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The Zoo is open! Entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. Effective July 30, all visitors ages 2 and older are required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces at the Zoo, regardless of their vaccination status. Fully vaccinated visitors do not need to wear a mask in outdoor areas.

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Animal News

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji sits atop the rockwork eating an apple.
Jul. 30, 2021
If there was a competition to see who could balance a ball on their paws in the most adorable manner, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji would receive a perfect score!
A keeper wearing a blue apron and blue, latex gloves holds three black-footed ferret kits in their hands. You cannot see the keepers' face. The kits eyes are not fully open yet, one has one eye open.
Jul. 27, 2021
After over 6,700 votes cast, the three black-footed ferret kits at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia have received their names.
Jul. 27, 2021
The black-footed ferret kits' receive their names, their two-month exams and some fun enrichment! Get the full ferret family scoop from Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute biologist Adrienne...
Jul. 21, 2021
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!
A keeper wearing a blue apron and blue, latex gloves holds three black-footed ferret kits in their hands. You cannot see the keepers' face. The kits eyes are not fully open yet, one has one eye open.
Jul. 20, 2021
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute invites the public to help name three black-footed ferret kits—one female and two males—born May 19 at the Smithsonian Conservation...
Jul. 14, 2021
Dr. Suzan Murray, director of the Smithsonian Global Health Program, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on zoonotic diseases and outbreak investigations. 
Jul. 13, 2021
Potpie's three kits are more active and playful! Catch them running through their full enclosure outside the den on a brand-new webcam and keep an eye out for their progress on learning to hunt. 
Hartmann's Mountain Zebra Yipes celebrates his first birthday with a "cake" made of hay, grass, browse, carrots and apples.
Jul. 02, 2021
Celebrate our Hartmann mountain zebra Yipes turning 1 year old with Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute keepers Tara Buk and Chris Mathews. 
Jul. 02, 2021
The new guy in town is calm, curious and cautious. In other words, he’s one cool cat. Meet Metis, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new 5-year-old Amur tiger! 
Jul. 02, 2021
With a 6-foot wingspan, sharp talons and an intimidating stare, bald eagles are majestic birds. Meet Tioga and Annie—both of whom were injured in the wild and rescued—at Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s...
Pedestrian entrance to the Smithsonian's National Zoo on Connecticut Ave.
Jun. 30, 2021
Beginning today, June 30, the Smithsonian has approved an increase in the amount of visitors the Smithsonian’s National Zoo can admit daily, and an increase in our building capacities.
A close-up of two flamingos' heads with pink feathers and large, hook-shaped bills
Jun. 29, 2021
There is more to a flamingo than its bright pink feathers. Get to know these delightfully unusual birds with 10 fun facts — some of which may surprise you!
An American Robin, a small bird with a brown and black feathers and a yellow beak, stands in green grass
Jun. 28, 2021
In late April, birds in the mid-Atlantic region began to turn up sick or dying. Scientists are trying to figure out why.
Jun. 25, 2021
When it comes to husbandry training, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji is a quick learner (and a very good boy)!
Jun. 21, 2021
Potpie's three kits turned 1 month old on Saturday, June 19. This birthday is marked by their darkening fur, including the distinctive dark-furred feet and mask! Read on for the full update on our...
Jun. 14, 2021
How do you create a menu that is pleasing to the palates of giant pandas, flamingos and fishing cats? With more than 2,700 mouths to feed among 390 species, the Department of Nutrition Science whips...
blue-hued chromoproteins in Hawaiian blue rice coral may make it more resilient to UV rays and climate change than corals that are brown in color
Jun. 09, 2021
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists are one step closer to understanding why some corals can weather climate change better than others, and the secret could be in a specific protein...
Jun. 07, 2021
From the deepest trenches to the shallowest shores and across five basins, water circulates in one interconnected system: the world ocean. This World Ocean Day, discover how seemingly different...
Jun. 04, 2021
Whooping cranes are graceful, expressive and curious creatures. Get acquainted with these big, beautiful birds in this Q+A with Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute keeper Chris Crowe.
Jun. 04, 2021
Slow down with Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s three southern two-toed sloths. Keeper Kara Ingraham works with Athena and Vlad in the Small Mammal House, and keeper Denny Charlton tends to Howie in...
Jun. 03, 2021
The spring and summer months are a chorus of songbird calls and songs at SCBI. As the breeding season begins, staff prepare artificial nest boxes for birds that will find mates, compete for real...
Jun. 01, 2021
Potpie's kits turned one week old and received their first exams on May 26! During their exam, keepers weighed the kits and were able to determine their sexes. 
May. 28, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji greeted his fans . . . then promptly fell asleep in his favorite tree. Get the latest news in assistant curator Laurie Thompson’s #PandaStory update.
Black-footed ferret mom Potpie and her newborn kit on the Black-footed Ferret Cam livestream
May. 19, 2021
Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, are welcoming a litter of endangered black-footed ferret kits. Three-year-old female Potpie has birthed...
a 17-year Brood X cicada sits on a leaf
May. 18, 2021
Local songbirds will take advantage of the abundance of cicadas, something Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientists are eager to study.