These photos were taken in the original bear yards which were quarried out of some exposed rock at the eastern edge of the Park.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Vintage Bear Pits--National Zoo, Washington, D. C.
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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2 comments:
In 1961 I first visited the National Zoo. It's claim to fame was that was where the animal gifts to the nation went, like the white tiger. It was also the only zoo that exhibited some members of the mongoose family. They had some polar-brown bear hybrids that were huge. They could put their paws on the top of the enclosure.
Jim,
According to John Cuneo, his first polar bear-brown bear hybrids came from the National Zoo. Eloise later used them in her mixed act. As you mention, "huge" animals with a beautiful palomino/cremelo pelage. John met Dr. Mann through Cuneo Sr. and when he was younger and running Hawthorn Mellody Zoo, would swap animals with the National Zoo. Oddly they were interested in his surplus Mouflon and Aoudads.
Wade
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