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Zoo News Archive

Giant panda Bei Bei in the snow.
Feb. 20, 2019
VIDEO: Pandas in the Snow Feb. 20, 2019
Snow in Washington, D.C. today, Feb. 20, brought out the playful side of the giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. 
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Feb. 14, 2019
How to Woo at the Zoo
This Valentine’s Day (or any day!) celebrate with your beloved and 2,700 of your closest animal friends at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Giant panda Tian Tian plays in the snow.
Feb. 14, 2019
Come to the Giant Panda Housewarming Party
You’re invited to a housewarming celebration! The new visitor interpretive exhibit in the panda house is finished and we would love for everyone to come visit and see it.
Giant panda Tian Tian plays in the snow.
Feb. 14, 2019
Public Invited to Giant Panda Housewarming Celebration
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China will host a housewarming, sponsored by Airbnb, to celebrate the new exhibit for visitors inside the panda house. 
Two bison -- large mammals with thick fur coats, rounded sharp horns, big heads and large shoulder humps -- walk through tall grass at sunset
Feb. 13, 2019
Restoring America's Prairie
Smithsonian scientists are collaborating with the American Prairie Reserve in Montana to help understand, restore and preserve this wild landscape. Follow ecologists into the field as they attempt to...
Grasslands of the American Prairie Reserve in Montana under a bright blue sky with a few whispy clouds on a sunny day
Feb. 08, 2019
Welcome to the American Prairie Reserve
Conservation ecologist Andy Boyce lives on the American Prairie Reserve in Phillips County, Montana. It's rugged, it's wild and it's one of the only places left on Earth where scientists have the...
American bison graze on the American Prairie Reserve in Montana.
Feb. 08, 2019
Where the Bison Roam
Ecologist Bill McShea shares how the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s collaboration with American Prairie Reserve will help scientists better understand how changes to the grasslands...
Gorilla infant Moke plays with an enrichment chair and some browse at the Great Ape House.
Feb. 08, 2019
#GorillaStory: Moke Makes Moves
The holiday season and new year were an exciting time for the Zoo's 9-month-old western lowland gorilla, Moke! Read the latest keeper update.
Three versions of the Bird Friendly Coffee logo arranged from oldest on the left to newest on the right with arrows pointing from left to right
Feb. 06, 2019
New Look, Same Gold Standard
The Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification seal has evolved twice since the program began 20 years ago. The latest logo is a bold rectangle that features shady habitat, soaring songbirds and the...
Adult naked mole-rats and pups sleeping together in a pile.
Feb. 01, 2019
The Naked Mole-rat Pups Have Doubled in Size
We’re happy to welcome you back from our unscheduled break in naked mole-rat viewing! Life in our naked mole-rat colony has bustled on during the past three-and-a-half weeks. 
Matt Evans holding a turtle at a facility in Myanmar.
Feb. 01, 2019
Rescuing Reptiles in Myanmar
In Myanmar, reptiles are rapidly disappearing. The good news: all hope is not lost for critically endangered turtles. Rescue facilities across the country, supported by the Turtle Survival Alliance,...
Sloth bear Remi explores her habitat on Asia Trail.
Feb. 01, 2019
Training Update: Sloth Bear Ultrasound
Is she or isn’t she? Excitement is in the air at Asia Trail, where the Zoo’s 5-year-old female sloth bear, Remi, may be expecting a cub! To monitor her for potential cub development, keepers are...
Prehensile-tailed porcupine Quillbur at the Small Mammal House.
Feb. 01, 2019
New at the Zoo: Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, Quillbur
Don’t let his prickly appearance deter you – Quillbur is a very friendly porcupine! Get to know our new prehensile-tailed porcupine in this Q&A with Small Mammal House keepers.
Western lowland gorilla infant Moke at 9 months old.
Feb. 01, 2019
#GorillaStory: Moke on the Mend
The Zoo's rambunctious 9-month-old gorilla has a fractured femur. Moke is resting and recovering with his parents, Calaya and Baraka, under the close watch of the animal care team.
A hoofed animal, called a Grevy's zebra, with black and white stripes, slender legs, large ears, a thick mane and a long tail stands on grass-covered rocks in the sun
Jan. 31, 2019
7 Facts to Celebrate International Zebra Day!
Celebrate International Zebra Day by learning all about the largest of these striped equids: the Grevy’s zebra!
Giant panda sitting in the snow
Jan. 30, 2019
Catching Up With the Pandas
The shutdown didn’t shutdown giant panda playtime! During the past three-and-a-half weeks Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Bei Bei have carried on with their daily routines.
A kiwi chick standing on a small white towel
Jan. 29, 2019
Top Animal News Updates
During the government shutdown, from Jan. 2 to Jan. 28, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s animal care team, almost all federal workers, reported to work and provided...
A kiwi chick standing on a small white towel
Jan. 29, 2019
Top Animal News Updates
During the federal government shutdown from, Jan. 2 to Jan. 28, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s animal care team, almost all federal workers, reported to work and...
children looking at an exhibit using binoculars
Jan. 29, 2019
Important Registration Information for Spring and Summer Camps
It's important to be prepared for spring and summer camp registration at the Zoo! Here are a few things to keep in mind as you get ready to register.
a giant panda eats bamboo
Jan. 01, 2019
Government Shutdown FAQs
Find out what happens at the Smithsonian's National Zoo during a government shutdown.
A scimitar-horned oryx calf rests in the grass under its mother
Dec. 28, 2018
2018 Conservation Wins, Part Two
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is dedicated to saving species. Every year, its team of conservationists here and around the globe works hard to make that mission a...
Two bison -- large mammals with thick fur coats, rounded sharp horns, big heads and large shoulder humps -- walk through tall grass at sunset
Dec. 27, 2018
2018 Conservation Wins, Part One
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is dedicated to saving species. Every year, its team of conservationists here and around the globe works hard to make that mission a...
A young dama gazelle with short horns, long ears that stick out and a slender body
Dec. 27, 2018
Dama Gazelle Dies at Smithsonian's National Zoo
Smithsonian’s National Zoo staff humanely euthanized Asha, a 1-year-old Dama gazelle, Dec. 22 after she suffered a neck injury by running into a fence in an off-exhibit area.
A wild giant panda at Guanyinshan Nature Reserve in China
Dec. 21, 2018
Giant Panda Activity Discovered in Bamboo Restoration Plots
If you plant it, they will come. A collaborative research team including scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Guanyinshan Nature Reserve and Tsinghua University has...
An intern with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center poses for a photo next to the sign for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Science Building
Dec. 21, 2018
A Semester at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center: An Intern’s Experience
What connection do birds have to global health? That’s the question I asked myself after being assigned to an internship with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
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