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The Zoo is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. Plan your visit.

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Animal News

Aug. 11, 2022
How do you help a Komodo dragon with arthritis? Our animal care team turned to an innovative treatment to block the inflammation and ease Murphy’s discomfort
A tree sports a metal dendrometer band, which scientists use to measure tree growth.
Aug. 10, 2022
In recent decades, global forest tree growth has dramatically slowed the pace of atmospheric carbon dioxide accumulation and climate change. 
Aug. 03, 2022
As animals age, they have more health care needs. Fortunately, our lions are eager to participate in training that helps us care for them!
A graphic depiction of a bare-throated bellbird, white body with blue neck sitting on a branch surrounded by a butterfly and colorful flowers
Aug. 03, 2022
When a team of scientists couldn't visit a forest to conduct research, they did it remotely, based on information made available in biodiversity databases.
Brew at the Zoo logo combines the images of an African lion and a hops in an orange/red obmre.
Aug. 02, 2022
On Thursday, Sept. 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., raise your glass for conservation and enjoy unlimited tastings from more than 45 breweries and cideries. 
Aug. 02, 2022
As August comes into full swing, get to know the golden lion tamarins from Kenton Kerns, assistant curator of Small Mammal House!
A juvenile sea urchin against a black background. It has light, mottled coloration and small spines jutting out from its spherical center
Jul. 26, 2022
For the first time, a tropical sea urchin — a species intrinsically linked to the long-term health and survival of coral reefs — was grown successfully from cryopreserved embryos.
Hereford Rose stands outside the Kids' Farm barn on a snowy January day. Rose's face is turned toward the camera but to the side so her left eye is not showing.
Jul. 25, 2022
Kids’ Farm keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of Rose—a 19-year-old female Hereford who was humanely euthanized July 25. 
California Sea Lion
Jul. 25, 2022
With temperatures soaring, the Zoo continues to take good care of its creatures — human and non-human alike! Find out what keepers do for animals in this heat.
Jul. 22, 2022
We want to let you know about an incident that occurred at a company that we use to send email communications to our community about our programs and events. The company, WordFly, was the victim of a...
Jul. 22, 2022
At 9 months old, Rosalie's cubs are teething!
Jul. 21, 2022
Hip hip hooray, it’s Andean Bear Day! To celebrate, we're sharing some of our favorite facts about them. Boost your bear IQ and learn what makes them charming, charismatic and unique!
Jul. 16, 2022
Happy National Zookeeper Week! Meet the dedicated professionals who go above and beyond for the animals in our care.
Jul. 07, 2022
What does feeding time look like for five growing cheetah cubs and their mom? Watch the video to find out how fast Rosalie and her cubs can devour more than 10 pounds of meat.
Jul. 01, 2022
Get to know the intelligent, elusive black tree monitor in this Q&A with the assistant curator of Reptile Discovery Center.
Jul. 01, 2022
Many of the Zoo’s animals are built for extreme temperatures, including the fennec fox! Learn how animal keepers care for these desert dwelling foxes.
Jul. 01, 2022
They’re sweet, outgoing and always in the mood for food. Meet Scarlet, Xena and Taizong, the new red pandas at our Front Royal, Virginia, campus!
An eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly feeds on nectar from a flower.
Jun. 21, 2022
Did you know that the fuzzier an animal is, the better it picks up pollen? Or that most pollination happens by happy accident? Get the buzz on pollinators from Donna Stockton, an entomologist and...
A whooping crane chick receives a mealworm from its mother.
Jun. 17, 2022
For the first time, a whooping crane—one of the most endangered species of crane in the world —hatched May 26 and is thriving at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal,...
Jun. 03, 2022
The ocean has many unusual inhabitants, but few are as strange and ancient as the horseshoe crab.
A binturong peeks its head out from behind a trunk of a tree. It's standing on a wooden box of sorts and there are leaves behind it.
Jun. 03, 2022
Put your senses to the test at the Claws and Paws Pathway! Follow your nose to the binturongs, who smell like buttered popcorn, and keep your eyes peeled for petite Pallas’s cats hiding in plain...
Jun. 03, 2022
In March and April, keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, celebrated the arrival of two male kiwi chicks! Get to know them in this update from the bird...
Jun. 01, 2022
Slow down for a minute and meet the Zoo’s turtle-y awesome Asian box turtles! Read on to find out what it takes to care for Bourret’s box turtles and other species.
The binturong exhibit on the Claws and Paws Pathway. The pathway is circular, with the binturong exhibit in the center. The area is surrounded by a low black fence and the exhibit is covered in black mesh. Inside there are wooden climbing structures.
May. 27, 2022
Prowl the new Claws & Paws Pathway exhibit opening to the public Friday, May 27. Visitors will encounter a North American porcupine, bobcats and the Zoo’s newest residents — binturongs and Pallas...
May. 23, 2022
Wood turtles are one of the most endangered freshwater turtles in North America. To ensure a future for these reptiles, scientists first need to understand where wood turtles remain and how many are...