Hi again Blake:
I agree with all cumrag27 said about the Smithsonian complex. However, I am somewhat down on the National Zoo for several reasons. One, they have lost several of their prime exhibits due to death neglect etc. One such exhibit was the Servals - the tennis players of the cat world. Both their cats have been lost and the exhibit has not been replaced. Secondly , the new director is a bean counter and has closed several facilities and disposed of the animals there. One such facility was in Port Royal, VA right along Interstate 81, This stretch of interstate may have held the dubious distinction of having the greatest amount of accidents as the zebra herd would be outside in winter and the black and white patterns on snow caught everyones attention. Also they were breeding Maned Wolves( actually a fox on stilts) and these too were a great site. However this facility is now closed and the animals shipped elsewhere. Thirdly, I do not think the National Zoo has ever recovered from the murders that took place on its grounds a few years back. It received the notorious labeling as a dangerous place to go.
I had a friend who, before her passing with breast cancer, was publicity director at the zoo and I fondly remember going to the zoo with her and also to visit her beautiful garden in Potomac, Md. It is really too bad to see bean counters have such a debilitating effect on good things - all in the name of saving money and for what?
I agree with all cumrag27 said about the Smithsonian complex. However, I am somewhat down on the National Zoo for several reasons. One, they have lost several of their prime exhibits due to death neglect etc. One such exhibit was the Servals - the tennis players of the cat world. Both their cats have been lost and the exhibit has not been replaced. Secondly , the new director is a bean counter and has closed several facilities and disposed of the animals there. One such facility was in Port Royal, VA right along Interstate 81, This stretch of interstate may have held the dubious distinction of having the greatest amount of accidents as the zebra herd would be outside in winter and the black and white patterns on snow caught everyones attention. Also they were breeding Maned Wolves( actually a fox on stilts) and these too were a great site. However this facility is now closed and the animals shipped elsewhere. Thirdly, I do not think the National Zoo has ever recovered from the murders that took place on its grounds a few years back. It received the notorious labeling as a dangerous place to go.
I had a friend who, before her passing with breast cancer, was publicity director at the zoo and I fondly remember going to the zoo with her and also to visit her beautiful garden in Potomac, Md. It is really too bad to see bean counters have such a debilitating effect on good things - all in the name of saving money and for what?
