After the new Fridge was in (previous post), I went online and got a ticket (free but required) and parking voucher (definitely NOT free) for $30.00 to visit the National Zoo. The day was beautiful, sunny, low humidity, high temps in the mid-80's. In Mid-September, this is golden.
Originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the originator of modern public park design, it was laid out on the slope of an impossibly steep hill leading down to Rock Creek. Rally, not unlike a lot of nineteenth and early twentieth century zoological gardens, the municipalities may want the status of having one, but gave it ground whereupon the construction of homes and apartments was unreasonable or undesirable. On the inverse, such topography does lend itself to some amazing habitat construction and the inclusion of natural and dramatic water features. It's also very much more expensive, ergo mid-twentieth century and beyond zoos tended to locate in places where building habitats was less costly.
Going back to my new rating system Opportunity/Impact where Opportunity speaks to the likelihood that you will experience amazing animal encounters during a typical visit; and Impact quantifies the difficulty of navigating the zoo's grounds which includes the amount of vertical hiking, the clarity and condition of pathways, and even the availability of amenities like necessary rooms and food/drink. I am thinking about expanding this system to include other aspects, as well as, breaking apart some of what is currently covered by these two categories.
The Opportunity to see animals and have amazing points of contact with them is High. The zoo has so many ways and types of animals to see, that even if--like me--after 15 visits to the National Zoo, I've only ever seen their Asian Sloth Bears ONCE! I have seen Giant Panda on many occasions, Poison Dart Frog species that I have NEVER seen anywhere else, amazing opportunities with Lions, Asian Elephants, California Sea Lions, Addra Gazelle, Orangutan, Western Lowland Gorillas, Dwarf Mongoose, American Bison, Lesser Kudu, Red Ruffed Lemurs, even Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. The collection covers a wide range of animals with a greater emphasis on North American and Asian species. Because their space is limited, their African animals lack some of the ubiquitous species like Giraffe, Hippopotamus, and Rhinoceros. Currently, the area of the zoo where African animal species have been housed is under a multi-year total makeover. Once completed, there will be less room for the number of species, but more generous habitats with better viewing opportunities. The work is scheduled to be completed in late 2026.
Impact: Very High. It is the most difficult zoo to traverse that I love. A solution would be a tram system. I can't believe that they haven't considered this. So I must assume that it has been rejected. The result is a zoo that isn't open to everyone.
Three images from my visit of things that are easy to miss, things most visitors don't see.
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