Beaver News

When it comes to love, leave it to the beavers! Get the story of Aspen and Juniper’s rocky romance from American Trail keeper Jackie Spicer.

The beaver is one of North America's greatest ecosystem engineers and conservation success stories, and we are thrilled to welcome a second beaver to the American Trail!

There are two new (adorable) kids on the block at American Trail! The team welcomed California sea lion pup Charger and North American beaver Poplar to their new homes at Smithsonian’s National Zoo this past summer. 

Grab a delicious snack with prehensile-tailed porcupine Quilliam, have a ball watching our cheetah cubs play and behold beaver Aspen as he fells a tree. July brought about many exciting moments, not the least of which was the reopening of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo! Before you plan your visit...

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. 

We are sad to share that 4-year-old North American beaver Birch died suddenly June 3.

April 7 is International Beaver Day, so sink your (orange) teeth into these fun beaver facts!

A stroll down American Trail brings visitors face-to-face with swimming sea lions, busy beavers and resourceful ravens. What visitors may not see are the dedicated keepers working hard behind the scenes preparing diets, training animals and cleaning habitats. Get a glimpse into a day in the life of...