Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2023

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TheGytrash said:
I attended the "Panda Palooza" farewell event today. In case you are curious what it was like, it's always a treat to see the pandas and other animals, but it mostly just felt like a normal visit to the zoo (albeit really crowded and with a few extra photo ops).

The specialty panda cookies and coffee drink were sold out (there were a few panda themed ice cream treats available, but those were the only food specials), the scavenger hunt sheets ran out before my group got one, I did witness some live music but it was so loud I couldn't even get close enough to see the performers, and there was apparently a dance party near the bottom of the hill that ended before we made it down there, but other than that, it sounds like the only other special panda-themed thing was screenings of a documentary in the visitor center. The zoo was so crowded that the line to see the pandas reached down past the elephant house and the line to get into the ape house stretched down to the reptile house.

I'm still really glad I went-- despite the crowds and warm weather, the animals were really active and I got to see most of them, including all 4 Andean bears being really playful-- but in case you were wondering what the panda-themed party was like, I don't think you missed a huge amount!
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Could you see the pandas and apes in their outdoor yard without waiting in the long line? Also, what if the zoo extends the loan agreement at the last minute like they did three years ago, then Panda Palooza and the zoo being so overcrowded would be pointless.
 
Kevin2342 said:
Could you see the pandas and apes in their outdoor yard without waiting in the long line? Also, what if the zoo extends the loan agreement at the last minute like they did three years ago, then Panda Palooza and the zoo being so overcrowded would be pointless.
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The loan isn't being extended. This has been repeated ad nauseam.
 
TinoPup said:
The loan isn't being extended. This has been repeated ad nauseam.
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That is what I meant, right now the zoo does say that the loan is NOT being extended, all I’m saying is it could possibly change at the very last minute like it did in the past, although in the past nothing was announced several months ahead of the loan expiring.
 
Kevin2342 said:
That is what I meant, right now the zoo does say that the loan is NOT being extended, all I’m saying is it could possibly change at the very last minute like it did in the past, although in the past nothing was announced several months ahead of the loan expiring.
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The political situation means that there are absolutely no circumstances where the pandas are going to stay in Washington DC. Go and see them now if you’ll miss them, because there won’t be any back soon.
 
Kevin2342 said:
Could you see the pandas and apes in their outdoor yard without waiting in the long line? Also, what if the zoo extends the loan agreement at the last minute like they did three years ago, then Panda Palooza and the zoo being so overcrowded would be pointless.
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The line to get into the panda house included the lower level viewing of their outdoor yard, so you could only see them in their outdoor yard if you waited in the line. You could view them from the upper level viewing (with the elephant viewing on the other side), but as you might imagine, it was extremely crowded up there and harder to see because it's further away. That said, I did get very good looks at the pandas from all three vantage points. I saw Xiao Qi Ji in his outdoor yard both on the upper and lower levels and also saw him indoors, as he was very active and kept bopping back and forth between them. I saw Mei Xiang inside and then she later came out in her yard when I was on the upper level. (Tian Tian was only inside snoozing, but that's frankly how I usually see him.)

You couldn't linger too long in line, either outdoors or indoors, because zoo staff kept screaming at us to move along.

The gorillas were all indoors. We went to see their outdoor yard, but none were out. I think the line was so long because everyone wanted to see baby Zahra. There was one orangutan outdoors by the ape house (none at the Think Tank) doing a food puzzle and that was fun to watch!
 
TheGytrash said:
The line to get into the panda house included the lower level viewing of their outdoor yard, so you could only see them in their outdoor yard if you waited in the line. You could view them from the upper level viewing (with the elephant viewing on the other side), but as you might imagine, it was extremely crowded up there and harder to see because it's further away. That said, I did get very good looks at the pandas from all three vantage points. I saw Xiao Qi Ji in his outdoor yard both on the upper and lower levels and also saw him indoors, as he was very active and kept bopping back and forth between them. I saw Mei Xiang inside and then she later came out in her yard when I was on the upper level. (Tian Tian was only inside snoozing, but that's frankly how I usually see him.)

You couldn't linger too long in line, either outdoors or indoors, because zoo staff kept screaming at us to move along.

The gorillas were all indoors. We went to see their outdoor yard, but none were out. I think the line was so long because everyone wanted to see baby Zahra. There was one orangutan outdoors by the ape house (none at the Think Tank) doing a food puzzle and that was fun to watch!
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It's always so stressful when they won't let you stay and observe the pandas. I understand it gets crowded, but this is such a rare animal that many of us are likely to never see again after that visit. I wish they let people stick around. I was lucky I went once when it was quieter and there was no one working in the panda house, so I got great photos [i.e., my profile pic].
 
Mary said:
It's always so stressful when they won't let you stay and observe the pandas. I understand it gets crowded, but this is such a rare animal that many of us are likely to never see again after that visit. I wish they let people stick around. I was lucky I went once when it was quieter and there was no one working in the panda house, so I got great photos [i.e., my profile pic].
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It really does depend on when you visit. I went on a Sunday afternoon and had as much time as I pleased. Sadly (although good from the zoos perspective!) I imagine that you won’t have the chance to see it so quiet again.
 
 
Thanks everyone for your comments/ experiences regarding the pandas it’s good to read them as I’m in the UK and I’ve been following the pandas at Smithsonian for a long time given their long history & especially now that they are leaving, and it won’t be long before our pandas in Edinburgh will leave too.

