• At 6 AM, chief nutritionist Mike Maslanka waits for his crew to start another day of rustling up food for the National Zoo's 2,000 animals.
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    At 6 AM, chief nutritionist Mike Maslanka waits for his crew to start another day of rustling up food for the National Zoo's 2,000 animals.
  • Menus for many of the zoo's 40 species rotate items on a daily basis — not only to meet nutritional needs but to keep the animals from getting bored by an unvarying diet.
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    Menus for many of the zoo's 40 species rotate items on a daily basis — not only to meet nutritional needs but to keep the animals from getting bored by an unvarying diet.
  • Zoo animals get restaurant-grade produce. That guarantees nutritional needs are met and avoids waste. Often-picky animals won't eat spoiled food.
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    Zoo animals get restaurant-grade produce. That guarantees nutritional needs are met and avoids waste. Often-picky animals won't eat spoiled food.
  • Many animals get individual box lunches of carefully weighed, hand-chopped vegetables.
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    Many animals get individual box lunches of carefully weighed, hand-chopped vegetables.
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  • Fruits and vegetables for the Bird House are diced especially fine.
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    Fruits and vegetables for the Bird House are diced especially fine.
  • The zoo's enormous freezers contain prepared and butchered meat for the carnivores, along with treats like frozen mice.
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    The zoo's enormous freezers contain prepared and butchered meat for the carnivores, along with treats like frozen mice.
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  • Tiger treats: goldfish are destined to be snacks for big cats.
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    Tiger treats: goldfish are destined to be snacks for big cats.
  • Gorilla keeper Amanda Bania serves breakfast.
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    Gorilla keeper Amanda Bania serves breakfast.
  • Silverback Baraka forages.
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    Silverback Baraka forages.
  • Invertebrate keeper Mike Henley dangles a shrimp to tempt Augusta the octopus.
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    Invertebrate keeper Mike Henley dangles a shrimp to tempt Augusta the octopus.
  • Octupuses will eat only live food...or prey they think is alive because it wiggles.
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    Octupuses will eat only live food...or prey they think is alive because it wiggles.
  • A sea nettle, commonly known as a jellyfish, gets a meal of shrimp squirted through a turkey baster.
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    A sea nettle, commonly known as a jellyfish, gets a meal of shrimp squirted through a turkey baster.
  • At the elephant house the appetizer is bamboo. The keepers have to monitor the daily intake of Shanti, the 33-year-old female in the middle, who has an insatiable appetite and a weight problem.
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    At the elephant house the appetizer is bamboo. The keepers have to monitor the daily intake of Shanti, the 33-year-old female in the middle, who has an insatiable appetite and a weight problem.
  • Each elephant gets a customized lunch.
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    Each elephant gets a customized lunch.
  • Zoo food isn't just for nutrition. Marie Galloway gives Kandula, a young male, chopped pieces of fruit to get him to cooperate with his daily bath. Kandula has to lie down so Matt Chambers can scrub his tummy.
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    Zoo food isn't just for nutrition. Marie Galloway gives Kandula, a young male, chopped pieces of fruit to get him to cooperate with his daily bath. Kandula has to lie down so Matt Chambers can scrub his tummy.

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