Congress Becomes a Zoo

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What do you get when you mix members of Congress with exotic wildlife? Photo opps, and one of the most popular events on Capitol Hill.

Each year, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums hosts a reception to provide an interactive evening highlighting the role these facilities play in wildlife conservation. Their secret weapon? A who’s who of the animal kingdom, with success stories like the bald eagle, oddities like the prehensile-tailed skink, and urgent cases like the cheetah. The African black-footed penguin represented the oceans in style and posed for a photo with Elly, Kerri Lynn and me. And no one could resist the cute factor: the baby clouded leopard evoked a chorus of “Aw”s with its tiny squeal.

Now if only there was a way to bring some sea turtles…