The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute announced Tuesday the loss of several birds due to a wild fox attack.
Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, said,"This is a heartbreaking loss for us and everyone who cares about our animals," in a statement.According to the statement, staff members arrived at the outdoor bird exhibit on Monday, to their horror, to find the dead flamingos. Twenty-five of the 74 flamingos had been killed, and the rest were moved indoors.A northern pintail duck was also killed, it said.
The statement noted that an inspection of outdoor facilities took place as recently as Sunday. The weekend inspection revealed"no areas of concern" in the flamingo habitat. The zoo added that it is continuing to investigate the incident. It also implemented immediate security measures, including reinforced metal mesh around the flamingo yard, traps for predators, and digital camera traps equipped with infrared sensors.