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| Photo by Smithsonian National Zoo |
by Peggy Robin
If you’ve been missing the animals and you are up for a
masked and socially distanced visit with them, you can find all the instructions you
need to arrange your outing at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/welcome-back-zoo.
Get your timed entry passes (walk-in or drive-and-park) here:
You might be pleased and surprised to learn that the animals
have been missing you, too. Well, maybe just a few of the more social ones. Read this
City Paper article to find out which ones: https://bit.ly/2ZUEP8K – but it’s no big spoiler to reveal that the cats at the zoo (of all sizes) do
NOT really care if you show up or not. Still, you may be surprised to learn there are some animals that crave
an audience.
However, if you think you are one of those who would be better off waiting a while
longer before spending time at a place that attracts visitors from far and wide – even though everyone there will be masked and kept at a safe distance –you can
still see the animals at the National Zoo….on the internet.
Here’s an option that’s
been here all along: Zoo-Cams! Click on the links below and to check in on our camera-ready stars: (with supplementary
material to liven things up, in case there's not much happening on the live-cam).
1. Giant Panda Cam. Pandas are number one in popularity at the zoo. And here’s some lively background music for you while you watch:
2. Naked Mole-rat Cam. Mole-rats are a specialized taste, to my
way of thinking. If you pop in on the the naked mole rat world and find there’s
not much going on at the moment, you can watch this video that provides a much
more action-packed view of their lives: https://bit.ly/3ht5KhU
3. Lion Cam. As City Paper noted, the big cats have NOT missed you!
Here’s a soundtrack to go with the Lion cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQlByoPdG6c
4. Elephant Cam. These marching Disney cartoon elephants might just trump the real thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrQQZuLru9s)
5. Black-footed Ferret Cam. Are you a ferret fan?
Do you know who isn’t? Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, that's who! If you’ve never heard
his unhinged anti-ferret rant, now hear this!
Of course, the trouble with cyberspace is that once you get used
to seeing things in VR that can easily top what you can see IRL, you start expecting too much. You want to watch a panda do more than sleep or chew bamboo? Wish you could actually pick up one of those cheetah cubs? And wouldn't it be great if those kittens could talk! When you start thinking along those lines, that's when you get the urge to hop over to Youtube and look for talking animals. And not just parrots! How about a cat who says NO!
Here you go:
And now a song to play us out from dear old Rex Harrison as Dr. Doolittle, singing, "If I Could Talk to the Animals":
___________The "Get Out!" or "Stay In!" column is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.
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