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Animal News

Zoo entrance with icon banners.
Feb. 04, 2021
We write to inform you of the news that the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), an independent nonprofit organization, are dissolving their 63-year partnership.
Feb. 04, 2021
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZP/SCBI) and the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), an independent nonprofit organization, announce the dissolution of their...
Common nighthawk fitted with GPS transmitter.
Feb. 03, 2021
A new study led by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and University of Alberta biologists has created a comprehensive picture of the 10,000 kilometer migratory route of common nighthawks using GPS...
Feb. 01, 2021
The lesser kudu family is growing up! Kushukuru turned 2 years old Jan. 12, and Toba turned 1 year old in October 2020. Find out what’s happening with the lesser kudu in this Q&A.
A giant panda cub stands in an area covered in a light dusting of snow and some scattered bamboo leaves.
Feb. 01, 2021
As snow blanketed the Washington, D.C., region Jan. 31, 2021, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's animals woke up to a winter wonderland.
Jan. 27 | Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji had his first taste of bamboo this week!
Jan. 29, 2021
Our little panda cub had a big week—from his livestream debut to his first taste of bamboo!
Five-month-old giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji takes his first taste of cooked sweet potato Jan. 21, 2021.
Jan. 22, 2021
Our sweet panda cub had his first taste of sweet potato. Spoiler alert: he gobbled it up. 
Jan. 21, 2021
The cheetah cubs' adult teeth are coming in, and carnivore keepers are documenting each development. Echo's 9-month-old cubs are SCBI's first litter of cheetahs to participate in this type of...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji climbs the rockwork in his habitat on Jan. 14, 2021.
Jan. 15, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s word of the week seems to be: play! Our 4.5-month-old cub’s interest in his surroundings really took off this week.
Jan. 12, 2021
Cuckoos are extremely secretive birds and difficult to spot. Researchers are developing a tool, using remote sound recorders and artificial intelligence, to help detect them.
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji Jan. 6, 2021.
Jan. 11, 2021
Spending more time out of the den presents giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji with more opportunities to explore—and play! 
Amahle, the Zoo's 6-year-old female lion, lays with one of the enrichment balls in an indoor enclosure.
Jan. 08, 2021
Lions, tigers, cheetahs and bobcats – let’s play! Keepers Katy Juliano, Adri Kopp and Amber Dedrick know how to get the big cats they work with pouncing, roaring and purring for enrichment.
Jan. 08, 2021
The Reptile Discovery Center team is warming up to a new monitor lizard this winter. The young Komodo dragon, named Onyx, moved into his new habitat Dec. 10.
Jan. 08, 2021
Bird keeper Wesley Bailey shares an update on the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's success breding brown kiwi. 
Jan. 08, 2021
As the calendar turns to 2021, it is human nature to reflect on the moments that sparked inspiration in an otherwise challenging year. Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji gave many who follow his milestones a...
A swift fox with a small body, bushy tail and tall, pointed ears stands on a mound of dirt on an open prairie. The fox is wearing a lightweight GPS collar around its neck.
Jan. 07, 2021
In the midst of the pandemic, as the story goes, a team set out to bring swift foxes back to a land they had disappeared from more than 50 years ago. Learn more in this update from landscape...
Jan. 01, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji continues to explore and take on new challenges—like climbing up rockwork in the indoor habitat he shares with mother Mei Xiang. 
Dec. 31, 2020
Tracking an animal's weight is an important part of animal care, but gazelles are known to be flighty and nervous. So, how do keepers convince them to step onto a scale? Find out in this update from...
Dec. 28, 2020
From a litter of chirping cheetahs and the birth of a lovable giant panda cub to groundbreaking coral reef research and new strides in animal care, there were many milestones to celebrate this year.
Dec. 18, 2020
This week, we saw the sassy side of our almost 4-month-old giant panda cub, Xiao Qi JI, as he let out a loud and feisty bark! 
Dama gazelle Adara at the Cheetah Conservation Station.
Dec. 11, 2020
Cheetah Conservation Station keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Adara, a female dama gazelle who was humanely euthanized Dec. 7. She was 14 years old. 
Dec. 9 | Chief veterinarian Dr. Don Neiffer examines 3.5-month-old giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji.
Dec. 11, 2020
Xiao Qi Ji is on the move! While our 3.5-month old giant panda cub is still sharpening his walking skills, he appears to be eager to explore the world around him. 
Two giant pandas, a female named Mei Xiang and a male named Tian Tian, sit side by side in the snow eating bamboo
Dec. 07, 2020
Giant pandas, icons and ambassadors for the efforts to save the species in Washington, D.C., since 1972, will continue to live at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo through the end of 2023.
Dec. 04, 2020
November was an exciting month for the Zoo's giant panda cub! He received a clean bill of health during his third veterinary exam, was named "Xiao Qi Ji" by his fans around the world and took his...
Dec. 04, 2020
Waddle along with Small Mammal House Curator and African Penguin Species Survival Plan coordinator, Steven J. Sarro, as he shares his experiences working with zoos and penguins!