The 17-day government shutdown hit all corners of the nation hard—but another group of our “citizens” were also having a hard time.
“It’s been a hard 17 days,” said Dennis Kelly, director of The National Zoo, an arm of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. “The animals have missed the people. The staff has missed the folks.”
No worries about the animals’ health and welfare. Kelly told The Washington Post that animal life did go on, and they were taken care of, but there were two deaths (including a 100-year old giant tortoise), neither attributed to lack of care. But during the shutdown, the baby panda cub grew from a tiny pink thing with black and white fuzz into a bouncing baby with open eyes and looking like a mini version of her mother. “She is growing exponentially,” the zoo said.
Pandas, especially cubs, are superstars in the four U.S. zoos that have them, including San Diego, Memphis, and Atlanta. They look like the quintessential teddy bear. Panda Cams, hosted on zoo Wen sites, let the rest of the world enjoy these animals. With the government shutdown, National Zoo Panda Cam went dark—and panda cam fans went into withdrawal. When the Cam went back online Thursdays, there were long waits for individuals to nab one of the 850 viewing slots. Zoo officials told the Post that at 7 a.m. re-opening day, 100 people were waiting for the cameras to turn on…and by 9 a.m. there were 400. As the day progressed, the zoo tweeted that “viewers may be experiencing some difficulty streaming the cams.”
To the delight of panda fans and social media posters, the Zoo posted a short video of the five-pound cub getting a regular check-up. One radio station, sharing on Facebook posted, “doesn’t she sound like a child saying ‘ow,ow,ow’!”
Around the nation, national parks re-opened their gates, doors, and parking lots. You can once again visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Yellowstone. The Friends of Independence National Historical Park posted on Facebook “We are open!!! The gates have been opened and our Park Rangers are returning. Stop by and show your support.”
On October 1, Yellowstone National Posted “Because of the federal government shutdown this National Service Facebook page is inactive. We’ll start the conversation again when we get back.” Yesterday, the photo of a beautiful antlered deer appeared with the comment “Oh, hello..it’s great to see you again.”
If you postponed a field trip or are planning one, re-openings are varying depending on staff and complexity. Make sure you contact the park you are planning to visit to check its schedule and availability.
