Zoo News Archive
Feb. 05, 2021
Hop into caring for and discovering new things about Bennett's wallabies with real-life Zoo Guardian and animal keeper Esther Wray!
Feb. 05, 2021
Our chill giant panda cub had his first encounter with snow this week!
Feb. 05, 2021
She’s a sweet-natured, eager explorer with a taste for juicy wax worms. Meet Chiquita, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new tamandua!
Feb. 05, 2021
January was a month full of firsts for the Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda cub, Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with his first enrichment toys, sampled his first sweet potato, took his...
Feb. 05, 2021
On Feb. 2, our youngest zebra, Yipes, turned 7 months old. It is hard to believe that he is already a juvenile! Over the past few months, we have seen him become much more rambunctious and goofy like...
Feb. 04, 2021
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZP/SCBI) and the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), an independent nonprofit organization, announce the dissolution of their...
Feb. 03, 2021
A new study led by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and University of Alberta biologists has created a comprehensive picture of the 10,000 kilometer migratory route of common nighthawks using GPS...
Feb. 01, 2021
The lesser kudu family is growing up! Kushukuru turned 2 years old Jan. 12, and Toba turned 1 year old in October 2020. Find out what’s happening with the lesser kudu in this Q&A.
Feb. 01, 2021
As snow blanketed the Washington, D.C., region Jan. 31, 2021, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's animals woke up to a winter wonderland.
Jan. 29, 2021
Our little panda cub had a big week—from his livestream debut to his first taste of bamboo!
Jan. 22, 2021
Our sweet panda cub had his first taste of sweet potato. Spoiler alert: he gobbled it up.
Jan. 21, 2021
The cheetah cubs' adult teeth are coming in, and carnivore keepers are documenting each development. Echo's 9-month-old cubs are SCBI's first litter of cheetahs to participate in this type of...
Jan. 15, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s word of the week seems to be: play! Our 4.5-month-old cub’s interest in his surroundings really took off this week.
Jan. 12, 2021
Cuckoos are extremely secretive birds and difficult to spot. Researchers are developing a tool, using remote sound recorders and artificial intelligence, to help detect them.
Jan. 11, 2021
Spending more time out of the den presents giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji with more opportunities to explore—and play!
Jan. 08, 2021
Lions, tigers, cheetahs and bobcats – let’s play! Keepers Katy Juliano, Adri Kopp and Amber Dedrick know how to get the big cats they work with pouncing, roaring and purring for enrichment.
Jan. 08, 2021
The Reptile Discovery Center team is warming up to a new monitor lizard this winter. The young Komodo dragon, named Onyx, moved into his new habitat Dec. 10.
Jan. 08, 2021
Bird keeper Wesley Bailey shares an update on the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's success breding brown kiwi.
Jan. 08, 2021
As the calendar turns to 2021, it is human nature to reflect on the moments that sparked inspiration in an otherwise challenging year. Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji gave many who follow his milestones a...
Jan. 07, 2021
In the midst of the pandemic, as the story goes, a team set out to bring swift foxes back to a land they had disappeared from more than 50 years ago. Learn more in this update from landscape...
Jan. 01, 2021
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji continues to explore and take on new challenges—like climbing up rockwork in the indoor habitat he shares with mother Mei Xiang.
Dec. 31, 2020
Tracking an animal's weight is an important part of animal care, but gazelles are known to be flighty and nervous. So, how do keepers convince them to step onto a scale? Find out in this update from...
Dec. 28, 2020
From a litter of chirping cheetahs and the birth of a lovable giant panda cub to groundbreaking coral reef research and new strides in animal care, there were many milestones to celebrate this year.
Dec. 18, 2020
This week, we saw the sassy side of our almost 4-month-old giant panda cub, Xiao Qi JI, as he let out a loud and feisty bark!
Dec. 11, 2020
Cheetah Conservation Station keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Adara, a female dama gazelle who was humanely euthanized Dec. 7. She was 14 years old.