Smithsonian's New Zoo
Smithsonian's New Zoo

Author: Jake Page

Publisher: Smithsonian Books (DC)

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9780874747331

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The National Zoological Park, as explored by Page, is a beautiful, eye-opening, and international experience. Page not only offers front-seat and behind-the-scenes tours of the zoo in Washington, D.C., he also covers animal preserves throughout the world. Page recounts how scientists and others from the Smithsonian have been working to return captive animals to natural habitats and ward off the extinction of tigers, elephants, and other endangered creatures. He keeps the scientific talk lively and entertaining at all times supplementing his text by 200 wonderful color photographs of animals in action. The illustrations will certainly enchant animal lovers, but all readers should appreciate this perspective on a zoo as an active force in wildlife conservation.

Zoo Animals
Zoo Animals

Author: Michael H. Robinson

Publisher: Wiley

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780028604077

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Introduces modern zoo life with profiles of more than 250 animals and their habitats throughout the world

Bei Bei Goes Home: A Panda Story
Bei Bei Goes Home: A Panda Story

Author: Cheryl Bardoe

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2021-12-06

Total Pages: 49

ISBN-13: 1536217638

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"In August 2015, zookeepers at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, were thrilled to spot a tiny shadow on an ultrasound. For a species as rare as the giant panda, every new cub is cause for celebration. Zoo staff monitored mother Mei Xiang, and within days a newborn appeared, weighing in at just one third of a pound. While Mei Xiang cradled her vulnerable infant, zookeepers monitored the pair day and night through cameras in the panda den, and some two million viewers logged on to the zoo website. First Ladies Michelle Obama and Peng Liyuan hosted a ceremony to announce the cub's name: Bei Bei, meaning "precious treasure" in Mandarin Chinese. An instant celebrity, the cub captured hearts all over the world. But pandas in zoos are considered emissaries from the People's Republic of China, the only country where they live in the wild. Four years after his birth in America, Bei Bei would embark on an important new mission."--

Animal Care and Management at the National Zoo
Animal Care and Management at the National Zoo

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2004-03-24

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 0309091780

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This interim report assesses issues related to animal management, husbandry, health, and care at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park. The report finds that there are shortcomings in care and management that are threatening the well-being of the animal collection and identifies the "most pressing" issues that should be addressed.

The Smithsonian National Gem Collection—Unearthed
The Smithsonian National Gem Collection—Unearthed

Author: Jeffrey Edward Post

Publisher: Abrams

Published: 2021-03-23

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 1683359402

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The scandals, mysteries, and human stories behind the world’s greatest gems are brought to life by the curator of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, curator of the National Gem Collection for more than 25 years, separates fact from fiction in an all-new and original book, revealing fresh information and regaling the reader with anecdotes and tales of some of the world’s greatest and most famous gemstones. Dr. Post is the author of the now out-of-print book The National Gem Collection (Abrams, 1997), which has sold more than 50,000 copies. In this brand-new book, he tells the stories of the Smithsonian’s most famous gems, including the Hope Diamond, Star of Asia Sapphire, Carmen Lucia Ruby, Hooker Emerald, and Blue Heart Diamond—and also presents the tales, details, and fascinating facts surrounding rarely displayed gems from the Smithsonian vault and additions made to the collection since 1997. Not only a resource for learning about rare and beautiful gems, the book also presents the stories of the people who once owned or were associated with these jewels—from ordinary people to kings, emperors, maharajas, celebrities, and captains of industry.

Why We Serve
Why We Serve

Author: NMAI

Publisher: Smithsonian Institution

Published: 2020-09-15

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1588346978

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Rare stories from more than 250 years of Native Americans' service in the military Why We Serve commemorates the 2020 opening of the National Native American Veterans Memorial at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the first landmark in Washington, DC, to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of Native veterans. American Indians' history of military service dates to colonial times, and today, they serve at one of the highest rates of any ethnic group. Why We Serve explores the range of reasons why, from love of their home to an expression of their warrior traditions. The book brings fascinating history to life with historical photographs, sketches, paintings, and maps. Incredible contributions from important voices in the field offer a complex examination of the history of Native American service. Why We Serve celebrates the unsung legacy of Native military service and what it means to their community and country.

The Cosmic Zoo
The Cosmic Zoo

Author: Dirk Schulze-Makuch

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-11-18

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 3319620452

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Are humans a galactic oddity, or will complex life with human abilities develop on planets with environments that remain habitable for long enough? In a clear, jargon-free style, two leading researchers in the burgeoning field of astrobiology critically examine the major evolutionary steps that led us from the distant origins of life to the technologically advanced species we are today. Are the key events that took life from simple cells to astronauts unique occurrences that would be unlikely to occur on other planets? By focusing on what life does - it's functional abilities - rather than specific biochemistry or anatomy, the authors provide plausible answers to this question. Systematically exploring the various pathways that led to the complex biosphere we experience on planet Earth, they show that most of the steps along that path are likely to occur on any world hosting life, with only two exceptions: One is the origin of life itself – if this is a highly improbable event, then we live in a rather “empty universe”. However, if this isn’t the case, we inevitably live in a universe containing a myriad of planets hosting complex as well as microbial life - a “cosmic zoo”. The other unknown is the rise of technologically advanced beings, as exemplified on Earth by humans. Only one technological species has emerged in the roughly 4 billion years life has existed on Earth, and we don’t know of any other technological species elsewhere. If technological intelligence is a rare, almost unique feature of Earth's history, then there can be no visitors to the cosmic zoo other than ourselves. Schulze-Makuch and Bains take the reader through the history of life on Earth, laying out a consistent and straightforward framework for understanding why we should think that advanced, complex life exists on planets other than Earth. They provide a unique perspective on the question that puzzled the human species for centuries: are we alone?

Raising America's Zoo
Raising America's Zoo

Author: Kara Arundel

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781684011704

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In 1955, a young former Marine ventured to the Belgian Congo on a month-long adventure safari to view Africa's diverse wildlife. When Arthur "Nick" Arundel boarded a commercial airliner for home, he carried a baby gorilla in each arm. Their destination was the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., known as "America's Zoo." The wild apes arrived at an antiquated zoo, which fought for decades to showcase gorillas, but knew little about how to raise them. Their journey from Africa to America was the beginning of dramatic changes for the gorillas Nikumba and Moka and for the zoo that would evolve from a menagerie-type park to an internationally respected center focused on conservation of both captive and wild species.

First Ladies of the United States
First Ladies of the United States

Author: National Portrait Gallery

Publisher: Smithsonian Institution

Published: 2020-12-01

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 1588346943

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A gorgeous publication that reveals the historical importance of first ladies through portraiture. Each first lady has brought her own priorities and flair to the position that has never been officially defined. They have served as hostesses, trendsetters, activists, and political players. First Ladies of the United States features 84 portraits of the nation's first ladies, as varied in style and representation as the individual women they depict. From watercolors and oil paintings to engravings and photographs, this book celebrates the legacy of first ladies throughout history. First ladies are some of the most scrutinized public figures in the country, praised or criticized on everything from their fashion to their level of political involvement. There's no better way to explore their visibility and lasting impact than with First Ladies of the United States, which places remarkable portraits alongside an insightful essay and lively entries that illuminate the history of the women who have shaped the White House.