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Smithsonian National Zoological Park
zoological park / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
![]() The front entrance to the National Zoo | |
Date opened | 1889[1] |
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Location | Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C., ![]() |
Land area | 163 acre (0.66 km²)[2] |
Coordinates | 38°55′51.90″N 77°02′59.03″W |
No. of animals | Zoo: 2,000[2] CRC: 30-40 Endangered Species[3] |
No. of species | 400[2] |
Memberships | AZA |
Major exhibits | Amazonia, Asia Trail, Giant Panda Habitat, Great Ape House, Think Tank |
Website | http://nationalzoo.si.edu |
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. It began in 1889 and wants to be a leader in animal care, science, education, sustainability, and visitor experience.[4] It is also called the National Zoo. The Zoo has two campuses. The first is a 163-acre (0.66 km2) urban park in northwest Washington, D.C.. It is 20 minutes from the National Mall by Metro. It offers family fun, excitement and interesting education programs. The other campus is the 3,200-acre (13 km2) Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center Archived 2011-06-24 at the Wayback Machine (SCBI; formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center) in Front Royal, Virginia. SCBI is not open to the public. It is for 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).[5]
Altogether, the two facilities contain some 2,000 animals of 400 different species.[6]