News

Come see the Smithsonian's National Zoo in a whole new light during ZooLights—powered by Pepco! Beginning Nov. 23, Friends of the National Zoo invites guests to stroll through the Zoo under the glow of thousands of environmentally-friendly LED lights. ZooLights is 24 nights this year—the most in its...

This holiday season, shop at the Smithsonian's National Zoo for gifts your loved ones will give a hoot, whoop and roar about! Spot a great find for the animal person in your life during your next visit to the Zoo, or shop the online catalogue. By giving a Zoo gift, you become a conservationist—all...

The Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, a unique program in terms of its academic offerings and contributions to the field of conservation, celebrated the completion of its expansive new academic facilities today, Oct. 18, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va...

Traditionally, biologists have gathered basic information such as population density and survival rates of carnivores by trapping, drugging, and fitting radiocollars on restrained animals. We are developing a new, noninvasive method that uses trained dogs to find scats (feces) of carnivores followed...

The cats got a present! Port City Brewery in Alexandria, Virginia generously donated some kegs for the cats to use as toys. It's not easy to find things that can stand up to being played with by tigers and lions, but beer kegs are (almost) indestructible. The lions have discovered that if you whack...

Last week, we bid a bittersweet farewell to Zuri and Fahari, as they left for their new home at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Their new keepers traveled to DC to meet the girls and accompanied them during their flight back to sunny California—via FedEx!

Zuri and Fahari traveled in the same crates that...

After examining the giant panda cub that died six days after it was born to mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, the Zoo's team of pathologists found that lung and liver damage ultimately caused the death of the panda cub. The poorly developed lungs likely caused the cub...

WHAT:Media will be informed about the results from the panda cub necropsy and receive an update about the mother giant panda.

WHEN:Thursday, Oct. 11

8:30 a.m.: Photo opportunity: Both giant pandas, Mei Xiang (female) and Tian Tian (male), will be in their outdoor yards. Each panda will receive a...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo euthanized a young black howler monkey, Loki, Sunday, Oct. 7, because she was ill from complications of metabolic bone disease. This disease is a vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus imbalance. It is most often caused by lack of sunlight (ultraviolet light), lack of...

Friends of the National Zoo calls all baking enthusiasts to enter the annual Gin-GRR-Bread Habitat Contest at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. This year's theme is, A Winter's Tail on the American Trail. American Trail is the newest exhibit at the National Zoo and is home to four California sea lions...

WHAT: Autumn Conservation Festival

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, Va.
Just off of Route 522

It's that time of year again. In fact, the only time of year when the gates to the Smithsonian...

The 14^th annual Boo at the Zoo promises to be a howling good time filled with costumed families and fun at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Oct. 26, 27, and 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), Boo at the Zoo offers kids ages two to 12 a safe atmosphere to trick...

As any butterfly watcher knows, it is hard enough to spot a specific butterfly—it turns out that tracking a whole population of butterflies poses an even bigger challenge.

Scientists rarely count entire populations because of the difficulty, time, and resources such an endeavor demands. Instead...

Pathologists at the Smithsonian's National Zoo performed a necropsy (animal autopsy) Sept. 23 on the six-day-old giant panda cub that died earlier that morning. A final pathology report will provide more information in the next few weeks, but the preliminary report suggests two potential...

It's hard to believe that another year has passed since the birth of Naba and Shera's cubs, yet here we are planning their second birthday celebration! Lelie, Zuri, Fahari and John turned two years old on August 31; Lusaka will be turning two on September 22. We'd love to invite everyone to join us...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's female giant panda Mei Xiang gave Panda Cam viewers another sneak peek of her cub, born Sunday Sept. 16. At about 7:54 a.m. Sept. 20, Mei Xiang gently picked the squealing cub up in her mouth before placing it on the ground to groom it. Keepers continue to be...

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) announced Sept. 19 that the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park has been awarded Top Honors for the 2012 AZA International Conservation Award for its Scientific Approaches to Conservation of Giant Pandas and Their Habitat program and Significant...

Smithsonian's National Zoo staff and Panda Cam watchers have gotten several quick glimpses of female giant panda Mei Xiang's cub since its birth Sept. 16 at 10:46 p.m. In this video from Sept. 17. at about 8:35 p.m. EST, Mei Xiang cradles the newborn and picks it up in her mouth as she shifts...

Mei Xiang, the National Zoo's female giant panda gave birth to a cub Sunday, Sept. 16 at 10:46 p.m.

Olympic medalists Justin Gatlin and Carmelita Jeter had a playful behind-the-scenes encounter today with the two cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian's National Zoo that were named after the athletes. Although the cubs did not show much interest in the Olympic medals the athletes held up, the cats...

Put on your dancing shoes, tease your hair, break out your acid wash jeans, pull on your legwarmers and get ready to rock! Friends of the National Zoo is hosting its first ever 80s dance party-themed Rock-N-Roar Sept. 27, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Musical guest...

USA Track & Field Olympic sprinters Carmelita Jeter and Justin Gatlin will be at the Smithsonian's National Zoo this Thursday, Sept. 13, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to meet the Zoo's two cheetah cubs, Carmelita and Justin. The athletes will also sign autographs for visitors at the Cheetah...

A team of Smithsonian scientists joined more than 200 others around the world to examine if giving protected status to a tropical forest offered adequate protection to the plants and animals within its borders. They found that in almost half the cases it did not. The team's findings are published...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo will receive $400,000 over the next two years from the Ford Motor Company Fund to study the health of giant pandas.

After five years of planning and construction, the National Zoo will open the new American Trail exhibit to the public Saturday, Sept. 1, at noon. The renovated area in the extensive lower valley between Elephant Trail and Amazonia will transport visitors to the Pacific Northwest where they will...