News

Join the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for “Bye Bye, Bao Bao,” a series of online and on-site celebratory events to bid a fond farewell to giant panda Bao Bao (BOW-BOW) before she departs for China.

Tracking pacific loons from two breeding populations in Alaska.

Bei Bei is continuing to recover well from his major surgery, and he started eating small amounts of bamboo again a few weeks ago. He now gets several meals of leaf eater biscuits, sweet potatoes and apples, and several bamboo feedings every day. He eagerly consumes all his food—much as he has since...

How big does a “weeble-wobble” have to be to withstand the strength of six female Asian elephants? Over the fall 2016 semester, students at MICA, the Maryland Institute College of Art, sought to answer that question. Collaborating with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s animal care team, they designed...

Calaya is not like the Zoo’s other western lowland gorillas. For months, keepers tried to encourage Calaya to train and participate in enrichment activities to no avail. Then came an “AHA!” moment: Calaya learned best not solely through human interaction, but by observing the actions of the other...

The first three brown kiwi chicks to hatch from eggs laid and incubated at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) have received names. The male chicks are Hari (hatched May 10), Kaha (hatched June 1) and Kake (hatched July 31). In Maori their names translate to “joy,” “strong,” and...

As Bei Bei recovers from surgery, his diet is slowly returning to normal but he still needs to wait until he can eat bamboo. However, he continues to gain weight, and has crossed the 100-pound (45 kilos) mark. While Bei Bei continues his recovery, we have adjusted Mei Xiang’s schedule to ensure that...

Ancient DNA testing has proved the Arctic ground squirrel—believed to have been introduced to Alaska’s Chirikof Island in the early 18 th century—has actually been part of the island ecosystem for at least 2,000 years.

With temperatures dropping, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo continues to ensure that all of its animals are healthy and comfortable.

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and Wilson College have formed a partnership that will provide academic opportunities for Wilson students and help develop future generations of conservation professionals. SCBI and Wilson officials recently signed a memorandum of understanding...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is transforming its historic 1928 Bird House into “Experience Migration,” a state-of-the-art exhibition about one of the most spectacular stories in the natural world—the migration of birds in the Western Hemisphere. “Experience...

What has the Zoo’s 10-week-old Bornean orangutan, Redd, been up to? His social circle is expanding, says keeper Erin Stromberg, and his personality and curiosity are starting to develop! Get the latest on Redd and his mom, Batang, in the latest keeper Q&A.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cub Bei Bei is stable and recovering following an emergency bowel obstruction surgery to remove a dense, masticated lemon-sized mass of bamboo.

Happy Orangutan Caring Week! We’re celebrating the Zoo’s seven orangutans by sharing their stories. Redd Update Here’s lookin’ at you, kid! At 8 weeks old, our Bornean orangutan Redd is alert, attentive and making eye contact with those around him. His social circle is expanding, too. Earlier this...

Bei Bei is becoming more and more independent from his mother Mei Xiang every day. It is hard to believe, but the time is rapidly approaching when he will live separately from her. He has a voracious appetite, and relies very little on milk from Mei Xiang. He weighs 90 pounds (the largest of Mei...

The first Przewalski’s (cha-VAL-skee) horse born from artificial insemination moved from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) to the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, N.D., today, Nov. 21. The move is based on a breeding recommendation. The mare, Christine, was born July 27, 2013, and her...

On Nov. 7 2016, approximately 800 big-headed turtles ( Platysternon megacephalum) were confiscated from Chinese traders arrested in Tachileik, Myanmar. Dr. Marc Valitutto of Smithsonian Global Health, stationed in Myanmar to conduct pangolin health research, was called upon to provide lifesaving...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo’s senior female gray seal, Selkie, died today. At 43 years old, Selkie was the oldest gray seal living in human care. The lifespan of a wild gray seal is usually 25 or 30 years. Typically, female gray seals in human care can live close to 40 years; male seals live...

The Smithsonian National Zoo's new agouti needs a name and we need your help! As mom is “Hazelnut,” dad is “Pistachio” and sibling #1 is “Coconut,” the new agouti will help complete the mixed “nut” exhibit at the Small Mammal House. Native to South America and similar in appearance to a Guinea pig...

I traveled to the United Arab Emirates in early October to work on the second release of Scimitar-horned Oryx with our collaborators from the Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi (EAD). Scimitar-horned oryx are a desert antelope native to Northern Africa. The first release was completed over the summer when...

SCBI's Center for Conservation and Sustainability is in Peru's Amarakaeri Communal Reserve recording how life is responding to an area of the forest designated for natural gas exploration. Researchers Tremaine Gregory and Jessica Deichmann give us the scoop on their findings in this Science Q&A.

ZooLights, powered by Pepco, at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is wilder than ever and a perfect holiday event for families. Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo, the festival will run over 35 days and features thousands of environmentally friendly LED lights.

A 23-year-old male Andean bear named Cisco died at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Oct. 24 during an emergency veterinary exam. In the past week, Cisco became less active and began breathing more heavily with an occasional cough. Those signs worsened over the weekend and his appetite declined, which...

Giant panda Bao Bao will depart the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for China in late winter, within the first few months of 2017.

Read on for some of the most frequently asked questions about Bao Bao's departure.