zoo's Migratory Bird Center and FONZ. - National Zoo Cheetah Cub Update
Two first-time cheetah mothers at the National Zoo are doing well caring for their litters of cubs—one mother is nursing newborns, the other is teaching adolescents. - Golden Lion Tamarin Dies at National Zoo
A 5-year-old female golden lion tamarin died at the National Zoo on April 20, after months of extensive diagnostics to determine the cause of chronic liver and gall bladder disease. - FONZ
Recruiting Volunteers for Elephant House and Invertebrate
Exhibit
FONZ is currently recruiting interpretive volunteers for the Zoo's Elephant House and Invertebrate Exhibit. Interpreters play an important role in enhancing the experience of Zoo visitors by interacting with the public, answering questions, and allowing visitors to handle animal artifacts. - Conservation
Central Named "Webby Worthy" as Part of
Ninth Annual Webby Awards
The online education program of the Zoo, FONZ, and Fujifilm has also recently been honored with a top award from the Parents' Choice Foundation. These are the fourth and fifth awards won by Conservation Central since its launch in January 2004.
- FONZ Names James M. Schroeder Executive Director
The FONZ Board of Directors today (Mar. 30) announced the appointment of James M. Schroeder to the position of executive director. - Zoo
and FONZ Host African-American Family Celebration
A century-old tradition continues as Washington’s African-American community gathers at the National Zoo to celebrate Easter with a variety of family-friendly activities hosted by the Zoo and FONZ. - Zoo
Cheetah Cubs Named through FONZ Contest
Two of the Zoo's four new cheetah cubs have been named thanks to people across the country who cast more than 13,000 votes in a contest hosted by FONZ. A nine-year-old Alabama girl was selected to receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the cheetah exhibit. - Profiles
of Giant Panda Mei Xiang's Hormone Levels Now Available
to Public on Zoo/FONZ Website
Members of the public will be able to closely follow the progress of a possible panda pregnancy by visiting the website, where FONZ will post the hormone profiles, Zoo scientists’ explanations of the data, and information collected by FONZ volunteers conducting behavior watches of the pandas. - 2005 Giant Panda Mating Season Begins at the National Zoo's Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat
The spring season for giant panda mating has come early to the National Zoo. Female Mei Xiang and male Tian Tian attempted to mate on March 10. Timing is critical and often unpredictable for this delicate processgiant pandas have one breeding season per year with only a day or two of actual mating. - FONZ
Recruiting Volunteers for Kids' Farm
FONZ is currently recruiting volunteers to serve as interpreters at Kids' Farm. Interpreters play an integral role in enhancing the experience of Zoo visitors by interacting with the public, serving as a resource for information about the Zoo and its animals, and allowing visitors to handle interesting animal artifacts.
- Cheetah
Cub Naming Contest Kicks off at the Zoo
In celebration of the cubs' recent debut, FONZ is hosting a contest to name two of the four cubs. Voters will be eligible to win a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cheetah Conservation Station. - National Zoo's Four Cheetah Cubs to Make Public Debut
The National Zoo's four cheetah cubs go on public exhibit beginning Saturday, Feb. 5, weather permitting. This is the first litter of cheetah cubs born at the National Zoo during its 115-year history. - Valentine's Day at the Zoo
Humans aren't the only species trying to entice prospective mates on Valentine's Day. The creatures of the National Zoo succumb to amorous instincts on this romantic day as well as throughout the year.
-
NAS: National Zoo Has Many Strengths;
Animals Received Appropriate Care
A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report released today concluded that for the majority of the animal death cases it reviewed, the animals involved received appropriate care throughout their lifetimes at the National Zoo. - FONZ
Board of Directors Releases Statement in Response to
National Academy of Sciences' Final Report on the National
Zoo
The FONZ Board of Directors responds to the National Academy of Sciences’ final review of the National Zoo. - Cheetah
Cub Web Cam Debuts on Zoo/FONZ Website
Members of the public hoping to catch a glimpse of the Zoo’s four new cheetah cubs before the cubs’ official public debut can now visit the Zoo/FONZ website to watch a web cam that will give virtual visitors a look behind the scenes at the cubs and their mother at the Cheetah Conservation Station. - Zoo
Scientists Contribute to Tiger Conservation Plan in
Bhutan
Zoo scientists John Seidensticker and Jon Ballou, and FONZ communications director Susan Lumpkin, recently participated in an international meeting to help lay the groundwork for a new Tiger Action Plan for the Kingdom of Bhutan. - Zoo
Scientist to Give Lecture on Giant Panda Conservation
at the National Zoo
In a lecture entitled “Conserving Giant Pandas in China: Challenges and Rewards,” Zoo senior scientist David Wildt will discuss the Zoo’s efforts to help understand and save one of the world’s rarest and most beloved species.
