Preparing for the Arrival
of a New Species:
Making an Exhibit a Tailor-made Home
by Alan Peters, Curator, Invertebrate Exhibit and Curator for Education, Animal Programs
First, it starts the question, “If I were a ______, what would I need to live at the National Zoo?”
So many intricate issues of habitat appearance, authenticity, location, and other factors play a large role in guiding the exhibit design, planning and development process. Only some of the many questions we must answer include:
What part of the world am I from?
What climactic conditions suit me best?
What do I do with most of my time?
What is my native terrain?
Do I need a hideout, a place to rest, tree perches to watch
for enemies?
What surrounding vegetation do I eat?
What trees will hold my weight so that I can climb?
How should the trees be arranged?
What and when do I usually eat?
What are my sleep patterns?
What noises, movements, and objects soothe me or frighten
me?
Do I like the company of other _______s, or prefer to live
alone?
Are there other animal species with whom I co-exist?
How will the animal keepers keep mice, roaches, and plant
invaders from permeating my enclosure and spreading disease
or destroying my home?
How will my new home keep me comfortable and contained if
I like be high up in the trees?
What will a guest learn about me from looking in my home?
Will guests know I’m well cared for here?
At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, we seek answers to these questions and more, by employing multiple resources from within and outside the Zoo.
At the Zoo, a knowledgeable and experienced team of animal keepers, facility managers, carpenters, electricians, metal and welding journeymen, painters, ventilation technicians, horticulturists, and other experts collaborate to ensure the successful introduction of an animal to its new home, and the continued maintenance of a habitat area.
Exhibits often continually evolve as occupants communicate
their wishes in making their new residence a “home.”
