Over the 50 years that pandas have been at the Smithsonian National Zoo, the black-and-white bears have really become D.C.’s unofficial mascots.
Panda bear statues are dotted around the District, and the pandas are frequently the star of signs on streetlamps near the zoo.
But the zoo’s current resident pandas – Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Ji Qi – are supposed to head back to China soon.
So, who will D.C.’s next favorite be? We put a bracket together so YOU could decide.
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Nearly 30,000 votes were cast in the second round of D.C.’s Next Animal Obsession and the smaller animals continue to punch above their weight.
The results of the second round of voting are in. Give it up for the little guys!
- Our smallest competitor, meerkat, outmaneuvered tiger, the biggest guy in the top eight.
- Even though red panda got more votes than any other animal in our Friday Instagram voting, otter glided ahead into round three.
- One-eyed Virginia opossum Basil beat flamingo in a landslide. The zoo newcomer and hometown guy won by more than 1,000 votes.
- Bald eagle will fly to the next round after besting sloth bear. Honestly, we didn’t expect any birds in the top four!
To summarize: Our furry and feathery top four are otter, opossum, bald eagle and meerkat. Each week, we're announcing the winners first in The Weekend Scene newsletter.
D.C.-area voters certainly love their North American animals. Meerkat is the last one standing representing any other continent.
The meerkat mob and Basil the one-eyed opossum are campaigning hard for your vote from the zoo's Small Mammal House. If you visit the Small Mammal House at the National Zoo, you may notice their campaign signs!
But bald eagle is an American icon, and otters are, well, otterly adorable. All four animals clearly have what it takes to be D.C.'s next zoo animal obsession, but only two winners will advance after the semifinal.
Who are you cheering for? Vote early and vote often!
Follow us on Instagram, then check our stories on Friday to cast an extra vote.
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