East Coast Earthquake 2011: How the Zoo Animals Fared

Buildings and residents were not the only ones affected by Tuesday's East Coast earthquake.

Animals at the Smithsonian National Zoo felt the 5.8 magnitude as well, but no major injuries were sustained, according to a media release.

Staff, visitors and animals, including beavers, apes and snakes, were all safe at the National Zoo, located in Rock Creek Park area of Washington, D.C.

While gates were closed to incoming visitors following Tuesday's shake-up, exits remained opened for guests to leave at their own leisure. The zoo returned to business as usual on Wednesday morning.

The Great Ape House and Think Tank Exhibit were in the middle of feeding time when the quake trickled in from the epicenter of Richmond, Va. and reached parts of Washington, D.C., New York City and Canada.

About five to ten seconds before the quake, many of the apes, including Kyle (an orangutan) and Kojo (a Western lowland gorilla), abandoned their food and climbed to the top of the tree-like structure in the exhibit, zoo officials said.

A gorilla named Mandara also reacted in the same way, grabbing her baby, Kibibi, seconds before the quake and retreating to the tree structure.

The giant pandas, however, were another story. Keepers reported that the furry creatures appeared to be indifferent to the earthquake.

Over in Virginia, the Richmond Zoo's chimps began acting up and hollering during and after the quake activity. Birds also flew around their enclosures during the quake, a spokesperson told ABC News.

Wednesday's media release from National Zoo officials also noted the following activities:

An orangutan named Iris began belch vocalizing before the earthquake.

Red ruffed lemurs let out alarm calls about 15 minutes before and after the earthquake.

The zoo's lion pride all stood still and faced the shaking building in front of them.

Snakes, including copperheads and false water cobras, began writhing during the quake. (Under normal conditions, snakes are inactive during the day).

Beavers were in the middle of a feed when the earthquake hit; the animals stopped eating and got into the nearby water, where they stayed for a period of time. Ducks were also seen jumping into the water.

A flock of 64 flamingos grouped together and remained huddled during the earthquake.

Once the quake was over, female deer began an alarm calling that lasted until a keeper showed up.

More information is available on the Smithsonian National Zoo Web site.