Are there any large animals at the national zoo?

Between 1999 and 2004, mismanagement led to the accidental or neglectful deaths of around two dozen animals in the National Zoo's care, threatening the Zoo's accreditation and causing the resignation of its director, Lucy Spelman, at the end of 2004 . One incident involved the January 2003 death of two endangered red pandas after they ate vermin poison that had been buried in their yard by a contractor that was unlicensed in the District of Columbia. The incident led the city of Washington to seek to fine the Zoo over its claim of federally granted immunity. In late 2002 and early 2003, besides the red pandas, the Zoo experienced other high profile deaths, and the Washington Post featured a story the Washington Post headlining "Nation's Emblem of Freedom Dies on Independence Day". The insider source of most of the deaths and the interpretation on how they happened was a former zoo pathologist, Dr. Don Nichols. As part of budget cuts during Dr. Spelman's tenure as director, Dr. Nichols' research funding had been terminated in lieu of animal care. As a veterinarian, Dr. Spelman had practiced medicine on several of the animals that died and were featured in the Washington Post article based on Dr. Nichols' released insider information and his interpretation of circumstances. Although Dr. Nichols was perceived as a disgruntled former employee, his claims were taken very seriously. Errors in care, management and communications were found after a panel conducted an external investigation, including instances where veterinarians significantly altered legal medical records weeks, even years after events occurred.