The Zoo began 125 years ago from a concern to save wildlife, as the American bison was nearly extinct and other North American animals were threatened. William T. Hornaday, Chief Taxidermist at the Smithsonian Institution, proposed creating a refuge for America's vanishing animals. President Cleveland signed a bill establishing the National Zoological Park on March 2, 1889. The new zoo was created for the advancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people, and those goals still guide it today as it cares for about 2,000 animals and saves species from around the world.
