American Trail- Gray Wolf Exhibit

April 19, 2013: Although not out on my visit, 2 female Gray Wolves live here.

This exhibit is quite an open one for wolves, as usually they are to be found in dense, lush habitats in many American zoos. I actually like the sloping terrain, but how many trees are there in the enclosure?

According to the zoo's website, the exhibit was actually planted lushly, but after winter, new plants might still be growing. This is the zoo's description of the exhibit:
"Dispersed among boulders, the landscaping for the Zoo’s two gray wolves, recreates a forest setting typical of North America. Native plants provide the two female wolves with enrichment, which encourages natural behaviors. The National Zoo’s park management team, in addition to planting new trees, grasses, and shrubs, also incorporated plants from the original exhibit. A large sycamore tree from the original exhibit, that could not be left standing, has been chopped into pieces and strategically placed throughout the exhibit. The staggered and stacked planks offer the wolves structures that they can climb on and survey their exhibit from, play on, and scent mark, just as they would in the wild. The rear of the exhibit is filled with dense vegetation for the wolves for them to retreat into. The front of their exhibit is more open, to allow for easy visitor viewing."