National Zoo Improving After Animal Deaths, Report Says

Conditions at the National Zoo improved during the last year, but a number of weaknesses remain, a report released Wednesday by the National Academies’ National Research Council says.

After several animal deaths in early 2003, Congress asked the council to conduct a yearlong review of the zoo’s flagship Washington facility and its Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Va. The report said “more than a decade of decline in almost every aspect of zoo operation” preceded the deaths.

In a majority of cases, the animals that died received appropriate care throughout their lives, the report says. Notable exceptions include a zebra that suffered malnutrition and hypothermia.

Investigators cited poor communication between veterinarians, zookeepers and nutritionists.

The council urged the zoo to establish “rigorous animal-care staff training as well as a climate of accountability and personal responsibility.”