Descriptive Entry

This accession documents the National Zoological Park's (NZP) submissions to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2003 and 2004. The NAS was requested by the United States Congress to review animal care and management at NZP facilities following a number of highly publicized animal deaths. Materials include background and briefing materials; reports; correspondence and memoranda; planning documents; budget and personnel information; specimen, pathology, and medical history reports; handbooks; and related materials. Some of the materials provide summaries of information, other materials are photocopied documents that were originally created as early as 1993. Materials also include clippings of articles in the media and correspondence among NZP staff, between NZP staff and other Smithsonian Institution (SI) staff, and between NZP and SI staff and NAS.