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Smithsonian National Zoo Claws and Paws Review (June 2022)

Discussion in 'United States' started by Bintuwright (Throwaway), 6 Jun 2022.

  1. Bintuwright (Throwaway)

    Bintuwright (Throwaway) Member

    Joined:
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    Washington, DC
    I noticed no one's posted a review of the Smithsonian's new Claws and Paws Pathway, which I just found out about and then visited today. So, here goes (trying to be as complete as possible since I plan on deleting this account later to avoid distractions):

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    North American Porcupine:
    This habitat is unchanged from earlier, being a concrete-lined pit with a hill and climbing structure in the center; it's well-shaded by trees and visible from the path. Its inhabitant, Jeffrey (1.0), spends most of his time on the structure, but was down when I visited since a keeper was presenting a talk while feeding him. Side note, but the keeper was wonderful; we had some interesting discussion about how to get into working with animals as a young person and he mentioned that the zoo is considering acquiring a potential mate for Jeffrey. Overall the exhibit is nothing special, but it affords the porcupine some good height and space and isn't ugly.

    Binturong:
    In my opinion, the highlight of the exhibit. New to the zoo, and, since I've only visited a few other facilities, new to me too. They have a relatively low mesh cage in a roughly circular shape, affording almost 360 degrees of viewing except for a wood wall along the back; a large artificial climbing structure with nest boxes stretches across most of it and there are a few young (3-4 ft tall) bamboo patches though the terrain is just mulch. It is quite large (can't say dimensions but easily 25 ft in diameter by my judgement, maybe more) but very exposed, without any shading trees. The binturongs (1.1) seemed relaxed, posing and moving around a bit but mostly sleeping, as is to be expected for a nocturnal species. Quite pleasant and seems nice for the binturong (especially if the bamboo is allowed to grow higher) and they are quite easy to smell (they really do smell like popcorn!). The signage, however, is quite simplistic, featuring just one or two basic facts in a rather unappealing style.

    Bobcat:
    Skipped over this habitat, to be honest. It's also mesh, seemingly rectangular though it's hard to tell as it's position on a hill means it may be deceptively large. Has a simple climbing structure and is well-shaded. Though they seemed relaxed, based on my admittedly uninformed opinion (no pacing), the space is quite small for 3 (2.1) bobcats in my opinion. They may have more room that you can't see, though. Again, mediocre signage.

    Pallas' Cat:
    The animal I was perhaps most excited for. These specimens (0.2) seemed remarkably small compared to photos that I've seen, but they are females (are female Pallas' cats smaller?) and their coat is quite short, presumably due to the warm DC weather. Their habitat is similar to that of the bobcats, but has a secondary area they can access farther down the hill, which can only be seen from across a small gorge when on the Smokey Bear trail; for all intents and purposes it's off-exhibit. They, too, had a shaded climbing structure and significant trees above their exhibit, as well as a pool of water (perhaps the bobcats had one too, I can't recall). They seemed content though I'm no expert. Equally meagre signage.

    Overall Thoughts:
    The Good:
    + New "large" mammals are always cool and I'll cherish being able to see both species, plus it makes me hopeful that the zoo is looking into further renovation or expansion (perhaps a new non-bear inhabitant for Smokey's grotto or a Small Mammal House re-do are in order?)
    + The area is out of the way but accessible, and I'm sure the animals won't find themselves stressed by crowds. Even though the species are endearing and the area is very new, I only saw a few other groups visit while I was there.
    + The exhibits all display baseline competency, with generally appropriate space, enrichment, and climbing opportunities.
    The Less Good:
    - The unifying thread of the area is incredibly shaky (smelling strongly and having claws or paws? Congrats, that's like... half of all mammals). Doesn't bother me since the animals are all good additions but it makes me worried that this weird little area will see a lot of species-shuffling.
    - There's no real theming due to the aforementioned lack of cohesion. Not necessarily a bad thing but it does feel like half of one display (small cats, Asian carnivores, American woodlands) grafted onto another. Those who can't stand theming theatrics will likely appreciate this.
    - It's tiny. Not the zoo's fault and not bad for the animals but it's not ground-breaking. Still a nice little add-on to keep things fresh.
    - The signing is poor, with very little info.
    - Despite overall high exhibit quality, they're not very ambitious and some have one or two points of improvement that I hope will be achieved (most notably, more shading plants for the binturong and maybe more space for the bobcats)

    All of this long-winded postulating aside, I guess I'd rate this a 6/10. Nothing about it is bad IMO, but it's nothing special in terms of theming or unique habitat designs. I'll be sure to spend time here due to my newfound love for the binturong, but those who have better exhibits for these species at home are unlikely to be impressed. A solid but small addition, and, fingers crossed, a sign of more developments to come.
     
  2. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey In the Swamp Premium Member 5+ year member

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    Thanks for the review, I am heading to DC next month, so it is interesting to read a current review on this part of the zoo.
     
    StoppableSan likes this.