Travels with Auntie M: National Zoo Washington DC

I drove into town to check out the National Zoo. It's a great bargain if you take the metro because there is no admission charge, only $2.00 to purchase a map. However, it turns into the most expensive zoo I've ever visited when you drive, since the price of parking was $15.00.

Love this motif on the outside of the Reptile House:Found some cute critters inside.

This guy reminds me of a much larger model, I ran into at a Wildlife Reserve in Barbados:

This is the same poisonous frog I found at the zoo in North Carolina (Link to Frogs). Only here, I learned that they are not poisonous in captivity because their diet is different than in the rain forest...no rain forest ants.

The Golden Lion Tamarin has been downgraded from "critically endangered" to "endangered" thanks to conservation breeding.

This Prezewalski's Horse, from Mongolia, China was listed as extinct in the wild in 2008 but thanks to successful reintroduction's they are now "critically endangered". They are the last truly wild horse in existence since they have never been tamed for riding.

This must be an old sign (who uses Fuji film any more):

Luckily, there was one Giant Panda sitting out eating. The National Zoo has a Pandacam and as I write this, there is one lying on his back eating. (Giant Panda Cam) This is the coolest Panda cam I've ever seen...it follows the Panda around!

This cheetah was enjoying a stroll around his compound. A sprinting cheetah can reach 45 miles per hour within 2.5 seconds...beats most cars I've ever driven. Their top speed is 64 miles per hour but can only be sustained briefly.