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× All Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo, continue to be closed to support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. We are not announcing a re-opening date at this time and will continue to provide updates on social media and on our website.
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Animal News

Mar. 01, 2019
When Asian elephant Swarna needed her teeth examined, animal keepers tried something that had never been done at the Zoo before. Over two months, they trained the 44-year-old elephant to voluntarily...
Mar. 01, 2019
Let’s play a game…for science! With a tap of the touch-screen computer, orangutans at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo try their memories at matching pictures. These games help scientists study the...
Mar. 01, 2019
A sassy new resident made her debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo this week! Animal care staff recently welcomed Amur tiger Nikita to the Great Cats exhibit. Get to know her in this Q&A.
Cheetah Amani with one of her cubs in 2011 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Feb. 27, 2019
Amani (Ah-MON-ee), an elderly cheetah living at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, was humanely euthanized Feb. 19. 
Feb. 26, 2019
With each passing day, western lowland gorilla infant Moke places more weight on his injured leg. His gait and movement have improved over the past month. 
Giant panda Bei Bei sits in a hammock eating a special ice cake treat during the Panda House Warming Celebration at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
Feb. 23, 2019
On Feb. 23, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China hosted a housewarming party, sponsored by Airbnb, to celebrate the new...
Feb. 22, 2019
Without ever laying eyes on a San Joaquin kit fox, scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics know how many of the cute creatures live in...
Giant panda Bei Bei in the snow.
Feb. 20, 2019
Snow in Washington, D.C. today, Feb. 20, brought out the playful side of the giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. 
closeup of two harbor seals touching their heads together
Feb. 14, 2019
This Valentine’s Day (or any day!) celebrate with your beloved and 2,700 of your closest animal friends at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Giant panda Tian Tian plays in the snow.
Feb. 14, 2019
You’re invited to a housewarming celebration! The new visitor interpretive exhibit in the panda house is finished and we would love for everyone to come visit and see it.
Giant panda Tian Tian plays in the snow.
Feb. 14, 2019
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China will host a housewarming, sponsored by Airbnb, to celebrate the new exhibit for visitors inside the panda house. 
A head shot of ecologist Andy Boyce in the field at the American Prairie Reserve in Montana
Feb. 08, 2019
Conservation ecologist Andy Boyce lives on the American Prairie Reserve in Phillips County, Montana. It's rugged, it's wild and it's one of the only places left on Earth where scientists have the...
Camera trap of a coyote at the American Prairie Reserve in Montana.
Feb. 08, 2019
Ecologist Bill McShea shares how the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s collaboration with American Prairie Reserve will help scientists better understand how changes to the grasslands...
Feb. 08, 2019
The holiday season and new year were an exciting time for the Zoo's 9-month-old western lowland gorilla, Moke! Read the latest keeper update.
Three versions of the Bird Friendly Coffee logo arranged from oldest on the left to newest on the right with arrows pointing from left to right
Feb. 06, 2019
The Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification seal has evolved twice since the program began 20 years ago. The latest logo is a bold rectangle that features shady habitat, soaring songbirds and the...
Adult naked mole-rats and pups sleeping together in a pile.
Feb. 01, 2019
We’re happy to welcome you back from our unscheduled break in naked mole-rat viewing! Life in our naked mole-rat colony has bustled on during the past three-and-a-half weeks. 
Matt Evans holding a turtle at a facility in Myanmar.
Feb. 01, 2019
In Myanmar, reptiles are rapidly disappearing. The good news: all hope is not lost for critically endangered turtles. Rescue facilities across the country, supported by the Turtle Survival Alliance,...
Feb. 01, 2019
Is she or isn’t she? Excitement is in the air at Asia Trail, where the Zoo’s 5-year-old female sloth bear, Remi, may be expecting a cub! To monitor her for potential cub development, keepers are...
Prehensile-tailed porcupine Quillbur at the Small Mammal House.
Feb. 01, 2019
Don’t let his prickly appearance deter you – Quillbur is a very friendly porcupine! Get to know our new prehensile-tailed porcupine in this Q&A with Small Mammal House keepers.
Feb. 01, 2019
The Zoo's rambunctious 9-month-old gorilla has a fractured femur. Moke is resting and recovering with his parents, Calaya and Baraka, under the close watch of the animal care team.
A hoofed animal, called a Grevy's zebra, with black and white stripes, slender legs, large ears, a thick mane and a long tail stands on grass-covered rocks in the sun
Jan. 31, 2019
Celebrate International Zebra Day by learning all about the largest of these striped equids: the Grevy’s zebra!
Giant panda sitting in the snow
Jan. 30, 2019
The shutdown didn’t shutdown giant panda playtime! During the past three-and-a-half weeks Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Bei Bei have carried on with their daily routines.
Jan. 29, 2019
During the government shutdown, from Jan. 2 to Jan. 28, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s animal care team, almost all federal workers, reported to work and provided...
A kiwi chick standing on a small white towel
Jan. 29, 2019
During the federal government shutdown from, Jan. 2 to Jan. 28, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s animal care team, almost all federal workers, reported to work and...
children looking at an exhibit using binoculars
Jan. 29, 2019
It's important to be prepared for spring and summer camp registration at the Zoo! Here are a few things to keep in mind as you get ready to register.