News Archive

Join us in wishing our “4-ever sweet” giant panda Qing Bao a happy 4th birthday!

Say hello to Jasper, Rocky, and Yukon — three Canada lynx brothers you can now see at the Great Cats exhibit!

New Smithsonian research indicates prairie dogs and grasshoppers have some of the largest impacts on grassland nutrient cycles.

They’re agile on land. Intelligent in behavior. And…they can gallop like a horse? Learn what makes Cuban crocodiles so extraordinary.

Which meerkat is which? Small Mammal House keeper Ann Gutowski offers some clues on how you can tell the meerkats apart.

Boo at the Zoo and Night of the Living Zoo will return this fall at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

What started as a way to protect migratory birds has grown into a global effort that safeguards tropical forests, conserves wildlife, and helps farmers build more resilient livelihoods.

Our giant pandas didn’t breed this year, but changes in Qing Bao’s behavior and hormones indicate she’s going through pseudopregnancy. Learn more in our panda team update!

They’re roly-poly, prickly and precious: meet our lesser tenrec babies! Get to know our growing tenrec family in this Q+A.

A new Smithsonian study reveals that carbon-capture initiatives may be overlooking a critical tool in sustainable farming programs: mature trees.

Behind the scenes, our South American canid puppies are growing fast. Get a glimpse into their daily lives in this update from the SCBI keeper team.

Thirteen years of climate data helps scientists understand the spread of a deadly amphibian disease and predict potential outbreaks.

American Trail keepers at the National Zoo are mourning the loss of Nick, an 18-year-old male California sea lion who died suddenly Aug. 7.

See our giant panda celebrate his special day with a panda-friendly cake and presents from his keepers.

How are the new giant pandas spending their first summer? And what’s changed since they arrived nine months ago? Keeper Mariel Lally explains.

In this blog update, Dr. Fernanda Abra describes how a new system of canopy crossings is reducing road mortality among endangered primates in the Brazilian Amazon.

Research from Smithsonian scientists shows that a new method of analyzing fecal samples offers improvements on traditional wildlife monitoring.

We are sad to share Barkley, an 11-year-old fennec fox, was humanely euthanized June 18.

Join animal keeper Nikki Maticic on a hot summer day as she prepares icy veggie snacks for the animals at Kids' Farm.

We're recognizing some of the dedicated professionals who go above and beyond for the animals in our care!

Helping care for the youngest herd member is common in many species, but elderly Przewalski's horse Emma has a habit of taking it to the extreme.

Behind the scenes, our team welcomed four babies from three at-risk species: Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Przewalski’s horse, and Persian onager.

For the first time since 1908, northern shoveler ducklings have hatched at the Bird House!

On June 16, keepers welcomed a new addition to our Front Royal, Virginia, campus — a whooping crane chick, or "colt," the fourth of its kind to have hatched in our care.

Zoo teams transformed the yards outside the Bird House into a thriving, wildflower-filled garden. Find out how they did it.