▶ Watch Video: “Panda diplomacy” marks 50th anniversary at Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Twenty-five American flamingos and one Northern pintail duck were killed Monday after a wild fox broke into an outdoor flamingo habitat at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Staff at the zoo called the deaths “devastating.”
Before the attack, the zoo said it had 74 flamingos secured in their outdoor habitat — a 9,750-square-foot yard with a heated pool and barn. The enclosure is surrounded by mesh, which staff say was intact during the last perimeter check Sunday afternoon. Early Monday morning, staff came to the enclosure and found the dead birds. The fox was still in the enclosure but escaped.
Three additional flamingos were injured in the attack and are being treated at the zoo’s veterinary hospital, according to the zoo. The remaining flamingos were moved to an indoor facility, while the ducks were taken to a covered, secure outdoor space.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for us and everyone who cares about our animals,” Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, said in a statement Tuesday. “The barrier we used passed inspection and is used by other accredited zoos across the country. Our focus now is on the well-being of the remaining flock and fortifying our habitats.”
According to the zoo, this is first time a wild predator has breached the mesh exhibit since its creation in the 1970s.
Staff are still investigating how the breach happened, but said a softball-sized hole in the mesh was discovered following the attack. Since the attack, the zoo said it has reinforced the mesh surrounding the flamingo enclosure and will place live traps and cameras around the Bird House yard.
