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Newsroom

Phone: 202-633-3055
Email: ZooSCBICommunications@si.edu

Welcome to the newsroom for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. If you are a reporter and would like to arrange an interview or get more information on the Zoo’s animals and conservation science research, or request photos or video, please contact the communications team to facilitate your request. Before calling to discuss stories on some of the most-covered topics, media are encouraged to look over online resources for details on the Zoo’s giant pandas, Asian elephants and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

To be added to the Zoo's press release distribution list, please fill out the contact form on the right side of this page and use the subject line: "add to distribution list."

Giant Panda Cub Media Resources

Find comprehensive resources on the Zoo's giant panda cub here, including photos, videos, cub updates and press releases.

Each press release includes related photos and videos. See below.

Press Releases

Male adult African lion
Sep. 17, 2021
Great Cats Tested Presumptive Positive For COVID-19 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
Six African lions, a Sumatran tiger and two Amur tigers have tested presumptive positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. Last weekend, animal keepers observed decreased appetites, coughing,...
Endangered Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) in the ocean.
Sep. 07, 2021
Smithsonian and Partners Pioneer Method To Boost Endangered Coral Populations Separated by Vast Distances
Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and partners have become the first to use cryopreserved (frozen) coral sperm to support gene migration of Caribbean coral populations...
Giant pandas Xiao Qi Ji (foreground) and Mei Xiang (background) celebrate Xiao Qi Ji's birthday with a panda-friendly fuitsicle cake.
Aug. 21, 2021
Giant Panda Xiao Qi Ji Celebrated First Birthday At Smithsonian’s National Zoo
This morning, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute celebrated giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s (SHIAU-chi-ji) first birthday with a specially tailored fruitsicle cake.
Press Release Archive

Zoo News

The entrance gate at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
Sep. 16, 2021
Autumn Update from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Members of the Zoo Neighborhood Council received this correspondence Sept. 16, 2021. 
A black-and-white ruffed lemur holds onto a tree branch with one paw and a juice feeder made of a pvc cap with juice-filled tubes with the other
Sep. 13, 2021
How Do You Keep Animals Cool in the Heat?
If you have visited the Zoo during the summer, then you know it can get hot, muggy and buggy here in Washington, D.C.! Find out how keepers use enrichment to help animals stay cool in the heat.
A swift fox wearing a GPS tracking collar walks through grasses in the open prairie of North-central Montana
Sep. 10, 2021
Learning About Swift Foxes from What They Leave Behind
Sometimes, science stinks — literally! In Montana, researchers are setting up “scat traps" to attract swift foxes, so they can learn from the droppings the foxes leave behind.
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