News

American Trail keepers at the National Zoo are mourning the loss of Nick, an 18-year-old male California sea lion who died suddenly Aug. 7.

See our giant panda celebrate his special day with a panda-friendly cake and presents from his keepers.

How are the new giant pandas spending their first summer? And what’s changed since they arrived nine months ago? Keeper Mariel Lally explains.

In this blog update, Dr. Fernanda Abra describes how a new system of canopy crossings is reducing road mortality among endangered primates in the Brazilian Amazon.

Research from Smithsonian scientists shows that a new method of analyzing fecal samples offers improvements on traditional wildlife monitoring.

We are sad to share Barkley, an 11-year-old fennec fox, was humanely euthanized June 18.

Join animal keeper Nikki Maticic on a hot summer day as she prepares icy veggie snacks for the animals at Kids' Farm.

We're recognizing some of the dedicated professionals who go above and beyond for the animals in our care!

Helping care for the youngest herd member is common in many species, but elderly Przewalski's horse Emma has a habit of taking it to the extreme.

Behind the scenes, our team welcomed four babies from three at-risk species: Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Przewalski’s horse, and Persian onager.

For the first time since 1908, northern shoveler ducklings have hatched at the Bird House!

On June 16, keepers welcomed a new addition to our Front Royal, Virginia, campus — a whooping crane chick, or "colt," the fourth of its kind to have hatched in our care.

Zoo teams transformed the yards outside the Bird House into a thriving, wildflower-filled garden. Find out how they did it.

Snake species have adapted to climb trees, leap across hot sand, and even swim through water — all without arms or legs. How do they do it?

At the Zoo's Little Critters: Nature Play area, young children and their caregivers can have fun with free, nature-based play activities.

Some birds listen in on prairie dog alarm calls to learn when predators are close, according to a new study from our grassland science team.

Carnivore keepers at NZCBI's Front Royal, Virginia, campus welcomed a litter of endangered black-footed ferrets May 28.

Sea lions are noisy — but how many sounds can they make? Quench your curiosity in this virtual keeper talk with American Trail keeper Sydney Lenz!

The tiny ducklings are currently living behind the scenes at the Bird House.

Fuzz fans, rejoice! Two new alpacas have made their debut at our Kids’ Farm exhibit.

Want to tell the western lowland gorillas apart? This introductory guide will help you spot each of the six residents of the troop.

Bleats and chirps between two giant pandas are a sure sign that flirtatious feelings are in the air! Read all about the bears and the bleats in our latest #DCPandas update.

This peculiar-looking canine uses its exceptional hearing to hunt for termites and beetles — here are some more fun facts about the species.

NZCBI and the Royal Commission for AlUla announced an agreement May 13 involving the international conservation and loan of Arabian leopards from Saudi Arabia.

One year after a translocation project brought the Guam kingfisher, or sihek, to a remote Pacific island, Zoo scientists say the iconic species is showing signs of recovery.