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Beginning Jan. 18, 2022, the Zoo is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last admittance 2:30 p.m.). Select animal buildings remain closed. Entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. All visitors ages 2 and older are required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces at the Zoo, regardless of their vaccination status. Fully vaccinated visitors do not need to wear a mask in outdoor areas.

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Zoo News Archive

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji eating an apple.
Jan. 07, 2022
Watch Panda Xiao Qi Ji’s Best Moments of 2021
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...
Newborn golden-headed lion tamarin twins cling to father Coco's back.
Jan. 07, 2022
Meet Our Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin Twins
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...
Smithsonian Institution sunburst logo
Jan. 03, 2022
Smithsonian Announces Modified Schedule for Museums and National Zoo Jan. 5–17
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
#CheetahCubdate 12: Watch a Video of the Cubs’ Checkups
Rosalie's cubs got their 9-week-old checkup and received a clean bill of health!
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji stands on his climbing structure, looking straight at the viewer.
Dec. 21, 2021
#PandaStory: Pool Playtime For Xiao Qi Ji
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 parasitic Jaeger
Dec. 21, 2021
Arctic Birds Connect the World: Biologging Tech Tracking of Nearctic Seabirds Surprise Scientists with Diverse Migratory Paths from Shared Breeding Site
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...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji upside-down in an outdoor hammock made of wood and recycled fire-hose
Dec. 20, 2021
Watch: 10 Animal Videos That Topped Our List in 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, we’ve rounded up the animal antics and species conservation stories that made us laugh, smile and cheer this year. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments caught on...
Male two-toed sloth, Vlad, hangs by all four feet from the top of his exhibit. His head is tilted toward keeper, Ann, who is standing below and to the right of Vlad. Ann has a piece of food in her right hand, which is raised up toward Vlad.
Dec. 03, 2021
Small Enrichment, Big Difference: Stories from a Real-Life Zoo Guardian
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...
A 7-week-old cheetah cub is held by a keeper wearing a light gray sweatshirt and neon yellow work gloves. A vet stands to the right of the cub and is listening to the cub's breathing with a stethoscope.
Dec. 03, 2021
#CheetahCubdate 11: Decoding Cub Chatter and a Clean Bill of Health
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
How Do You Care For Elderly Swamp Sparrows?
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...
Two scimitar-horned oryx calves.
Dec. 03, 2021
Favorite Fall Moments With Onagers and Oryx
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...
Close-up of red panda Chris-Anne's face.
Dec. 03, 2021
Meet Red Pandas Asa and Chris-Anne
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
Smithsonian Global Health Veterinarian Is Runner Up for 2021 Nature Research Award for Driving Global Impact
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...
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji snacks on an apple in his indoor habitat.
Nov. 29, 2021
#PandaStory: Winter Comes Early For Xiao Qi Ji
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
How Long is a Tamandua’s Tongue? And More Tamandua Facts
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
#CheetahCubdate 10: Coughs, Check-ups and Chowing Down
It’s been another busy week for Rosalie and her five cubs, from their first taste of meat to their first veterinary exam.
Black and white photo. Adult, female cheetah lays in a den with her five cubs nursing. The cubs are so large, you can't see all five, as they are piled on top of one another. The den has hay on the ground.
Nov. 19, 2021
#CheetahCubdate 9: Spotted on Cam, Bigger than Before
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.
Horned lark chicks with tufts of soft feathers and open mouths in their nest on the ground, surrounded by grasses, dirt and rocks
Nov. 12, 2021
A Rare Look Inside the Nests of Declining Prairie Songbirds
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...
Four almost-1 month old cubs huddle together inside a den enclosure. In the foreground are some clear plastic flaps, which were pulled aside to see the cubs. There's a fifth cub laying in the back of then. All five cubs are looking toward the camera.
Nov. 12, 2021
#CheetahCubdate 8: Little Home on the Grasses
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
A Day in the Life of a Conservation Biologist in Search of a Rare Songbird’s Nest
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 Named Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
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
Geoffroy's Marmoset Dies at Smithsonian's National Zoo
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...
Four cheetah cubs lay curled up next to each other in a blue plastic tub. A fifth cub sits up on top of one of its siblings, with its mouth open. The other cubs are all looking toward this fifth cub. There is hay coating the bottom of the tub.
Nov. 08, 2021
#CheetahCubdate 7: Weekend Adventures and Another New Den
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
Is a “Living Pharmacy” the Key to Curing Chytrid in Frogs?
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...
Black furry ape with long arms on a rope ladder
Nov. 05, 2021
Get To Know Our Gibbons
They’re goofy, sweet and superstars at training — meet Ronnie and Bradley, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s siamangs! These apes may be small in stature, but their endearing personalities (and...
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