Smithsonian National Zoo Re-Opens After Government ShutdownThe shutdown is officially over.By by Hunter SchwarzBuzzFeed StaffPosted on October 19, 2013, 10:29 pmTwitterFacebookLink The Smithsonian National Zoo re-opened to visitors Friday after being closed during the government shutdown. The zoo was closed for nearly 3 weeks. It opened a day after most furloughed government workers returned to work. The popular pandacam resumed service Thursday. The zoo is offering a ten percent discount on food and merchandise through Sunday. The giant panda Mei Xiang and her unnamed, 8-week-old female cub are not currently on public display, however, the cub's father, Tian Tian, is, according to WUSA 9.