Animal Planet Expo and National Zoo 2006

By coincidence we went to the Animal Planet Expo the week Steve Irwin died and were on our way out the door to the National Zoo when we heard the news.

Kids play with giant animal building blocks outside the Animal Planet Expo truck, which had an alligator, exotic birds and more.

And people brought their own pets to see the free biscuit vendors. Look at that face!

Now this is how you bring your bird to an animal expo! In a backpack!

Meerkats in the Small Mammal House at the National Zoo.

The littlest meerkat plays with its sibling.

Later it tries to nurse while an audience watches.

Then it's the sibling's turn to try to get some nursing.

These are really extremely adorable critters.

Meet a Kiwi! We have done this before, but never when the kiwi was outside in the sunshine. Younger son was delighted.

A prairie dog sits up in the Small Mammal House, looking around at the people staring in through the glass.

Nearby, another digs in the outdoor enclosure.

Golden lion tamarins live free near the bald eagle enclosure. In the winter, they move into the Small Mammal House.

In the summer, they live in the trees in Rock Creek Park. They stay in the zoo because they know exactly where their food dishes are kept.

There are areas of thick foliage and some pretty steep hills leading down to the creek.

It is terribly cute to look up and see a face like this.

I tried to get a photo of this whole family, but the best I could do was bits of three of the four! They move fast!

And because of their color, they are quite easy to spot on the walk to the Bird House.

And the crocodile in the Reptile House. An NBC team was there filming for coverage of Irwin's death on the news.

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