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Animal News

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji paws at a piece of banana on top of a green enrichment toy.
Mar. 05, 2021
Sunny days are here again! Warmer weather spells adventure for Xiao Qi Ji, and our 6-month-old giant panda cub had a blast exploring the great outdoors this week. 
Mar. 05, 2021
From the moment his hearty squeal heralded his arrival, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji became one of the most beloved bears on the planet. Celebrate with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo as we look back at...
Mar. 05, 2021
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...
Ruby-throated hummingbird Spot sits on a feeder atop a scale.
Mar. 05, 2021
See Spot. He's a little ruby-throated hummingbird with a big personality. Spot is also super smart and has mastered scale training. Learn how Bird House keepers came to weigh him and get tips on...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji licks a dollop of homemade applesauce off of a large green enrichment toy.
Feb. 26, 2021
On Sunday, Feb. 21, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji turned 6 months old. To celebrate, our half-birthday boy tried yet another new food: homemade applesauce made from cooked apples. 
Feb. 25, 2021
At almost 11 months old, our cheetah cubs' personalities are shining! See Jabari, Hasani, Erindi and Amabala in the snow, and get an update on their training.
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji walks tentatively onto the concrete outside the panda house that leads to the grassy yard behind him
Feb. 19, 2021
Just a few days shy of turning 6 months old, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji accompanied his mother, Mei Xiang, into their outdoor habitat for the first time. 
Feb. 18, 2021
In December 2020, Smithsonian's Conservation and Biology Institute's cheetah breeding program celebrated a decade of success. Take a look at the top five most spot-acular accomplishments over the...
Five-month-old giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji leans against rockwork in his habitat with one paw up on a cylindrical-shaped enrichment toy and nibbles on his first biscuit.
Feb. 12, 2021
Enrichment toy smeared with sweet potato just might be Xiao Qi Ji’s favorite treat. This week, keepers gave our giant panda cub a new food to nibble on: biscuits!
Feb. 05, 2021
Hop into caring for and discovering new things about Bennett's wallabies with animal keeper Esther Wray! 
A giant panda cub stands in an area covered in a light dusting of snow and some scattered bamboo leaves.
Feb. 05, 2021
Our chill giant panda cub had his first encounter with snow this week! 
Feb. 05, 2021
She’s a sweet-natured, eager explorer with a taste for juicy wax worms. Meet Chiquita, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new tamandua! 
Feb. 05, 2021
January was a month full of firsts for the Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with his first enrichment toys, sampled his first sweet potato, took his...
Hartmann's mountain zebra mother Mackenzie (L) and her son Yipes (R) in the snow at SCBI.
Feb. 05, 2021
On Feb. 2, our youngest zebra, Yipes, turned 7 months old. It is hard to believe that he is already a juvenile! Over the past few months, we have seen him become much more rambunctious and goofy like...
Zoo entrance with icon banners.
Feb. 04, 2021
We write to inform you of the news that the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), an independent nonprofit organization, are dissolving their 63-year partnership.
Feb. 04, 2021
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZP/SCBI) and the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), an independent nonprofit organization, announce the dissolution of their...
Common nighthawk fitted with GPS transmitter.
Feb. 03, 2021
A new study led by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and University of Alberta biologists has created a comprehensive picture of the 10,000 kilometer migratory route of common nighthawks using GPS...
Feb. 01, 2021
The lesser kudu family is growing up! Kushukuru turned 2 years old Jan. 12, and Toba turned 1 year old in October 2020. Find out what’s happening with the lesser kudu in this Q&A.
A giant panda cub stands in an area covered in a light dusting of snow and some scattered bamboo leaves.
Feb. 01, 2021
As snow blanketed the Washington, D.C., region Jan. 31, 2021, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's animals woke up to a winter wonderland.
Jan. 27 | Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji had his first taste of bamboo this week!
Jan. 29, 2021
Our little panda cub had a big week—from his livestream debut to his first taste of bamboo!
Five-month-old giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji takes his first taste of cooked sweet potato Jan. 21, 2021.
Jan. 22, 2021
Our sweet panda cub had his first taste of sweet potato. Spoiler alert: he gobbled it up. 
Jan. 21, 2021
The cheetah cubs' adult teeth are coming in, and carnivore keepers are documenting each development. Echo's 9-month-old cubs are SCBI's first litter of cheetahs to participate in this type of...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji climbs the rockwork in his habitat on Jan. 14, 2021.
Jan. 15, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s word of the week seems to be: play! Our 4.5-month-old cub’s interest in his surroundings really took off this week.
Jan. 12, 2021
Cuckoos are extremely secretive birds and difficult to spot. Researchers are developing a tool, using remote sound recorders and artificial intelligence, to help detect them.
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji Jan. 6, 2021.
Jan. 11, 2021
Spending more time out of the den presents giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji with more opportunities to explore—and play!