Zoo Fanatic Newt Gingrich Dons Google Glass Amid Wildlife

By Alisa Wiersema July 26, 2013

Newt Gingrich tweeted out this picture and caption "capturing my visit with George the turtle on @googleglass @peoriazoo". Credit: @newtgingrich/Twitter

On Thursday, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich started seeing things from a different perspective, but not because of any altered political views.

Earlier this week, Gingrich tweeted that he was "very excited" to test-drive Google Glass at the Peoria Zoo in Peoria, Ill. The visit marked the first time Gingrich used the technology at a zoo, which he said he planned to do when he won a Google-sponsored Twitter contest in February.

Gingrich, the former presidential candidate and speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is an avid zoo visitor and has made no secret of his love for animals.

A spokesperson for Gingrich told ABC News, "Newt loves the Google Glass" and already used the specs once before at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Gingrich's action-packed day in Peoria included feeding Taji the giraffe; hanging out with George the turtle; test-driving a bulldozer; and finally - since Gingrich never strays too far away from politics - a visit with longtime colleague state senator Darin LaHood (R- Ill.), son of former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

According to the Illinois Review, Gingrich planned to attend LaHood's annual "Sizzle and Swizzle" fundraiser on Thursday in hopes of helping LaHood's potential Illinois state treasurer campaign in 2014. (In 2012, LaHood ran as a delegate for Gingrich in his GOP presidential campaign).

While Gingrich's Google Glass recordings from Thursday's zoo visit have yet to be made public, he isn't the only politician to throw on a pair of the futuristic glasses, which gives users the ability to search the web, record videos and take photos hands-free.

In May, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., was spotted wearing Google Glass at a Republican House meeting, and in June, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., let Google Glass direct him to the nearest Chinese restaurant on Capitol Hill.