News Archive

The new bear in town is curious, daring and incredibly charming—meet Andean bear Brienne! This fall, she joined her grandmother Billie Jean and beau-to-be Quito at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

The Bird House team at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo has many beaks to feed, including 23 species of migratory songbirds and shorebirds.

In their latest update, giant panda keepers Marty Dearie and Mariel Lally reflect on the “little miracle” that is Xiao Qi JI and share details about a recent field trip where the cub spotted his dad, Tian Tian, for the first time!

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s 3-month-old giant panda cub received his name today. After five days of voting and just under 135,000 votes, the winning name is Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji), which translates as “little miracle” in English.

We care for many rare and endangered species here at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, including a little brown bird named Tasi. Tasi is a 4-year-old Guam rail and a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared.

Big milestones are on the horizon for our giant panda cub. Tomorrow he turns 3 months old, and on Monday he’ll receive his name! (Did we mention tips the scale in double digits?) Get the update from keeper Marty Dearie.

A note from the Zoo's Director, Steve Monfort, on the closing of the Zoo.

Due to rising regional and national cases related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, all Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo, will temporarily close to the public starting Monday, Nov. 23.

Due to rising regional and national cases related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, all Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo, will temporarily close to the public starting Monday, Nov. 23. This will impact the eight Smithsonian facilities in the Washington, D.C., region that had...

The African crested rat's fur is packed with a poison so lethal it can fell an elephant, and just a few milligrams can kill a human. Researchers found that it's the only mammal known to sequester plant toxins for chemical defense, and they uncovered its unexpected social life.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is asking the public to help name the male giant panda cub, now 9.2 pounds of adorable, at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat.

Adventure time for our giant panda cub! Over the weekend, Mei Xiang brought him into their indoor habitat to practice his crawling skills while she ate bamboo. Get the update from keeper Nicole MacCorkle.

ZooLights Express—powered by Pepco—will bring the colorful glow of Washington, D.C.’s beloved Smithsonian’s National Zoo holiday tradition into the community beginning Nov. 27. Festively decorated with light displays and featuring “Panda Claws,” the 24-foot ZooLights Express truck will hit the road...

Spending your days with a herd of bison is an idyllic way to pass a summer. I would know, because most of my days from May to August were spent observing the behaviors of a herd of about 300 bison in Montana.

Echo’s 6.5-month-old cheetah cubs’ world is growing, just as they are all growing stronger and larger too. Catch the full cubdate from biologist Adrienne Crosier.

October was an exciting month for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cub! His eyes and ears opened, mother Mei Xiang took him on “field trips” to explore the world outside their den and he grew bigger (and more adorable) by the day.

There are two new (adorable) kids on the block at American Trail! The team welcomed California sea lion pup Charger and North American beaver Poplar to their new homes at Smithsonian’s National Zoo this past summer.

At the Reptile Discovery Center, keepers play matchmaker to true masters of disguise: Henkel’s leaf-tailed geckos!

They’re bossy, playful and always in the mood for food—meet Lucy and Gally, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new American Bison!

It’s hard to believe our giant panda cub will be 11 weeks old tomorrow! Yesterday, the panda team took quickly checked our growing cub’s weight and measurements.

On Saturday, our giant panda family got into the Halloween spirit, thanks to the talented team in our Department of Nutrition Sciences. They whipped up some not-so-spooky “snack-o-lantern” treats for male Tian Tian and female Mei Xiang.

The afternoon of Oct. 28, giant panda mother Mei Xiang went outside to eat, per her new routine. The giant panda team took the opportunity to briefly weigh and measure our cub.

Swing along with primate keeper Emily Bricker as she shares her stories about caring for orangutans.