![]() For example, the Amazonia exhibit may have leaf-cutting ants or the Nephila spiders added. This focuses more on how animals live together and habitat conservation, which is good both for animals and education. The Zoo's plan to shift focus is in line with national trends at zoos instead of isolated big animals in cages, zoos are shifting to more of a biome-based exhibit model. The long-term vision includes a future Hall of Biodiversity, which will include some invertebrate species.” “The Invertebrate Exhibit is not included in the Zoo’s Strategic Five-Year Plan or its 20-Year Programmatic Master Plan. Specifics on how that will happen though, "will be decided in the next few months." (By the way, the NMNH also has "deactivated" parts of its insect collections because of lack of staff.) Director Kelly was very clear that conservation breeding programs will continue, saying they will work with partner Smithsonian institutions, including the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). ![]() The Zoo is the lead on Golden Orb Weaver spider ( Nephila spp) breeding for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and also a major partner in coral breeding programs. I asked about how closure of this exhibit would affect the Zoo's participation in several major conservation breeding projects. Staffing has been an issue at the Zoo for a while in December 2013 problems leading to a keeper injury and deaths of several mammals in the Zoo's care were blamed on lack of funding and too few staff. The Zoo has multiple openings right now, and several unfilled positions. There are no plans to lay exhibit staff off they will be reassigned to other units. The outdoor pollinator garden ("Pollenarium") will continue to be open, but the Butterfly House will be closed permanently. It's in the basement of a 1930's reptile center, so it's not exactly a state of the art facility for anything, even bugs and squid. The building space the Invert exhibit occupied will remain empty for the foreseeable future the only plans are to clean the facility up. ![]() You can't just check your cuttlefish as a carry-on item. Relocating collection animals can take months in addition to transferring all the various permits to hold specific species, and all the health and breeding records for each individual, you also have to figure out how to transport animals safely and humanely.
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