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Animal News

Prehensile-tailed porcupine Beatrix and her porcupette sit on a branch.
Jan. 24, 2022
Lookin’ sharp, kid! Prehensile-tailed porcupines Beatrix and Quillbur recently welcomed their second offspring.
Jan. 07, 2022
How do you measure a year of giant panda cub cuteness? Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji — the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s “little miracle” — gives all who follow his #PandaStory a reason to smile. Look back...
Golden-headed lion tamarin twins cling to father Coco's back.
Jan. 07, 2022
On Oct. 7, the Small Mammal House team celebrated the arrival of golden-headed lion tamarin twins! They are the first of their endangered species born at the Zoo in 16 years. Get to know the...
Jan. 03, 2022
The Smithsonian is preparing for unprecedented staff shortages in the coming weeks due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. To accommodate these shortages, the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., and...
A cheetah mom with five cubs tucked in next to her. The text reads "Wishing you a wild and wonderful new year!"
Dec. 22, 2021
Rosalie's cubs got their 9-week-old checkup and received a clean bill of health!
Dec. 21, 2021
On Dec. 17, Xiao Qi Ji took his first “panda paddle” in the pool! Get the latest #PandaStory update from assistant curator Laurie Thompson.
A comic depicting the annual cycle of the jaeger, page 1
Dec. 21, 2021
As the Arctic and the oceans warm due to climate change, understanding how a rapidly changing environment may affect birds making annual journeys between the Arctic and the high seas is vital to...
Dec. 20, 2021
We rounded up the animal antics and species conservation stories that made us laugh, smile and cheer in 2021. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments caught on video.
Dec. 03, 2021
From smart shrews to clever coatis, every animal in Small Mammal House receives enrichment. Learn how the animal care team puts together puzzle feeders, sprinkles spices and comes up with creative...
Dec. 03, 2021
Listen up! Rosalie's now 7-week-old cubs are feisty, playful and healthy. Keepers even captured a video of one cub up-close to the fence, chirping. Read on to learn to speak cheetah and get the...
perched sparrow with a stubby, conical bill and mostly white breast with subtle hues of brown and gray on its face and back
Dec. 03, 2021
Meet our nearly 16-year-old male and female swamp sparrows, who keepers liken to an old married couple. They squabble and jockey for food. They take frequent naps. And, as with people, they have...
Dec. 03, 2021
Have you herd . . . our Persian onager filly and scimitar-horned oryx calves are exploring their surroundings! Get the latest update on their adventures from Tara Buk, Smithsonian Conservation...
Red panda Asa standing in the snow and eating bamboo.
Dec. 03, 2021
Get to know our red pandas’ personalities and insider tips on the best times to spot them from Asia Trail keeper Mariel Lally.  
A young man in a hat and plaid shirt examines a large white skull of an elephant
Dec. 01, 2021
Dr. James Hassell, wildlife veterinarian, epidemiologist and Keller Family Skorton Scholar for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Global Health Program was selected as the runner up on...
Nov. 29, 2021
Winter came a little early for giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji. Our Department of Nutrition Science team provided all three pandas with a pallet of ice to play in!
Animal balancing on a branch
Nov. 29, 2021
Nov. 29 is World Anteater Day. Celebrate by getting to know one of the remarkable members of the anteater family: the tamandua!
a female veterinarian holds a stethoscope to a cheetah cub while an animal keeper holds the cub
Nov. 24, 2021
It’s been another busy week for Rosalie and her five cubs, from their first taste of meat to their first veterinary exam.
Nov. 19, 2021
The cheetah cubs are back on the Cheetah Cub Cam! Check out this adorable video and tune into the Cheetah Cub Cam in the evenings for a chance to catch the cubs live.
Nov. 12, 2021
Each spring, the Northern Great Plains erupts with life as migratory birds return to build nests and raise their young. Smithsonian researchers are studying these grassland birds that nets in areas...
Nov. 12, 2021
Cheetah mom Rosalie and her five cubs continue to do well and live between the den without a webcam and the tall grasses in their yard.
A close-up of a Kirtland's warbler songbird
Nov. 10, 2021
In these excerpts from his field journal, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center intern Haley Haradon transports you to Michigan’s young jack pine forests as he searches for Kirtland’s warbler nests.
Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Nov. 09, 2021
Brandie Smith has been named the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, effective Nov. 9. Smith previously served as acting director of...
Geoffroy's marmosets Edwin (left) and Lilo (right) sitting on a branch in their exhibit.
Nov. 08, 2021
On Nov. 3, Small Mammal House keepers said goodbye to our last Geoffroy’s marmoset, Lilo. At 12 years old, she was considered geriatric for her species; typically, Geoffroy’s marmosets in human care...
Nov. 08, 2021
On Saturday, Nov. 6, cheetah mom Rosalie moved her cubs out of the webcam dens and back to the tall grasses in her yard, creating her own natural den. Read on for the full account of the cubs'...
Panamanian golden frog among leaves, ferns and logs.
Nov. 05, 2021
For decades, scientists have wondered whether the key to saving frogs from the deadly chytrid fungus lies in their skin. Could they genetically modify bacteria found in the frogs’ mucus layer and...