Welcome to our tour of the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC! We're visiting animals that have lived at the zoo since it opened over 100 years ago! Join us as we tour the National Zoo through the lens of history! As always, we'll share fun facts about each animal, along the way.
One of our biggest tips for visiting the National Zoo is to see the animals that originally lived at the zoo when it first opened in the 1890s. It's hard to imagine that the National Zoo began on the National Mall in downtown Washington, DC. Now, it's one of the largest zoos in the world and one of the best free things to do in Washington, DC!
The zoo in Washington, DC mainly started because of the extinction of one animal! We'll tell you all about this animal and how it prompted one man to try and save as many animals as possible. No--it's not the Giant Panda! This animal is a bit closer to home.
One of the cutest zoo animals here is the prairie dog. Not only are they adorable but they're extremely intelligent, with a sophisticated way of communicating. If you're visiting the Smithsonian's National Zoo with kids, these animals are a must-see!
An animal that is not-so-cute is the American alligator. They were among the first animals at the zoo and were kept within the original animal house. Now, you can find them outside of the Reptile House at the National Zoo.
No visit to the zoo is complete without seeing some elephants! People hundreds of years ago also saw elephants, when visiting the zoo in D.C. The first elephants to arrive at the National Zoo were actually from a circus! We got to see some elephants up-close, which was incredible!
Another classic zoo animal we saw was the lion. The Lion House is another top thing to do at the National Zoo. We only saw female lions, during our visit, which was probably for the best. There's a lot of drama that happens within a pride of lions, which we'll explain in this National Zoo travel vlog.
It's only fitting that the Bald Eagle lives at the National Zoo, considering it sits within the Nation's Capital. Eagles were some of the first birds at the zoo, living in the Bird House. Now, the Bird House Exhibit has just been renovated to include an awesome aviary! This was the highlight of our trip to the National Zoo.
Since the Smithsonian's National Zoo is free, we highly recommend you visit it during your next trip to D.C. We're glad we saw some of the original animals because it helped us imagine what the first zoo was like and how much it's changed over the years.
What animal did you like the most? Let us know in the comments!
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Vlog 70 | Washington, DC | Filmed: April 23rd, 2023
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LEARN MORE
Smithsonian's National Zoo: nationalzoo.si.edu/
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TIMESTAMPS ⏰
0:00 Introduction
0:15 How the National Zoo started
0:52 American Bison
1:36 Prairie Dogs
2:11 Surprise Wild Animal
2:24 American Alligator
2:57 Elephants
3:46 Lion House
4:34 Bald Eagle
5:28 New Bird House Exhibit
6:00 Video Debrief
6:31 Bloopers
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MUSIC 🎵
It's a New Day (Instrumental Version) by Holy See
Our Town by River Run Dry
Coq Au Vin by Arthur Benson
Devil in a Can by Walt Adams
Staycation by Paper Twins
Peculiar Animals by Sahara Skylight
Emelie (Instrumental Version) by Mondays
*All music is from Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com/
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FOLLOW US
Instagram: / the_traveling_stewarts
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ABOUT US 👫🏻
We’re The Stewarts-high school sweethearts from the DC Metropolitan Area. We’re full-time professionals and part-time explorers. We don’t use fancy equipment or snazzy editing but we strive to document our travels so we can remember the big moments and the small moments. We love exploring nature, discovering new places, touring historic sites, and sharing fun facts. We’ll show and tell you about our travels, so come join us!
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