Saturday, September 27, 2025
Friday, September 26, 2025
Smithsonian National Zoo: The Main Pathway
What's left? Time to connect three dots. I started with a breeze through the Small Mammal House. One of the many early 20th Century Romanesque masterpieces. Renovated over the years to host an interior full of open and creative habitats--probably, in the most perfect world--it's ready for a next generation upgrade. l would love to see more naturalistic design and live foliage, flowing water features, natural light--all toward a more immersive guest experience. My upgrade would include an extension on the rear side of the building to also double the existing space to 1) increase the size of all the habitats, and 2) create interior/exterior habitats for many that will provide greater options for both animals and guests.
SMALL ANIMAL HOUSE

Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Smithsonian National Zoo: The Upper Part of the Asian Trail
As you climb there are a quartet of mid-sized habitats, some undeveloped space, and the largest Sloth Bear habitat I have ever seen at a zoo. Two separate and huge exterior habitats with a plaza filled with cultural references and educational activities between. Don't get excited--I encountered no Sloth Bears today. In fact, and this is a fact, in the 16 times I have visited the National Zoo over the past 31 years, I have honestly only seen actual Sloth Bears in this exhibit 1 time! This is ONE time... That time, pre-pandemic, was amazing, but when I think about it, they may have been animatronic! The other rarely seen critter is on the opposite end, the Red Panda. My track record there is slightly better, maybe 5 or 6 times. The three in between species: Asian Small-clawed Otters, Fishing Cat, and Clouded Leopards have me combined batting around 500. Given all of this, my expectations are generally muted.
And there is a plot of land, decent sized, that awaits some form of development. It's a sloping feral field that could be leveled and landscaped to hold members of their Przewalski's Horse herd. The positive would be a species that you could pretty much guarantee would be present, and a chance to design a habitat specific to this amazing and ancient species. As of now they reside in the old Camel yard.So what was the result of my trek? Today was a good day for both team Asian Small-claw Otter and team Clouded Leopard! Fishing Cat? Off fishing? WAA Waa waa.....