DC Zoo: A Report On Select Exhibits
May 4th from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Once I had arrived at the zoo that morning, I planned out my route for the day and started heading towards the Small Mammal House down the main path of the zoo by the entrance. I entered the small mammal house and was very impressed with the amount of information available to zoo patrons presented on plaques next to the enclosures of the animals. I found the naked mole rat enclosure especially interesting because the zoo had them set up as if they were in an "ant-farm" with little viewing windows and even a glass window looking into the back of the enclosure, almost like a behind the scenes view. The information listed for each species was its common and scientific names, general information and fun facts, range, habitat, and diet. The plaques also listed its endangered or threatened status. Some of the species that I saw on display were the Brush-tailed Bettong, Red Ruffed lemur, Golden Lion Tamarin, and the Dwarf Mongoose to name a few. One of the more interactive displays that I saw was the Naked Mole-Rat display I mentioned above. The display had a video player that ran informational excerpts across the screen for patrons to watch and observe the rats. Based on what I saw I believe the education level ranges from late middle school to early highschool. However, it is informative and fun for visitors of any age group in my opinion. While there I saw many families reading the plaques listed next to the enclosures and watching the informational content available on the video players. In my opinion the Small Mammal House does an excellent job on informing the general public about the housed animals and their conservation.
For the next few hours I spent my time wandering around the zoo, going to every single area that was open to me, witht the exception of the bird and reptile houses. As soon as 1:00pm rolled around I headed down to the Amazonia building for a guided tour. At the start of the tour I immediately noticed that the Amazonia building unlike the mammal house is much more continuous in its theme of the Amazonian rainforest and river. Many of the exhibits merged together to form almost a fully connected enclosure beginning as soon as you enter the doors and ending as you leave. The information listed for the displayed species was very similar to that of the Small Mammal House, with the common and scientific names as well as general information being displayed. Some of the species that I saw on the tour were the Arapaima, Red Piranha, Roseate Spoonbill, and freshwater stingrays to name a few. One of the displays that stood out ot me the most while on the tour was the very first freshwater pool on the right hand side of the entrance as soon as you walk in. I think that the way they set it up feels very natural for both the animals and the visitors. There is no glass and the spoonbills freely walk along the edge of the water above a simulated pool where fish and stingrays swim. This definitely stood out to me and created a very memorable experience. Based on what I saw around the zoo that day I believe this hall is geared toward a slightly older audience, educationally the latter half of highschool. It is still very interactive and informative for all age groups however some of the plaques were a bit wordy and a younger child would require some explanation to understand some of the terms. While we were on our guided tour I did see many "non-SGCers" interacting with the exhibits, the Amazonia building is definietly popular with guests at the zoo.
Two specific examples that demonstrate that the zoo aids in public understanding of animals and ecosystems other than simple plaques with printed information is their petting zoo program and their elephant building. The petting zoo allows guests and young children to directly interact with barn animals in a safe and educational environment. The elephant building allows patrons to see the inside "stables" where the elephants are housed, making for a more memorable and interactive experience.
One specific example that I saw of the zoo taking steps to improve animal welfare using objects not naturally found in the wild with the target species was the introduction of blankets and bedding into enclosures of small mammals, to help simulate warm dens, as well as comforting stressed individuals in group enclosures.The other example I saw in the zoo were enrichment objects like balls and equipment similar to playgrounds at schools for animals like the goats in the barn yard portion of the zoo. These objects help to keep animals active and engaged with their environments.
