Smithsonian National Zoological Park

This zoo is one of the oldest in the United States and also one of the few outside of China with the privilege of guarding giant pandas. Its 163 acres are home to about 400 species of animals, 40 of which are endangered. The zoo, as a science and research facility, takes part in the captive breeding program which has produced a few giant pandas successfully. One of the most famous residents of the National Zoo was Smokey Bear who was rescued from a forest fire as a cub and lived out his days in the zoo until his death in 1976.