National Zoological Park | Animals, Conservation, Education

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-10-15T00:00:00CDT" >Oct 15, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/National-Zoological-Park/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Byname: </dt> <dd> National Zoo</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/National-Zoological-Park"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="181046" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="166620"><a data-id="166620" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/discussion-efforts-Wild-Thing-species-giant-panda/-181046"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/20/166620-138-1B269D26/discussion-efforts-Wild-Thing-species-giant-panda.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="View a discussion on efforts to save the endangered giant panda at the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C." loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/FMVDA1aN.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/20/166620-138-1B269D26/discussion-efforts-Wild-Thing-species-giant-panda.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/7tU3F1qD", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/0LmKOMb3.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="166620">View a discussion on efforts to save the endangered giant panda at the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.</span><span>A discussion of efforts to save endangered species, notably the giant panda, at the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., from the documentary <em>Wild Thing! The Smithsonian National Zoo</em>.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/place/National-Zoological-Park/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref248028"></span>National Zoological Park</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zoo" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">zoo</a> in Washington, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">D.C.</a>, that was established under the <span id="ref248029"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Smithsonian-Institution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Smithsonian Institution</a> by acts of the U.S. <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Congress" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Congress" data-type="EB">Congress</a> in 1889 and 1890, when a site in the wooded valley of Rock Creek, a tributary of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Potomac-River" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Potomac River</a>, was purchased. The Smithsonian was authorized to transfer to the zoo the animals kept in cages at the rear of the Smithsonian Institution. Various government departments, including the foreign consular service, donated specimens, and many exotic specimens have been received as gifts from foreign governments.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="181049" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="166618"><a data-id="166618" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/discussion-conservation-efforts-Wild-Thing-Washington-DC/-181049"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/166618-138-FBE643EA/discussion-conservation-efforts-Wild-Thing-Washington-DC.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Discover the conservation efforts of endangered species at the Smithsonian National Zoo with an insight into the successful breeding of giant panda through artificial insemination" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/u4yynnQH.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/18/166618-138-FBE643EA/discussion-conservation-efforts-Wild-Thing-Washington-DC.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/XrWi20TY", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/E16RkMHm.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="166618">Discover the conservation efforts of endangered species at the Smithsonian National Zoo with an insight into the successful breeding of giant panda through artificial insemination</span><span>A discussion of conservation efforts at the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., from the documentary <em>Wild Thing! The Smithsonian National Zoo</em>.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/place/National-Zoological-Park/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="181045" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="166624"><a data-id="166624" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/discussion-efforts-Wild-Thing-species-golden-lion/-181045"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/166624-138-E3804EC9/discussion-efforts-Wild-Thing-species-golden-lion.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Learn about the golden lion tamarins and efforts at the National Zoological Park to save the endangered species" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/W7OGiEoH.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/24/166624-138-E3804EC9/discussion-efforts-Wild-Thing-species-golden-lion.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/8aGRu6sb", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/blw0OWXU.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="166624">Learn about the golden lion tamarins and efforts at the National Zoological Park to save the endangered species</span><span>A discussion of the efforts to save endangered species, notably the golden lion tamarin, at the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., from the documentary <em>Wild Thing! The Smithsonian National Zoo</em>.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/place/National-Zoological-Park/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The zoo, which occupies about 76 hectares (187 acres), has approximately 5,000 specimens of more than 500 species. It has developed one of the world’s finest collections of small mammals and became famous for breeding pygmy hippopotamuses. Rarities include a white <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Bengal-tiger" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Bengal tiger</a> and a pair of pandas (Mei Xiang and Tian Tian), a gift from China in 2000; the pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, given by the Chinese in 1972, died in 1992 and 1999, respectively. A remodeling program in the 1960s resulted in the construction of an outstanding great flight cage and new hoofed-stock areas. A hospital-research building was added in 1970. In 1975 the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="zoo" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/zoo" data-type="EB">zoo</a> acquired 1,280 hectares (3,150 acres) in Front Royal, Virginia, to use as a conservation and research centre. The Cheetah Conservation Station, Reptile Discovery Center, and Amazonia (a re-creation of the Amazon rainforest) were among the zoo facilities that opened in the 1990s.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":405610,"pageLength":234,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"SMALL","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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