SI Records
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 07-063, National Zoological Park. Office of Public Affairs, News Media Issues Files
This accession consists of records documenting responses to issues and crises in the news media related to the National Zoological Park. These records document a particularly active period of high-profile animal deaths and investigations by several regulatory bodies and news agencies. Species documented in this accession include elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, gorillas, orangutans, red pandas, seals, prairie dogs, bears, zebras, pandas, pygmy hippopotami, and tigers. Materials include copies of articles, text to be posted on the website, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and responses, copies of animal medical records, copies of regulations, copies of reports by various outside agencies, letters of complaint received from the public, letters to the editor written by zoo staff, transcripts of interviews with zoo staff, files related to employee morale, formal correspondence and email with reporters, and memoranda and email among zoo staff and between zoo staff and Smithsonian Institution, Office of Public Affairs staff.
Restricted for 15 years, until Jan-01-2019; Transferring office; 1/25/2007 letter, Wright to Hoage; Contact reference staff for details.
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.