Lions and tigers and Lyla-potamuses, oh my! This past week, we took a chilly hike through the wilderness of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This was the first time for my granddaughter, Lyla, and the first time in a long time for her mother, Anna, and me. It was a wonderful way to spend the day and good exercise, too. We logged more than 3½ miles in just a few hours.
But it wasn’t mere exercise. Just that morning, I had heard a report on National Public Radio about research concluding that exercise is one of the most effective tools for improving mood. And with all the chaos in the world these days, my mood needed improving. I would heartily agree with the report, but I’d argue that taking a walk with people you love adds immensely to the benefit. Loveable dogs work just as well to elevate one’s mood, though of course, we had to leave Millie behind this time.
The day was sunny, but windy and cold. We parked for free in a chance vacant spot on Harvard Street, NW, and walked across the bridge over Rock Creek to the zoo’s back entrance. These days, you need to reserve entry passes in advance online, but they’re free. Anna took care of that before we left their home. You can also pay $30 to $40 to park in the official parking lot if you don’t want to take chance on finding parking on the street.
Jeff pushes Lyla bundled up in a stroller as they cross the Harvard Street Bridge at the end of the day. (Anna Holland/Courtesy)
The zoo’s new female giant panda, Qing Bao, munches on some fresh bamboo. (Jeff Holland/Courtesy)
Anna and Lyla get a close-up view of an Indian elephant. (Jeff Holland/Courtesy)
An enormous Siberian tiger shows off at the zoo’s Great Cats exhibit. (Jeff Holland/Courtesy)
Two African lions do their best ‘Lion King’ poses. (Jeff Holland/Courtesy)
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Jeff pushes Lyla bundled up in a stroller as they cross the Harvard Street Bridge at the end of the day. (Anna Holland/Courtesy)
Lyla’s an avid walker for her age, but we decided to take her stroller, which turned out to be a good call considering the weather and the topography. The Harvard Street entrance is at elevation 50 feet, and the central promenade, the Olmstead Walk, makes a 220-foot climb up a hill through the middle of the zoo to the main entrance on Connecticut Avenue. That climb would have been a challenge for our 3-year-old toddler, not to mention the grandfather who would have had to carry her part of the way. There is a kiosk near both entrances where you can rent a stroller or a kid-friendly wagon.
The Olmsted Walk is named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park — as well as the local communities of Annapolis Roads and Wardour on the Severn. Olmstead designed the zoo in Rock Creek Park, which officially opened in 1891. Before that, the zoological collection comprised all-American deer, foxes, prairie dogs, badgers, lynx and bison on display near the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall.
President Grover Cleveland officially signed an act of Congress into law creating the National Zoological Park in 1889 for “the advancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people.” It has since become an internationally renowned research center, with an additional site in rural Front Royal, Virginia.
Anna once served as a Peace Corp volunteer in Tanzania, and she was eager to show Lyla the elephants. We found three of them inside their building. These were Indian elephants, slightly smaller than their African cousins. Still, Lyla was astonished by their size. She noted that one of them walked around a pool of water, not through it. We watched him grasp a wad of hay with the tip of his trunk and feed it into his mouth, munching thoughtfully. There were plenty of other families watching, but it wasn’t crowded and we had a good view the whole time.
The Great Ape House was also a big hit with Lyla. She was fascinated by the baby gorilla behind the glass as it swung on the limb of a tree and chased its sibling with a bamboo stick. The whole family was quite active, including an enormous silverback male. The orangutans, on the other hand, seemed to be taking the afternoon off from entertaining the hordes. One gazed up at us dolefully with an expression like Marlena Dietrich saying, “I want to be alone!”
One of the day’s highlights was seeing the zoo’s new giant pandas, Qing Bao and Bao Li. Born in China, they arrived in late 2024 and made their public debut at the zoo one year ago. You can log onto the zoo’s website and watch them on the Giant Panda Cam, which is the only way I’ve ever seen them. But on this day, they were out and about, treating us to the thrill of watching them live and in person. Or in panda.
They’re 4 years old, which makes them “teenagers” in panda years. Pandas are naturally solitary, so the two live in separate habitats. Keepers shift them from one area to the other in order to provide some variety. Bao Li, the male, was putting on quite an act for the keepers who were watching from behind a gate at the top of his enclosure. He curled himself up and did a summersault and then stood on his hind legs and sidled across the face of the gate, then curled up for another summersault. Qing Bao, on the other hand, sat quietly on a rock in the next enclosure, munching on a stalk of bamboo. I made a note to bring a pair of binoculars next time to get an even closer view. We stopped to take some cheesy touristy snapshots at a giant panda statue on the main drag.
On our way back down the hill, we stopped by the Great Cats exhibit on Lion and Tiger Hill and had astonishing views of an immense Siberian tiger and two African lions recreating the classic “Lion King” poses perched atop a rocky crag.
While crossing the Harvard Street Bridge over Rock Creek, Lyla asked Anna and me when the zoo would be open again. “Can we come back tomorrow?” she said. What was her favorite animal? “All of them!” For me, it was the Lyla-potamus.
Jeff Holland is the poet laureate of Annapolis and author of “Walk Around Arundel: 52 Places to Hike with your Dog and Other Best Friends.” You can learn more at jeffersonholland.com.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
You can enter the Smithsonian’s National Zoo from two different entrances: Car, bus and walk-in: 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW; walk-in only: Harvard Street Bridge
Free admission, but entry passes (tickets) must be reserved in advance on line at
nationalzoo.si.edu
Open every day but Dec. 25
Winter hours begin Sept. 15: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; last admittance at 3 p.m.
Summer hours begin March 15: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; last admittance is at 5 p.m.
Restrooms, gift and snack shops are available throughout the grounds.