There’s no better way to celebrate World Gorilla Day than with our adorable animal ambassador, Zahra! Keeper Lynne McMahan shares some of her favorite moments in this Q+A.
Our western lowland gorilla infant hasn't quite figured out how to crawl—but she's getting close! Read the latest #GorillaStory update from primate keeper Francesca Bozzo.
Our 2-month-old western lowland gorilla infant, Zahra, is very curious about the world around her. Get the latest #GorillaStory update from primate keeper Carolina Powell.
6-week-old baby gorilla Zahra is becoming more curious about the world beyond her mother's protective arms, writes primate keeper Lynne McMahan.
A new #GorillaStory has begun! Get the latest update on our 4-week-old western lowland gorilla, Zahra, from primate keeper Valerie Schultz.
After five days of public voting and just under 25,000 votes, the baby western lowland gorilla is named Zahra [ZAH-rah], which means “beautiful flower” in Swahili.
Starting today, June 5, western lowland gorilla fans will have an opportunity to vote on a name for a baby gorilla born May 27 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
For the first time in five years, primate staff are celebrating the birth of a western lowland gorilla—a critically endangered species. It was born between midnight and 6:15 a.m. May 27 to mother...
Every year on Sept. 24, we celebrate World Gorilla Day by teaching visitors about our ambassador apes and sharing ways to help their wild counterparts.
April, or Ape-ril, is a great time to recognize our apes because many of them celebrate their birthdays this month!
We rounded up the animal antics and species conservation stories that made us laugh, smile and cheer in 2021. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments caught on video.
Playing, foraging, training and snoozing—it’s all in a day in the life of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s western lowland gorilla troop!
How do you create a menu that is pleasing to the palates of giant pandas, flamingos and fishing cats? With more than 2,100 mouths to feed among 400 species, the Department of Nutrition Science whips...
How do animal keepers take a blood sample from an elephant or examine a big cat's teeth? Find out how training helps keepers care for animals that they can't share a physical space with in this...
Today, our boisterous, intelligent and loving western lowland gorilla Moke turns 3 years old! Primate keeper Emily Bricker shares her favorite memories to celebrate Moke's big day.
Western lowland gorilla Baraka is serious about food. When primate keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo noticed he wasn't eating his meals, they wondered if his change in appetite masked...
Sept. 24 is World Gorilla Day, and we are celebrating with an update on our 2-year-old, Moke, and his troop!
A new genomic study ranks the potential of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to bind to the ACE2 receptor site in 410 vertebrate animals. Old World primates and great apes, which have identical amino...
A family meal among prairie dogs, the soothing sounds of a cheetah’s purr and a Pride cake fit for a giant panda. As summer kicks off at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology...
Chirping cheetah cubs, a birthday party fit for a gorilla and a Madagascar hedgehog tenrec indulging in some self-care with a dust bath—all of these events (and more) made for an eventful month.
For the past two years, the primate team has had the privilege of sharing the story of our western lowland gorilla infant, Moke, with Smithsonian’s National Zoo fans all over the world. With Mother’s...
As the primate team celebrates Moke's second birthday, keeper Alex Reddy reflects on the western lowland gorilla's growing independence, bold personality and training triumphs.
Moke may just be a few months shy of turning 2-years-old, but our young western lowland gorilla has quite an independent personality! Last autumn, he mastered voluntary injection training.
How do you get an orangutan to sit still for an electrocardiogram? All it takes is a little patience and a lot of ingenuity! The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s positive reinforcement training program...
Catch the latest news about our 1.5-year-old western lowland gorilla, Moke, from primate keeper Carolina Powell.