Review finds flaws at the National Zoo

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Significant flaws in care and management at the National Zoo threaten the well-being of the more than 2,700 animals at the park, according to an independent review requested by Congress.
The interim report, being released today, said many animals at the zoo are not receiving adequate preventive care, including exams, vaccinations and tests for infectious diseases. It also faulted the zoo for shortcomings in the animal nutrition program, which the report said had contributed to animal deaths.
The zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is among the capital's most popular tourist attractions, with nearly 3 million visitors each year.
A National Academy of Sciences panel of veterinarians, zookeepers and others began its investigation last year after several well-publicized deaths, including two red pandas that died after eating rat poison buried in their yard by exterminators trying to get rid of rodents.
A final report on the panel's yearlong study is due this summer.
Calls to the zoo for comment were not immediately returned, though a news conference to respond to the report's findings was planned.