News Archive

The Smithsonian's National Zoo has temporarily closed the Kids' Farm exhibit because E. coli stx 1 gene bacteria was discovered in a few of the animals. The animals are now being managed under quarantine protocols. At this time, no staff have been affected and no animals are showing any signs of...

What does it take to care for a baby that weighs a mere 40 grams at birth? Biologist Kenton Kerns gives the scoop on raising the tiny tots in our latest keeper Q&A.

As some of our panda cam viewers may have noticed, we've made some changes at the panda house recently. Each giant panda requires an individualized care plan. It's been a great learning experience for the Zoo's panda team to care for Bei Bei. Mei Xiang gains more experience with each cub, and it was...

WHAT:Free public lecture on the Save Vanishing Species postage stamp WHEN: Thursday, March 3Stamp signing: 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.Lecture: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. WHERE: Visitor Center AuditoriumSmithsonian's National Zoo3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W. WHO: Nancy Stahl, Save Vanishing Species stamp illustratorBrian...

Cuban crocodile breeding season started in December at the Reptile Discovery Center. This usually means we see some aggressive behaviors between our two males. Our males are separated in different enclosures and are never in the same space, but they can still see each other. They will signal their...

In a serendipitous turn of events, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and partners have discovered a malaria parasite, Plasmodium odocoilei, in up to 25 percent of white-tailed deer along the East Coast of the United States. The results, published Feb. 5 in Science Advances...

A 16-year-old male Przewalski's (shah-VAL-skee) horse named Frog died suddenly under anesthesia in preparation for a reproductive assessment at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). A final pathology report will provide more information in the coming weeks. The median life...

For the past 50 years, the number of wood thrush ( Hylocichla mustelina) that breed in the United States has decreased more than 60 percent.

On behalf of the entire Zoo, we'd like to thank the 7,498 people who traveled far and wide to meet Bei Bei last Saturday! The panda house is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now that Bei Bei is bigger and more active, he's not always inclined to sit still on the scale long enough to get an...

Extreme weather conditions, like those expected with this year's powerful El Niño have strong effects on a charismatic Amazonian bird species, the wire-tailed manakin (Pipra filicauda).

Examing bird-insect differences between individual species of trees on coffee farms.

WHAT: Public debut of giant panda cub Bei Bei at the National Zoo WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16 WHAT: Public debut of giant panda cub Bei Bei at the National Zoo WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Note: It is recommended that visitors interested in seeing Bei Bei arrive at the panda habitat by 3:30 p...

Representatives from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute helped lead a Giant Panda Laboratory Diagnostic International Exchange Training workshop with staff from the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in November. The workshop was the third and final...

After a two-year hiatus, red pandas have returned to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Visitors can see them at the Small Mammal House, where they will live until upgrades to the red panda exhibit on Asia Trail are completed. The upgrades are expected to be finished by spring. We hope that our...

Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and partners have published a paper that will help them save Panamanian frog species from extinction due to a deadly fungal disease called Chytridiomycosis (chytrid). The study, which was published Jan. 4 in Animal Conservation, draws on the expertise of...