National Zoo

While I was in Washington DC last month, I visited the National Zoo.  I visited on a prior trip, but at that time found it by accident when out for some exercise.  It was just about to close and all the animals seemed to be inside having dinner.  So I used it as so many people seemed to be doing--as a park trail, a nice place to walk through on the way to my destination.  The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and, like the other museums, is free and open to the public.  The big claim to fame right now is that they have a panda breeding program.  Unfortunately, Mei Xang's most recent cub (born in early September) died on September 23 of this year.  After one of the cubs' births (she's apparently had 5 failed and 1successful pregnancy), I remember watching the zoo's Panda Cam.

I did see the pandas, but didn't get pictures--they were inside and were munching on bamboo. It was a surprise (but shouldn't have been) that they are not that bright white!  They are animals.  They get dirty.  I doubt giving them baths is part of the program!

So here are my pictures.

Two of these flank the Zoo gate.

River otters were playing.

I was surprised to see the wolf out.

Can you see the tiger?

coming down the steps

After a drink, he walked all along the water on the 4 inch curb of cement!

There were two male lions in this exhibit.  You only see the juvenile here. They were doing their evening roaring as I walked through the zoo.

The Zoo was decorated for Halloween and I thought this army of scarecrows was a cute idea!

This amazed me.  It's an orangutan tramway.

They can get on and go across the Zoo to another enclosure!

Seriously!  They can climb up and go across at will!

According to the sign, the best time to see them is on warm days.

Here is where they end up if they climb across!

Walked by ball fields behind the National Cathedral on the way back to the hotel, but didn't walk to the front.