From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. The zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats".
The National Zoo has two campuses. The first is a 163-acre (66 ha) urban park located at Rock Creek Park in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., 20 minutes from the National Mall by MetroRail. The other campus is the 3,200-acre (1,300 ha) Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI; formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center) in Front Royal, Virginia. On this land, there are 180 species of trees, 850 species of woody shrubs and herbaceous plants, 40 species of grasses, and 36 different species of bamboo. The SCBI is a non-public facility devoted to training wildlife professionals in conservation biology and to propagating rare species through natural means and assisted reproduction. The National Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The two facilities host about 2,700 animals of 390 different species. About one-fifth of them are endangered or threatened. Most species are on exhibit at the Rock Creek Park campus. The zoo is home to birds, great apes, big cats,Asian elephants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic animals, small mammals and many more, but the best-known residents are giant pandas. The SCBI facility houses between 30 and 40 endangered species at any given time depending on research needs and recommendations from the zoo and the conservation community. The zoo was one of the first to establish a scientific research program. Because it is a part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Zoo receives federal appropriations for operating expenses. A new master plan for the park was introduced in 2008 to upgrade the park's exhibits and layout.
The National Zoo is open every day of the year except for December 25 (Christmas Day), though it was closed for a long period during the COVID-19 pandemic. The zoo reopened following this on May 21, 2021.
Disclaimer/Legal Notice: While we do not hold the copyright to the image itself, this file is property of Album Art Exchange recreated under the Fair Use doctrine and as a licensed agent by the Copyright holders. Access to these images is contingent upon your agreement to limit their use to that of your own PRIVATE, PERSONAL and Non-Commercial usage. This also means that you agree that you may not post these images online or otherwise distribute these images ANYWHERE else. Should any copyright owner object to their album artwork being made available on this web site, please contact us at admin@albumartexchange.com to let me know which images you wish to have us remove.
No comments for this album art.