Smithsonian National Zoo How should the Smithsonian National Zoo re-purpose their panda exhibit?

TheGytrash

TheGytrash

Well-Known Member
As National Zoo fans are likely aware, the current family of giant pandas is moving back to China at the end of this year. There are no plans to loan new pandas, and it sounds like by 2025, there will be no more pandas in the USA.

The panda complex at the zoo is very large and extensive, with several large outdoor yards with multi-level viewing and an indoor panda house with 3 indoor exhibits and quite a few educational museum exhibits.

After the pandas leave, do you think they'll repurpose the panda yards for another species? What would be suitable there (among the other Asian species). What about the indoor panda house? What would you do if you were the National Zoo?
 
TheGytrash said:
After the pandas leave, do you think they'll repurpose the panda yards for another species? What would be suitable there (among the other Asian species). What about the indoor panda house? What would you do if you were the National Zoo?
Click to expand...
My guess is that the zoo will use that area as an additional red panda enclosure/holding area.
 
In the short term they could repurpose it for either another Asian species, another bear, or both. Keeping it that way in the long run would reduce costs of conversion now and in the future if diplomatic relations thaw. Or they could convert it into a larger exhibit for hoofstock, primates, carnivorans… anything, really. I personally would convert the space into a tiger exhibit and turn the cat grotto into a modern lion habitat. That will require time and funding, but I see it as the best long term solution.
 
I could see them doing that for the indoor habitat (while also leaving up the museum displays about giant panda conservation and breeding), but there are several very large outdoor yards designed to accommodate a large number of viewers and I can't imagine all of that space being given over to the little guys.

I also like the idea of making the yards a tiger exhibit and letting the big cat area be just for lions.
 
Their red panda habitat is already quite nice, and the giant panda area is way too large for them from a viewing perspective anyways. I love red pandas, but I don't think that is a good fit for the space at all.

Likewise their sloth bear habitat is already really nice and designed better for them.

I would absolutely love to see it given over to sun or Asiatic black bears....but both are phase out for AZA, IIRC.

Given all of that, I have no idea how they are going to use the space. Tigers would require some retrofitting, but not terrible. But....the tiger enclosure is not really bad at all right now. With the indoor and outdoor area they could make a incredible Komodo dragon enclosure.

I am sure they have some idea on their horizon, but anything we all come up with is just speculation - but speculating is always fun.
 
SwampDonkey said:
Their red panda habitat is already quite nice, and the giant panda area is way too large for them from a viewing perspective anyways. I love red pandas, but I don't think that is a good fit for the space at all.

Likewise their sloth bear habitat is already really nice and designed better for them.

I would absolutely love to see it given over to sun or Asiatic black bears....but both are phase out for AZA, IIRC.

Given all of that, I have no idea how they are going to use the space. Tigers would require some retrofitting, but not terrible. But....the tiger enclosure is not really bad at all right now. With the indoor and outdoor area they could make a incredible Komodo dragon enclosure.

I am sure they have some idea on their horizon, but anything we all come up with is just speculation - but speculating is always fun.
Click to expand...
What are the chances the zoo'll take in rescued Asian black bears from a roadside zoo?
 
I wonder if they'd be able to bring in another species of Tiger. Maybe Sumatran or Malayan since they already have Amur
 
CMZman said:
I wonder if they'd be able to bring in another species of Tiger. Maybe Sumatran or Malayan since they already have Amur
Click to expand...
They have Sumatran as well, a female named Damai. Maybe they could acquire a larger number of tigers than the current one Sumatran and two Amur.
 
SwampDonkey said:
Honestly, probably slim to none.
Click to expand...
There is a horrendous Asiatic black bear exhibit at the Natural Bridge Zoo a few hours away and it would be nice if the bear(s) ended up in DC, but I don't think that would ever happen. (Though I believe the Philly Zoo might have acquired one from there?) That's the worst zoo I've ever been to and had nightmares for years after visiting-- I was a kid at the time.

Sadly, two of their Asiatic black bears escaped from the zoo shortly after my visit and were both killed when they made their way to some guy's house.

There was also a horrible sun bear exhibit at the roadside Catoctin Zoo when I was a kid. I heard they still keep the species but not sure if it's in the same cage. From what I've seen online, the zoo has at least gotten rid of some of the worst exhibits they had when I was a kid, but if that exhibit is still one of the worst ones, I could see them trying to find a better home for them.

I seriously doubt Asiatic black bears or sun bears would ever be permanently be displayed in DC as it's a phase-out species, but maybe a temporary exhibit for elderly bears before they overhaul the space or something.
 
The Zoo has stated that they feel confident a new pair will be secured, but have not provided a timeline. Out of all the current/former holders, the Smithsonian would be the mostly likely to secure another pair simply because of the long established scientific relationship. I think most recently in 2020 Smithsonian scientists helps establish a new national park and management strategies in China. While the political relationship has strained, I think the scientific one remains strong.

As a note, the exhibit remained empty for a year between the passing of Hsing-Hsing in 1999 and the arrival of the current pair in December 2000. The Zoo is notorious for having empty exhibits for a LONG time so I wouldn't be surprised if the Panda house and yards remain so until new pandas arrive.
 
While I don’t think this will happen, if we can be 100% sure that the exhibit won’t be needed for pandas in the future (which at this point we can’t) the area could be turned into a decent complex for giraffes, rhinos, and some other large mammals the zoo is missing. While the big cat area isn’t currently aesthetically pleasing, I don’t the tigers are in need of being moved
 
The only thing with using it for giraffes or rhinos or whatever is that it's in the heart of the zoo's Asian exhibit, so it might feel weird and incongruous to have African animals there. The upper-level panda viewing overlooks the Asian elephant yards and it's adjacent to the Asia Trail exhibit, specifically next to the red pandas.

Also, despite the panda yards being large, they're totally wrong for giraffes unless you really change the landscaping. They're rocky, hilly, and full of trees.

Looking at the Himalaya Highlands exhibit at the Bronx Zoo, I wonder if snow leopards would pair well with red pandas? Maybe have birds like cranes and pheasants in the third panda yard? Still, the exhibit is designed for multi-level viewing and accommodating huge numbers of viewers, and something like snow leopards likely wouldn't draw that kind of a crowd.
 
Moving African megafauna into that space would be very strange. IMO it needs to remain something Asian in focus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top