News

The National Zoo will soon welcome Bozie, a 37-year-old female Asian elephant, into the Zoo's existing herd. She will be on loan from the Baton Rouge Zoo. Bozie's last companion at the Baton Rouge Zoo died in March. Elephants are social species and to meet Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards...

WHAT:Twin Andean bear cubs, Curt and Nicole, will make their media debut in their yard with their mother Billie Jean; their public debut is Saturday, May 11

WHEN:Tuesday, May 7

10 a.m.—11:30 a.m.

WHO: Craig Saffoe, curator of Andean bears, Smithsonian's National Zoo

Karen Abbott, Andean...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is inviting its Facebook fans to name one of Asia Trails' most adventurous and charismatic critters: a sloth bear cub. Starting Wednesday, May 1, the Zoo is hosting a poll on its Facebook page; fans can vote for their favorite among three names that keepers selected to...

A 7-year-old sand cat named Thor is the newest addition to the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Small Mammal House exhibit. Thor will serve as an ambassador to his wild cousins and teach Zoo visitors and researchers about the behaviors of this secretive species. Native to Northern Africa, Southern Asia...

On Earth Day 2014, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute launched the "Endangered Song Project," an analog-meets-digital outreach campaign that asked 400 participants to help raise awareness about the fact that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. We...

Baby marmoset monkeys that began eating solid food earlier than their peers were significantly more likely to be obese at one year of age, scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have found.

Marmosets on track for...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is mourning the loss of its elderly white-cheeked gibbon, a female named Mae, who died April 8. She was 43 years old and lived well past the median life expectancy of zoo gibbons, which is about 28 years old. Mae arrived at the National Zoo in 1976 from the Los Angeles...

• Reproductive scientists and veterinarians from the Smithsonian's National Zoo, alongside Tang Chunxiang, the assistant director and chief veterinarian of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at Wolong performed a second artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang on...

Reproductive scientists and veterinarians from the Smithsonian's National Zoo alongside Tang Chunxiang, the assistant director and chief veterinarian of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at Wolong performed a second artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang...

Spring has sprung and the giant pandas are breeding again at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Scientists detected a rise in urinary estrogens March 26, in its female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG). This rise and her behaviors indicated that Mei Xiang was in estrus and ready to breed. A team of Zoo...

Spring has sprung and the giant pandas are breeding again at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Scientists detected a rise in urinary estrogens March 26, in its female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG). This rise and her behaviors indicated that Mei Xiang was in estrus and ready to breed. A team of Zoo...

The clouded leopard cubs born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., Feb. 6, are healthy and growing. At nearly two months old, they just received their first vaccinations. As they have grown, their diet has changed to match their appetites and nutritional needs. When...

Asia Trail Curator Tony Barthel and keeper staff at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have determined the sex of a 3-month-old sloth bear cub: it's a boy! Keepers report that the cub is quite daring and adventurous; he will balance himself atop wobbly enrichment toys (such as logs and boomer balls) and...

The limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus), an endangered species native to Panama, now has a new lease on life. The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is successfully breeding the chevron-patterned form of the species in captivity for the first time. The rescue project is raising...

The commitment at the National Zoo to save Asian elephants from extinction and ensure a future for this endangered species spans more than 50 years. In keeping with the best practices for elephant management, the Zoo has invested in a state-of-the-art exhibit: Elephant Trails. This innovative and...

Have You HERD? Media Open House at the National Zoo's New Elephant Community Center

WHAT: A media preview of the Elephant Community Center—the reopening of the 1930s Elephant House—featuring a new state-of-the-art indoor facility for the Zoo's elephants, including a much expanded sand area...