Zoo, Park Animals May Benefit From Shutdown

 A giant panda enjoys a rest at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

As more than 800,000 federal workers across the country grapple with an uncertain financial future during the U.S. government shutdown, there is at least one group that may stand to benefit from the impasse -- they're just not human.
Animals at the federally funded National Zoo, national parks and wildlife refuges have just received an open-ended vacation from human tourist crowds.
In the short term, at least, the situation appears to be a win-win for such animals.