by Alok Ganguly, Andrew Friel, and Haley Verre
Managing Editor and Staff Writers
Every child dreams of going to the zoo. The vibrant foliage and the exotic animals are just the beginning, and zoos are abundant across the United States landscape. However, one zoo stands out among the rest and is known as the most unique and exciting attraction in our nation: The Smithsonian Zoological National Park.
Walking among the circuitous pathways lining a multitude of exhibits housing around 1,800 animals from 300 species is no small task. Hours upon hours can be spent covering one section, but children want to experience it all. Kids from all ages, ranging from pre-schoolers to college graduates love spending time ambling through the park.
Anticipating a fun day at the zoo, William Kulikowski, age five, and his sisters Morgan, age three and Maddie, age six, looked forward to seeing the panda and cheetah exhibits. Coming from New Jersey, the Kulikowskis were excited for a change of pace from the Turtleback Zoo. Many families from the Garden State were in the nation’s capital because of a teachers’ convention in the area and also felt that the Smithsonian surpassed their local zoo.
“If I can get any pet in the world, it would be a baby lion,” says nine year old Sienna Kaplan, who also comes from New Jersey.
Sienna’s twin sister, Alexa, is also looking forward to the pandas. Their sister Chloe, age eleven, says there are a variety of animals here that she has never heard of before. Sienna also says the D.C. zoo is better than the one in New Jersey, where she and her sisters live, because it is significantly larger.
Nine year old Ryan Healy came to the zoo specifically to see the pandas. He and his mother Wendy came all the way from North Carolina to explore Washington D.C. and its zoo. Their local zoo was one of the first non enclosure zoos in the country, and has around a five mile diameter, but lacks in the panda department, prompting the Healys’ trip.
The zoo also provides opportunities for pre-schoolers to learn about the wildlife with classes they can attend for five to six weeks. Among these is Ariel Nally, who will turn three years old in two weeks. She has been coming to the Smithsonian Zoo for over a year, and agrees that “the cheetahs are the best.”
For a quick video with more sound bytes from little visitors, click here!
Paulo McBride, age five, also went to the class. He and his family visit the zoo all year; his favorite time to visit is during the holidays, when the zoo is ornate with lights.
The zoo can even be enjoyed by young adults. James Gumerson, and Andrew Barry, both 17, are members of the Future Business Leaders of America and stopped by the area to take a break from their conference. Compared to the parks in New York, where the students hail from, the Smithsonian Zoo is smaller. However, the boys are optimistic about their ability to explore the entire park.
Even Westford Academy students were looking forward to spending some time visiting the animals. The entire group was discussing visiting the elephants, the big cats, and the pandas with glee.
The Smithsonian Zoo is a place that will forever be enjoyed by all ages. While it may not be the largest park, people of all walks of life can certainly “zoo” it all.
