After last week’s research on a few broader topics, I really feel that I’m drawn to the National Zoo! I’ve always enjoyed going myself, and I’ve never really thought about all the history and development that went into it until now. I’d like to delve further into the development of the zoo concept, and how the decision was made to open one in our nation’s capital, as well as into the zoo’s initial planning and development. I’ve already learned that it was originally on the National Mall! They also didn’t hire their first, full-time veterinarian until 1950. What were the first animals at the zoo? How were they chosen and transported to Washington DC? What was the initial reaction of the people to the creation of the zoo? To look further into this, i plan to draft an array of questions I’d like to see answered, and do my research to find as much history as I can. I’ll search for news articles from the opening, any reviews that may exist, photographs of the original zoo to compare to more modern images, and the legislation which helped to build it. I think researching this topic will be very fulfilling to myself, personally, and will make for an interesting and insightful look into a different part of Washington DC.