Animal keepers at the National Zoo have been hand feeding a female gray seal pup, born January 21, 2014, at 10:21 p.m., in the holding area of the seal exhibit on American Trail. Zoo keepers, veterinarians and nutritionists have been closely monitoring the pup and her mother, Kara. Within 48 hours...
Giant panda cub Bao Bao will step out from behind the panda cams and meet the public this weekend at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Visitors to the Zoo will have the opportunity to see Bao Bao starting Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 a.m. The panda house at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda...
Bao Bao is proving to be most active in the early mornings and in the midafternoon. Today she and Mei Xiang enjoyed an extended play session inside the panda house. Bao Bao pounced on Mei's head several times and even wrestled with a stalk of bamboo. All the excitement wore her out, and she was...
I say that sentence more than any other during panda breeding season. As a technician in Center for Species Survival’s endocrinology lab at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia...
This panda update was written by keeper Nicole MacCorkle.
Like father, like daughter. Panda cam viewers may have noticed something interesting about Bao Bao's resting habits—she frequently sleeps on her back, which is the preferred position for her dad Tian Tian as well. Early on a recent morning...
Five adult female degus just arrived at the Small Mammal House. During their entrance exams, we discovered a surprise?one was pregnant! After she gave birth in quarantine, we now have an active group of nine degus at Small Mammals with six females on exhibit and three males behind-the-scenes. Degus...
After four months of watching her grow on the panda cams, visitors to the Smithsonian's National Zoo will be able to visit Bao Bao starting January 18. Members of Friends of the National Zoo will be able to visit Bao Bao exclusively at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat from January...
Bao Bao is becoming a master at giant panda locomotion! She climbed up on the rockwork in Mei Xiang's enclosure early Wednesday morning all by herself. She took a little tumble, but she was completely unhurt and Mei Xiang quickly came to her side. Undeterred by gravity, she soon was at it again and...
Hank is a year old today! Hank now weighs about 125 pounds. His favorite foods are butternut squash, peanut butter, and grapes.
Hank and Hana share the same birthday so we will have a special birthday party to celebrate both bears. We have ordered some special treats for their birthday and will...
After four months of watching her grow on the panda cams, visitors to the Smithsonian's National Zoo will be able to visit Bao Bao starting Jan. 18. Members of Friends of the National Zoo will be able to visit Bao Bao exclusively at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat from Jan. 11 to...
Our Sumatran tiger cubs just turned four months old! Bandar and Sukacita quickly took to their yard. In fact, the first day we opened the door, both cubs fearlessly bolted out—climbing, hiding in the bamboo, and trying to sneak up on mom Damai (and each other)! They're great fun to watch. Right now...
Bao Bao had a busy day Friday! She was very active and spent the entire day in one of Mei Xiang's large indoor enclosures. That was the first time she has spent an entire day outside of the den!
Keepers also weighed Bao Bao early Friday morning. She is now up to 13.2 pounds (6.26 kilos).
Hank is not only a daring adventurer, he's also a budding musician! This section of fire hose makes a great sound—like a tuba—and is one of his favorite toys. You can help keep all the animals at the Zoo busy with toys and other enrichment by donating to the Enrichment Giving Tree.
A Smithsonian safety investigator completed her investigation of an incident involving a male Grevy's zebra, Gumu, that seriously injured a zoo keeper Nov. 18. The safety investigator concluded the incident appears to be the result of human error.
Read the Executive Summary of the Safety Report. The...
We are happy to announce Granger cheetah is doing well following his surgery last week and will be joining Draco and Zabini back at Cheetah Conservation Station.
Cheetah Draco's health, unfortunately, has taken a turn for the worse. He continues to lose weight and refuse to eat. Yesterday, he was...
When you work closely with someone day in and day out—regardless of whether they're a human coworker or an animal you care for—you get to know their quirks and behavior. So when animal care staff noticed that Granger, one of four male cheetahs that live at the Zoo, wasn't eating as much as he...
It's been a big week for Bao Bao! She got her name on Sunday, thanks to the more than 120,000 votes cast. She now weighs a whopping 12.76 pounds! Keepers have noticed her putting bamboo in her mouth in an exploratory sort of way, though she's not eating yet.
Unlocking the mysteries of animal migration through precise, near real-time tracking can solve major conservation challenges and transform wildlife science worldwide.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo is celebrating International Cheetah Day with 10 genetically valuable cheetah cubs, which were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute last month. First-time mother Miti birthed a litter of seven cubs Nov. 12. Six of her cubs survived—five female and one...
Transcurridos 100 días y con más de 123.039 votos recibidos, la cría de panda gigante del Zoológico Nacional Smithsonian ha recibido su nombre —Bao Bao— hoy, domingo 1 de diciembre. El secretario del Smithsonian, Wayne Clough, el embajador de la República Popular China, Cui Tiankai, y la secretaria...
After 100 days and 123,039 votes, the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo received her name today. The cub's name is: Bao Bao!
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough, Ambassador Cui Tiankai from the People's Republic of China and Assistant Secretary Kerri-Ann Jones from the U.S. Department...
For more than 50 years, Smithsonian scientists collected and stored frozen biomaterials (such as DNA, tissues, germplasm) from a vast array of animal and plant species. The Smithsonian has about one million samples from 18,000 species, with thousands of new samples added each year. In the past, the...
After 100 days and 123,039 votes the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo received her name—Bao Bao—today, Sunday, Dec. 1. Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough, Ambassador Cui Tiankai from the People's Republic of China and Assistant Secretary Kerri-Ann Jones from the U.S. Department of...
Four Smithsonian scientists have been awarded the distinction of Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. The names...
