[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 56 (Monday, April 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ZOO AND AQUARIUM MONTH

 Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, it is my pleasure to pay tribute 
to the valuable research performed by the Metro Washington Park Zoo in 
Portland, OR, and the other member institutions of the American Zoo and 
Aquarium Association [AZA]. These zoos and aquariums use the most 
advanced technology and some of the most dedicated of our Nation's 
scientists to ensure the survival of species worldwide. Research is the 
first step in conservation, and during April, which is Zoo and Aquarium 
Month, I would like to recognize the many steps toward conservation 
taken by AZA institutions.
  Zoos and aquariums were among the first institutions to recognize the 
threat of species extinction around the world and to make research 
geared to alleviating this problem one of their top priorities. Their 
ever-increasing expertise has since served as a valuable resource to 
conservation efforts throughout the world. I am proud to commend the 
staff of Metro Washington Park Zoo for their significant contributions 
to the conservation and breeding of Asian elephants. The research 
performed by Metro Washington Park Zoo and its AZA counterparts help 
ensures that our grandchildren will enjoy the same animals that we all 
enjoy today. The research enables us to better understand our world 
and, ultimately, ourselves.
  Our Nation has long acknowledged the value of our local zoos and 
aquariums. They educate as well as entertain, and have long served as 
playgrounds for our children's imagination. I would like to ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing April as Zoo and Aquarium Month, 
and I encourage my colleagues and all Americans to visit their local 
zoo or aquarium with their family and friends.

                          ____________________