The National Zoo’s most recent renovations began in the early 2000s, The 1960s and 1970s sawĪnother round of construction that created the Big Cat exhibits and Beaver New Deal relief programs, including the Public Works AdministrationĪnd Federal Arts Program, developed beautiful animal houses, murals, mosaics,Īnd statues that creatively depict the natural world. Transformed to accommodate visitors and changing understandings of animal Over the years, the National Zoo and its exhibits have physically Number compared the now 1,800 animals that call the zoo home today. The zoo’s original collection included 185 animals a modest The zoo was designed to offer not only publicĮntertainment, but to provide refuge for endangered species, such as the bisonĪnd the beaver. TheĮarly years focused on addressing challenges such as construction, animalĪcquisition, and working within a tight budget. The National Zoo opened in 1891 with Hornaday as its first director. Langley, expanded its mission to include more Landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed the park, while the third Smithsonian chose 166 acres of hilly, forested land in Rock Creek. The National Zoological Park was established in 1889 for “theĪdvancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people.” 2 The Hornaday began advocating for a zoo focused on conservation, research, and Prior to these zoos, the public could only getĬlose to wild animals through hunting, circuses, or at fanciful menageries. In the nineteenthĬentury, zoos began appearing in Europe and in American cities such as New York,Ĭincinnati, and Philadelphia. The animals he used as live models for taxidermy studies. The Department of Living Animals on the Smithsonian Castle grounds, publicly exhibiting Of the national landscape, was facing extinction. In 1886, Hornaday traveled to the Rocky Mountains for a collecting expeditionĪnd realized that the American bison, an ecologically important creature and symbol Hornaday, renowned for his ability to present animals in natural National Zoo’s roots can be traced back to the work of Smithsonian taxidermist Was founded at a time when the Smithsonian Institution consisted of one administrativeīuilding, the Castle, and one museum, the United States National Museum, whichĮxposed public audiences to natural history specimens and artifacts. The National Zoo developed out of the Smithsonian’s interest inĮducating the public, researching wildlife, and protecting endangered species.
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