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Living Large as Zoo Unveils Asia Trail
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The giant pandas are anything but the trail's only draw. There are 19 animals along the way, representing the seven species, and about 25,000 plants in exhibit areas.
For those entering the zoo from Connecticut Avenue, the first stop will be the large habitat for the sloth bears. For years, the sloth bears got little public attention, relegated to a decaying pit in a far corner of the park that dated to 1902 and has since been torn down.
But zoo officials hope the shaggy brown creatures, which have long, narrow muzzles and curvy claws, can be a major new attraction, in part because they have a photogenic cub of their own, Balawat, born in January.
Yesterday, Balawat's father, Merlin, wasn't quite ready for his moment in the spotlight. He reacted unhappily to the attention, pacing from rock to rock.
"It's a nervous time for them," said Tony Barthel, the curator of the Asia Trail, noting that the bear now has plenty of room to retreat and hide if he wants a break. Like the other animals, Barthel said, "he's still getting used to his new environment."
Balawat, nicknamed Bala, was adjusting just fine, however, playing with a honeydew melon like a ball just inches from the delighted observers.
Elsewhere on the trail, in a separate space, one of the clouded leopards curled up for a nap under a tree. The ethereal-looking cat, with a golden coat and black spots that look like tiny clouds -- is being exhibited by the zoo for the first time in decades after being bred successfully by zoo biologists in concert with researchers in Thailand.
Visitors also checked out a tank and rocky "beach" where several small-clawed otters will wriggle and swim, darting in silver streaks through a pool kept cozy at 80 degrees. Yesterday, an Asian fishing cat named Elektra was poised on a log a few yards beyond the otters, casually dipping her paws into the water as she sought tiny skimmer fish.
The trail continues through trees and pools of water past a tank holding a Japanese giant salamander nestled on a rock and a habitat for two red pandas.
Zoo officials want to introduce the public to all the animals during a day-long celebration Oct. 21. Designers and other professionals will be on hand to talk about the choices they made and the two years of construction leading to the opening.
