Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2019

As long as there's no grey (sorry - gray ?) seals to further the confusion

 

I'd definitely recommend Asia Trail, Small Mammal House, and the reptile house as the main must sees.

~Thylo

 

There's two maned wolves up by the cheetahs.

It's a mixed species exhibit with grey, spotted and harbor seals

 

Umm what?

~Thylo

 

There's a sign that says there's spotted in there. I'm not sure if there is or not, I can't tell the difference!

 

Afaik the only Spotted in the country is the lone female at Mystic Aquarium. I certainly can't find any information about Smithsonian keeping one online and there wasn't one present when @jayjds2 visited last month.

~Thylo

 

Maybe they no longer have it, or it was a rescue? I have no idea, I'm just positive there was signage for one, I checked the photos I took and the seal ones are tagged with all 3.

 

Jay can answer better but he lives fairly close to the zoo and visited fairly regularly so it's not really likely that one would have been there, especially signed, without him having seen it. A releasable rescue wouldn't have gone to the zoo, either, it would have gone to a rehabilitator (or to a collection with a rehabilitation center for marine mammals, which Smithsonian does not have) where it would have had as little Human interaction as possible before being released. Spotted Seals are also native to the far North Pacific, so any rescues would have gone to the Alaska SeaLife Center-- which is where Mystic's came from-- and definitely would not have been sent to Washington, D.C. only to be sent back for release months or potentially weeks later. Is it possible you saw a sign that talked about the spotting pattern on some Harbor Seals? Can you share your photo?

~Thylo

 

Unfortunately I think this is one of the rare times I didn't take photos of every sign, since I've been there a bunch before and know the mammals, just made a note in my file about it! I've made a note to read the signs on my next trip and see if there's one that I misread (or if Jay goes and can perhaps take photos of them for me? I tend to avoid this zoo). I'd like to think I wouldn't misinterpret something that badly, but maybe I did.

 

There haven't ever been spotted seals at NZP as far back as I can remember, which is almost 50 years. There is currently one harbor seal and gray seals Gunther, Kyja, Kara, and pup Rona.

BTW, Thylo, I learned a lot from you about sea otters, and the new Animal Planet series "The Aquarium" following Georgia Aquarium has featured them in two episodes thus far. I wish they would stress how few there are as you did, so thank you for your knowledge.

 

This is correct

 

This is inappropriate. NZP is our national zoo, funded by tax dollars, by mandate there for the people. With the early closings, the zoo is at least open to commoners most of the day. Selling personalized bricks and selling naming rights of buildings to major donors is one thing, but anything that lessens the chance for the public to use the facility should be forbidden. IMHO even the early closings violate this.

 

Then get your Congress person to fund the zoo sufficiently

 

While we all know this is the answer, the sad truth is that funding in real dollars is actually decreasing, especially if you figure in deferred maintenance. Sad but true.

Interesting related aside:. There is one part of the zoo that every congressmen learns of immediately and that elicits almost-angry responses. Did you know there is a 200+-year-old home on the grounds called the Holt House? It's registered as a landmark because it's one of the oldest homes in the city, a perfect example of a Georgian Villa. When the zoo was founded, the home was fixed up and used as administrative offices until the 1980s. Now, it's rotting and almost beyond repair after 40 years of further neglect, but it can't be torn down, because of its landmark status. Tired of having to deal with this year after year, the Congress actually wrote into the Zoo's allocation one year that absolutely no money of any kind shall be spent in any way on the structure known as Holt House. Using a theory akin to "if you don't pay any attention to something, it will simply go away," Congress has decided on a plan called "Demolition by Neglect.". To get around its protected landmark designation, Congress will simply wait until the house falls apart and can be bulldozed under condemnation orders as a dangerous structure. A Congress that will help along the destruction of a landmarked structure to balance the budget likely can't be counted on to adequately fund the zoo or its buildings.

I don't really know how to post a link, but info, articles, and pictures are readily available if you're interested. I've poked around but have never been able to locate the house--does anyone have any idea where it is on the Zoo's campus? It's a pretty big tract of land to keep hidden.

 

Its in the zoos research area, which is off limits to the public.

BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Science Resource and Collaboration Center (Holt House)

Google Maps

It will let you go down to street view, however that's just a tunnel that runs underneath it.

 

I thought it must be down there. A location near Connecticut would have been choice, and the earlier existence of a mill would have benefitted from being on the low end. I just can't imagine it's not visible, although the hospital complex too is successfully hidden. Thanks!

 

Interesting that, on Google and using the Creek's bend as a guide, the whole hospital complex and Holt House seem to be outside what is marked as zoo property.

 

Cub watch for Mei Xiang the giant panda has began.

'Cub Watch' Begins Again for National Zoo's Female Giant Panda