Finding:

• Numerous incidents of inadequate medical recordkeeping were evident in reviews of medical records at the CRC facility.

Recommendations:

• Immediate steps must be taken to clarify to the CRC veterinary staff the actions, procedures, and observations that must be included in the medical record, and senior management must ensure compliance with these policies.

• The CRC should transition to new recordkeeping systems in parallel with the Rock Creek Park facility.

The zoo pest-control officer is responsible for pest control at both the Rock Creek Park facility and CRC under the supervision of the head of the Pathology Department of the zoo but with the head veterinarian having local responsibility. The same protocols are used for rodent control at CRC as at the Rock Creek Park facility (NZP, NZP-CRC Rodent Control Protocol, April 16, 2004). CRC has relatively few reported pest problems. Keepers are responsible for monitoring their assigned areas for problems and reporting evidence of pest problems to the head veterinarian. They are then given the responsibility of deploying bait, assessing its effects, and reporting outcomes to the head veterinarian. Contrac©, an anticoagulant poison, is used in the small-mammal and wolf buildings because its effects are reversible. Bird areas use Quintox© rat and mouse bait. Control for raccoons and white-tailed deer is undertaken according to protocols approved by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Protocols for pesticides are under review. Completion of review and updating of pest-control protocols is expected in 2004. The pest-control officer will obtain a Virginia pest-control license.

Finding:

• The pest-control operation at the CRC facility has not experienced any difficulties. The unified system controlled by the new pest- control officer should minimize future problems for the facility.