Nature
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The Zoo began one hundred twenty-five years ago out of concern to save wildlife, as the American bison was nearly extinct and other North American animals were threatened. Today, the Zoo cares for about two thousand animals and saves species from all over the world. William T. Hornaday, Chief Taxidermist at the Smithsonian Institution, proposed the creation of a refuge for America's vanishing animals. President Cleveland signed a bill establishing the National Zoological Park on March 2, 1889. Its purpose was "for the advancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people," and those goals still guide it today.
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Washington, District of Columbia · United States
