The Smithsonian National Zoo said a fox was responsible for killing 25 American flamingos and a Northern pintail duck after the animal broke into their heavy-duty metal mesh enclosure.
The National Zoo on Tuesday said that its staff members are “devastated and mourning” the loss of the dead birds who were all killed on the same day on Monday.
Three additional birds were injured in the attack and are being treated at the Zoo’s veterinary hospital.
The staff discovered the massacre early morning in the outdoor flamingo yard and sighted the fox before it escaped, the zoo said in the statement.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for us and everyone who cares about our animals,” said Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars director, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
“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.”
The zoo said they conducted the last inspection of the site a day before the attack around 2.30pm as part of regular checks held multiple times a day.
But on 2 May a new softball-sized hole was discovered in the heavy-duty metal mesh that surrounds the outdoor yard. It was the first time a predator breached the mesh which was installed in the 1970s, it said.
The incident was being investigated by the zoo authorities who installed live traps around the outdoor yard to catch any predators. Infrared censored-digital camera traps that are triggered by movement have also been installed to photograph overnight activity.
The flock of birds, which originally had 74 flamingos, has now been transferred to an indoor barn and the ducks to a covered and secure outdoor space, the zoo said.
The statement by the zoo underscored that "the International Union for Conservation of (Nature’s) Red List of Threatened Species lists both the American flamingo and Northern pintail duck as species of least concern.”
“While flamingos are an abundant bird species, they are threatened by habitat loss due to mineral mining and human disturbance,” it added.
The massacre at the zoo by has represented the latest fatal attack by fox in Washington in recent days. Last month, US Capitol police captured a fox and euthanised it after it attacked six people, including Democratic Representative Ami Bera of California.
