News Archive

Bao Bao is becoming a master at giant panda locomotion! She climbed up on the rockwork in Mei Xiang's enclosure early Wednesday morning all by herself. She took a little tumble, but she was completely unhurt and Mei Xiang quickly came to her side. Undeterred by gravity, she soon was at it again and...

Hank is a year old today! Hank now weighs about 125 pounds. His favorite foods are butternut squash, peanut butter, and grapes. Hank and Hana share the same birthday so we will have a special birthday party to celebrate both bears. We have ordered some special treats for their birthday and will...

After four months of watching her grow on the panda cams, visitors to the Smithsonian's National Zoo will be able to visit Bao Bao starting Jan. 18. Members of Friends of the National Zoo will be able to visit Bao Bao exclusively at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat from Jan. 11 to...

Our Sumatran tiger cubs just turned four months old! Bandar and Sukacita quickly took to their yard. In fact, the first day we opened the door, both cubs fearlessly bolted out—climbing, hiding in the bamboo, and trying to sneak up on mom Damai (and each other)! They're great fun to watch. Right now...

Bao Bao had a busy day Friday! She was very active and spent the entire day in one of Mei Xiang's large indoor enclosures. That was the first time she has spent an entire day outside of the den! Keepers also weighed Bao Bao early Friday morning. She is now up to 13.2 pounds (6.26 kilos). As Bao Bao...

Hank is not only a daring adventurer, he's also a budding musician! This section of fire hose makes a great sound—like a tuba—and is one of his favorite toys. You can help keep all the animals at the Zoo busy with toys and other enrichment by donating to the Enrichment Giving Tree. sloth bear...

We are happy to announce Granger cheetah is doing well following his surgery last week and will be joining Draco and Zabini back at Cheetah Conservation Station. Cheetah Draco's health, unfortunately, has taken a turn for the worse. He continues to lose weight and refuse to eat. Yesterday, he was...

A Smithsonian safety investigator completed her investigation of an incident involving a male Grevy's zebra, Gumu, that seriously injured a zoo keeper Nov. 18. The safety investigator concluded the incident appears to be the result of human error. Read the Executive Summary of the Safety Report. The...

When you work closely with someone day in and day out—regardless of whether they're a human coworker or an animal you care for—you get to know their quirks and behavior. So when animal care staff noticed that Granger, one of four male cheetahs that live at the Zoo, wasn't eating as much as he...

It's been a big week for Bao Bao! She got her name on Sunday, thanks to the more than 120,000 votes cast. She now weighs a whopping 12.76 pounds! Keepers have noticed her putting bamboo in her mouth in an exploratory sort of way, though she's not eating yet. Mei is beginning to take Bao Bao out of...

Unlocking the mysteries of animal migration through precise, near real-time tracking can solve major conservation challenges and transform wildlife science worldwide.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is celebrating International Cheetah Day with 10 genetically valuable cheetah cubs, which were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute last month. First-time mother Miti birthed a litter of seven cubs Nov. 12. Six of her cubs survived—five female and one...

Press conference announcing the Partners in the Sky partnership

Transcurridos 100 días y con más de 123.039 votos recibidos, la cría de panda gigante del Zoológico Nacional Smithsonian ha recibido su nombre —Bao Bao— hoy, domingo 1 de diciembre. El secretario del Smithsonian, Wayne Clough, el embajador de la República Popular China, Cui Tiankai, y la secretaria...

For more than 50 years, Smithsonian scientists collected and stored frozen biomaterials (such as DNA, tissues, germplasm) from a vast array of animal and plant species. The Smithsonian has about one million samples from 18,000 species, with thousands of new samples added each year. In the past, the...

After 100 days and 123,039 votes, the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo received her name today. The cub's name is: Bao Bao! Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough, Ambassador Cui Tiankai from the People's Republic of China and Assistant Secretary Kerri-Ann Jones from the U.S. Department...

After 100 days and 123,039 votes the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo received her name—Bao Bao—today, Sunday, Dec. 1. Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough, Ambassador Cui Tiankai from the People's Republic of China and Assistant Secretary Kerri-Ann Jones from the U.S. Department of...

Four Smithsonian scientists have been awarded the distinction of Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. The names...

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 1. 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. 12:15 p.m. Media arrival and set-up WHAT:After receiving more than 123,000 online votes, officials and dignitaries will reveal the name of the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo at a special ceremony celebrating her 100th day of life. The...

Today was another weigh-in day! The cub now weighs 10.8 pounds (4.9 kilos). And keepers have noticed that she is responding to the noises she hears. When they enter the den to take her for weights and measurements, she orients herself toward them. They also have been talking more when they are...

The panda cub is taking small steps! Over the weekend and yesterday cam watchers may have noticed that she has been able to get her hind legs underneath her and stand up. She hasn't gotten very far yet though, she's only takes a few steps before sitting back down and crawling. On Sunday she almost...

Damai's two cubs Sukacita and Bandar will have access to the yard and will be on exhibit to the public for the first time today at 10 a.m.! As they are still quite young, the tiger team anticipates that they will be on exhibit for about one hour. They will be on public exhibit each day but this may...

At approximately 8:45 a.m., a Smithsonian's National Zoo animal care staff member was bitten multiple times by a 10-year-old male Grevy's zebra named Gumu.

The panda cub was weighed and measured again this morning! She now weighs 9.68 pounds (4.4 kilos). She is still very round measuring 18.11 inches (46 centimeters) around her belly. But her nose is starting to lose its pink color and turn black like an adult panda nose. She is also crawling with a...

Our panda cub is growing bigger and bigger! She now weighs a hefty 8.14 pounds, and her tail is starting to shrink relative to the size of her body. And keepers report that they are starting to see ridges where her teeth will erupt. The cub devotes a lot of energy to scooting and crawling around the...