News

Four generations of one cheetah family now live at the Zoo's off-campus research facility. Meet the newest members.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute welcomed the births of five healthy cheetah cubs born to 5-year-old first-time mother Zura Monday, Oct. 5, at NZCBI’s conservation campus in Front Royal, Virginia. Virtual visitors can watch the family via the Cheetah Cub Cam, a live...

The holiday season will shine brighter at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) as ZooLights returns. Now in its 18th year, ZooLights is brighter than ever and will run Nov. 20–22, Nov. 27–29, Dec. 4–6, Dec. 11–13, Dec. 16, Dec. 18–23, Dec. 26–30 and Jan. 2–3...

There are plenty of surprises to discover about these prickly creatures.

Seven meerkats got a Halloween-themed surprise from their keepers. See how they dug in.

As deadly disease continues to ravage wild frog populations, scientists in Panama found places where amphibians might be able to persist in the presence of disease.

Brandie Smith's new book, set to debut Nov. 10, recounts surprising and little-known stories about the Zoo’s pandas and the people who care for them.

The Smithsonian and the Royal Commission for AlUla kicked off construction on a new exhibit slated to open winter 2029.

To celebrate giant panda Qing Bao's birthday, keepers went "far out" and created a 1970s-themed party full of bright colors and iconic pop culture slogans.

From a spunky new sloth to a dazzling electric eel, get ready to meet the newest residents making themselves at home.

Giant panda Qing Bao will celebrate her 5th birthday Sept. 12 with a specially tailored fruitsicle cake.

There are plenty of objects and artifacts at the Smithsonian that are old. But at the National Zoo, there's not much older than Rulon and Chyna.

Two animal care experts share why this new species might become your next obsession.

Seven months ago, the world fell in love with a little Asian elephant named Linh Mai. As she turns 7 months old, we're taking a look back at her most memorable moments.

As habitat fragmentation threatens Virginia's wildlife, two retired neighbors are turning their farms into biodiversity havens backed by Smithsonian science.

Halloween traditions return to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo this October with two wildly popular after-hours events.

“The cubs are really just balls of fur that eat and sleep right now,” said Jessica Kordell, assistant curator of carnivores.

Once pushed to the brink of extinction, the oryx is becoming one of conservation's most inspirational stories.

To find out why Eastern box turtles are declining across Virginia, Smithsonian staff are getting creative.

Hiding in Appalachia’s cool mountain streams is one impressively large salamander.

Find comprehensive resources for media on the giant panda program at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Giant panda Bao Li celebrated turning 5 years old with a shark-themed birthday bash, complete with a fruitsicle "cake" and boat buoy enrichment.

Smithsonian researchers have identified the genetic relationships among all the Hawaiian honeycreeper species that were known to exist since the arrival of Europeans to the islands.

Feast your eyes on our frisky bat-eared fox kits—the first born here in 75 years—in this keeper Q&A!

Join us in celebrating the dedicated professionals who care for our animal ambassadors!