The exhibit is neither complete nor static. “It was designed to be a theater, a place where things happen,” says Horsley. The overhead canopy provided by mahogany, balsa, kapok and other trees will grow denser over the years. A school of baby arowana, the “jumping fish,” will be taught to leap out of the water for their food when they mature. And while the rainforest replica is not a political statement, says zoo director Robinson, he hopes that those who pass through the imitation will be inspired by its beauty and glory to care about preserving the real thing.
PHOTO: Jungle fever: It’s hot, it’s wet, it’s educational-and it’s on view in Washington, D. C. (JOHN FICARA-NEWSWEEK)
