The director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is looking to make some changes in operation amid concerns over animal care and management, recent deaths and injuries, The Associated Press reports.
Last July, a zoo volunteer filed a complaint about the care of various animals kept in the Cheetah Conservation Station, which had added a half dozen new species with no extra space. Five anonymous sources also spoke to CBS News about the recent animal injuries, deaths and escapes at the zoo over the past yar.
On Wednesday, two internal reports "detailing concerns and improvements to animal care" were released by the National Zoo, though zoo experts expressed their disagreement over the severity of the problems in the cheetah exhibit area.
The panel of zoo experts looked into several events that had occurred over the past year in the Cheetah Conservation Station, including the death of a Red River hog that had died of an infection and possibly malnutrition after experiencing significant weight loss, the injury to a kudu (a species of antelope), a wallaby that became upset when housed near hornbill birds, and a vulture and red panda temporarily escaping their exhibits. Just last month, a zebra severely injured a keeper, and a gazelle spooked by the incident was later found dead after breaking his neck.
Budget cuts over the past three years haven't helped keepers manage such issues, as Zoo Director, Dennis Kell, said to the AP.
"The core issue is the stress that being more thinly staffed and (budget) uncertainty puts on the team," Kelly said. "As much as the budget has declined, it's the budget uncertainty. It's hard to plan when you don't know what your budget is going to be."
In order to allow for more time spent on animal care, Kelly added that the zoo may cut back on public programs and animal keeper talks, at least in the short-term.
"I am looking at ways we can focus the animal care staff on the daily task of zoo keeping, which might have a short-term impact on our guest experience," he said.
Concern over animal care has also been spurred by the recent death of several animals, including an endangered Przewalski's horse on Wednesday, Dec. 11. For a collection of 2,000 animals, however, Kelly pointed out that an average of 200 to 400 animals die per year in the zoo, from amphibians to small mammals and spiders.
