Home to over 2000 individual animals (400 different species) in natural habitats, the National Zoo is famed for its giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, along with their cub Bao Bao (born to Mei Xiang in 2013). Other highlights include the African lion pride, Asian elephants, and dangling orangutans swinging 50ft overhead from steel cables and interconnected towers (aka the ‘O Line’).
This Smithsonian Institution zoo was founded in 1889 and planned by Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York’s Central Park. The zoo’s grounds follow the natural contours of a woodland canyon, and the exhibits are noted for their natural-habitat settings. The zoo is intensively involved in worldwide ecological study and species-preservation work. High points in the past decade include giant panda and lowland gorilla births – a happy change from the early 2000s, when the zoo faced controversy over mismanagement and the deaths of several animals.
Even non-zoo fans will find the National Zoo entertaining. The panda house offers fun facts on the creatures’ sex lives (they only go at it three days per year – indeed Mei Xiang's pregnancy was the result of artificial insemination) and bowel production (behold the hefty replica poo). Big-cat fans will love the cheetahs’ display, while the ‘What’s for Dinner?’ feature has overly honest scales that inform you who would like to feast on you (‘100lb to 150lb – you’re a female warthog. A pack of lions could finish you off in an hour.’) The interactive ‘Think Tank’ examines animal intelligence (including yours) and displays a cabinet of brains. The zoo’s snack stands even sell decent beer.
The grounds are well-marked, but maps are available for $3 at the main entrance for easier navigation (or download the interactive National Zoo iPhone app for $2). Check the sign there for the day’s schedule of animal feedings. Among the new attractions, is a large new, state-of-the-art, indoor-outdoor elephant habitat that opened in 2013.
