It’s hot out there. Damned hot. But imagine dealing with this heat wave if you were covered in thick fur and weighed 600 pounds or more. Here’s how the National Zoo’s residents beat the heat.

A recent incident in Ohio got us to thinking — what exactly are the rules in the District when it comes to owning non-standard pets? Would a resident be able to keep a lion, tiger, coyote or flamingo in their backyard?

The four cubs shortly after they were born, in May. Photo courtesy Virginia Zoo. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has given us plenty of baby animals to coo over this summer, but most of them remain at the Front Royal Conservation and Research Center, not on display to the public at the actual Zoo. So if you’re jonesing for some cute and in need of a fix, you might consider a weekend road trip to…

UPDATE (4:10pm): Nuthin! Per Barry Svrluga, the Nats passed the trade deadline without making a move, despite a flurry of late rumors. While they might make minor moves in August (like last year with Livan), they decided against moving Rauch or Cordero. Let’s hope Chief’s feelings aren’t hurt and he strikes out Dunn for the save tonight! UPDATE (2:35pm): The Red Sox, rumored to have sought after Cordero since last winter, have reportedly filled their…

Well, we may have been reluctant at first due to his, um, colorful past (as were many others). We also doubted his All Star chances. Now, though, we’re now firmly aboard the Dmitri Young Chuckwagon. In the same week he was named to the NL team for next week’s All Star Game in San Francisco, Young went 3-4 yesterday. His day was highlighted by a grand slam, cementing the Nats 6-0 win in front of…

The talk about the Nationals being the worst team in major league history seems to have been slightly exaggerated. That being said, they’ve been pretty awful in losing 5 in a row, including being swept by the Cubs this weekend. The Nats are 9-22, 10.5 games out of first place in the National League East and 5.5 behind the fourth place Phillies. And they face the surprising Brewers, who have the best record in baseball,…

>> We note the passing of one of the sporting world’s all-time greats: former Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson. Robinson coached the Tigers from 1941 through 1997, compiling a record of 408-165-15. Redskins fans owe Robinson a debt of gratitude for coaching up the man who would ultimately replace him at Grambling, Doug Williams, who won the MVP award for leading the Skins to victory in Super Bowl XXII. >> Thank you, DCist…

When Butterstick’s official name was to be chosen, the National Zoo put the decision in the hands of us, the normal folk. Now they’re looking to do the same with the three newest additions to the zoo’s stock — the tiger cubs. The National Zoo has opened online voting for the three cubs — one male and two females — that were born on May 24. The voting will remain open until August 21, and…

It was bound to happen. Butterstick, the National Zoo’s resident mound of animal cuteness (a panda cub, to be exact), has ceased being the cutest thing to hit Woodley Park since, well, ever. May 24 yielded the birth of a litter of three tiger cubs, the offspring of local Sumatran Tigers Soyono and Rokan. And while the cubs will be kept from the public for the months to come, the hyper-voyeuristic folks at the National…

So, in case you hadn’t heard, George Mason is in the Final Four. As an 11-seed and member of the Colonial Athletic Assocation, the Patriots are the natural underdogs heading into Indianapolis. But in a tournament full of upsets, with four unlikely combatants — Mason, UCLA, LSU, and Florida — left standing, it’s absurd to heavily favor one team or heavily discount the chances of another. This Final Four is the toughest to handicap in…