Is there an actual date for when they will be departing (i think it’s sometime in December?) and more importantly, where they will be going? Edinburgh’s pandas will also be leaving in December too…

This won’t be the last time I’ll say this but it is sad that it’s now their time to depart, especially as pandas are so unique and exquisite - only a handful of the zoos in the world have them afterall. When I’m at the panda enclosure (in Edinburgh) I always enjoy seeing people’s reactions to them & such levels of excitement/awe are seldom seen at other animal exhibits.

I fear that North America (and for that matter the UK, and potentially Europe) may not see pandas again for a very long time once all pandas have departed. Chinese (PRC) relations with UK/US are now potentially the lowest they’ve ever been.
 
Given that there are a lot of details involved in animal transfers - particularly one as public as the move of these pandas, I can only assume that an actual date of departure will be announced as late into the process as possible.
 
 
 
I'm just realizing how often information has been repeated on this thread (meerkats, opossums, pandas), and that I've contributed to the problem. My apologies.

I also want to acknowledge that I foolishly stated Basil the opossum's gender wrong.
 
"It’s not immediately clear what will happen to the panda habitat when they leave.

“We’ll take this time to update the indoor habitats and we may exhibit other animals while there are no pandas at the Zoo. No confirmation of what animals may go on exhibit at this time,” a spokesperson writes via email...

It remains possible pandas could one day come back to the National Zoo. A year after the death of Hsing-Hsing in 1999, the Smithsonian Institute and China came to another agreement for pandas to once again live in the nation’s capital. That remains the zoo’s hoped-for scenario.

“We’re working with our Chinese partner, the China Wildlife Conservation Association, to develop a future giant panda program,” a National Zoo spokesperson tells DCist/WAMU via email. “After 51 years of success, we remain committed to giant panda conservation. One thing is certain, the Zoo’s panda program has made a major impact on panda conservation and will continue to do so in the future.It’s our intention to have giant pandas at the Zoo in the future and continue our research here and conservation work in China.”"

https://dcist.com/story/23/10/10/smithsonian-national-zoo-giant-pandas-dc-loses-unofficial-mascot/
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
"It’s not immediately clear what will happen to the panda habitat when they leave.

“We’ll take this time to update the indoor habitats and we may exhibit other animals while there are no pandas at the Zoo. No confirmation of what animals may go on exhibit at this time,” a spokesperson writes via email...

It remains possible pandas could one day come back to the National Zoo. A year after the death of Hsing-Hsing in 1999, the Smithsonian Institute and China came to another agreement for pandas to once again live in the nation’s capital. That remains the zoo’s hoped-for scenario.

“We’re working with our Chinese partner, the China Wildlife Conservation Association, to develop a future giant panda program,” a National Zoo spokesperson tells DCist/WAMU via email. “After 51 years of success, we remain committed to giant panda conservation. One thing is certain, the Zoo’s panda program has made a major impact on panda conservation and will continue to do so in the future.It’s our intention to have giant pandas at the Zoo in the future and continue our research here and conservation work in China.”"

https://dcist.com/story/23/10/10/smithsonian-national-zoo-giant-pandas-dc-loses-unofficial-mascot/
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It entertains me the "unofficial mascot" of D.C. and the National Zoo is an animal we don't even own, pay a million a year just to have, and can be recalled by the loaning country at whim. Relations soured, and bye-bye mascot til who knows when. Just feels silly, sure pandas are charismatic but I find that situation laughable.
 
Great Argus said:
It entertains me the "unofficial mascot" of D.C. and the National Zoo is an animal we don't even own, pay a million a year just to have, and can be recalled by the loaning country at whim. Relations soured, and bye-bye mascot til who knows when. Just feels silly, sure pandas are charismatic but I find that situation laughable.
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Isn't exhibiting Giant Pandas a net drain on zoos outside of China too? As in, it costs more to take care of them than their presence brings in?

Certainly seeing Giant Pandas at San Diego Zoo for my sixteenth birthday over a decade ago is an experience that I'll never forget, but having done research into what it costs western hemisphere zoos just to have them around for a limited time... The pros just don't seem to outweigh the cons.

I wish the National Zoo would use this situation as an opportunity to exhibit a new species or even expand their other bear habitats, instead of promising the public that they'll do their upmost to bring Giant Pandas back to US soil as soon as possible.
 
Wisp O' Mist said:
Isn't exhibiting Giant Pandas a net drain on zoos outside of China too? As in, it costs more to take care of them than their presence brings in?

Certainly seeing Giant Pandas at San Diego Zoo for my sixteenth birthday over a decade ago is an experience that I'll never forget, but having done research into what it costs western hemisphere zoos just to have them around for a limited time... The pros just don't seem to outweigh the cons.
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In most cases yes, the bears don't cover the costs. Many zoos sustain a financial loss to have them, or get an additional sponsor for them. I've heard there's places close to giving them up because they can't take the financial strain for another loan renewal. When covid hit, Calgary quickly got the pandas enroute to China to avoid going broke maintaining them. It's not just the loan cost but growing or bringing in the large quantities of bamboo, upkeeping the approved housing, and all that. Very expensive animals that are unnecessary, in my opinion.
 
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