News

Giant panda Bei Bei will depart the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for China Tuesday, Nov. 19. 

Can sloth swim? What do they eat? And why are they so slow? Impress your friends and ace your next online quiz with these fun facts about sloths to celebrate International Sloth Day on Oct. 20.

Get the answers to frequently asked questions about giant panda Bei Bei's departure from the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

In September 2019, the Smithsonian scientists launched Snapshot USA, a nationwide camera trap survey effort in the hopes of capturing the first-ever “snapshot” of wildlife across the U.S.

There’s no better activity for a fall day in D.C. than a trip to the Zoo. Crowds are smaller, days are cooler and changing leaves bring a burst of color to the park.

The newest residents at Reptile Discovery Center are in no rush to grow up. The two 5-year-old Aldabra tortoises debuted in late September.

The end of the summer has been very busy at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, which welcomed two new members to its Persian onager herd.

In August 2019, Reptile Discovery Center keeper Matt Neff embarked on a trip that took him across the Pacific Ocean to learn about enrichment, husbandry and breeding for the second-largest salamander species on earth: the Japanese giant salamander. Check out photos and notes from his trip!

Catch up with the Zoo's Andean bears, Billie jean and Quito, with animal keeper Sara Colandrea.

What makes (or breaks) a coral’s ability to survive rising sea temperatures? It’s a puzzling predicament, and scientists are hoping coral nurseries can help crack the code.

In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, eastern coyotes join the ranks of top predators, along with black bears and foxes. Still, these clever canines face threats in their native habitat. Using GPS collars, scientists are about to embark on a study to piece together the movements of coyotes on the prowl....

Cheetah Conservation Station keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of a female lesser kudu named Shirley, who died Sept. 28 following complications during the birthing process.

This newsletter was sent to the Zoo's surrounding community and neighbors on Sept. 25, 2019.

Global Health Program researchers co-hosted a camel medicine course for Kenyan livestock veterinarians in March to help improve camel veterinary knowledge, promote wildlife health and lower the risk of diseases.

Sydney, a 3-year-old Bennett’s wallaby, died Sept. 20 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Animal care, exhibits, scientific research and education programs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are made possible by donors.

Smithsonian scientists tracked Egyptian vultures through 44 countries across 70% of their range. They learned that vultures traveling from Western Europe had shorter, more direct routes to wintering grounds in Northern Africa than vultures traveling from Eastern Europe.

Catch the latest news about our 1.5-year-old western lowland gorilla, Moke, from primate keeper Carolina Powell. 

Data show that since 1970, the U.S. and Canada have lost nearly 3 billion birds, a massive reduction in abundance involving hundreds of species, from beloved backyard songbirds to long-distance migrants.

Smithsonian researchers have studied black-throated blue warblers at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire for decades. Hear about their latest field season.

Persian onagers are not just rare in the wild, they are actually rare in zoos as well. 

Cheetah Conservation Station keepers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Zafirah, a female dama gazelle who was humanely euthanized Sept. 12. She was 9 years old.

On Sept. 4, 2019, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo held its inaugural meeting with the Zoo Neighborhood Council (ZNC). Detailed minutes of the meeting follow below.

As Bornean orangutan Redd turns 3 years old, primate keeper Erin Stromberg reflects on his exciting year. 

Reproductive scientists, veterinarians and animal keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute have determined that giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) will not give birth this year.