News Archive

The afternoon of Oct. 28, giant panda mother Mei Xiang went outside to eat, per her new routine. The giant panda team took the opportunity to briefly weigh and measure our cub.

Swing along with primate keeper Emily Bricker as she shares her stories about caring for orangutans.

If you’ve caught a glimpse of our cub on the Giant Panda Cam lately, you may have noticed that he likes to sleep on his back. It’s very cute to watch! 

On Peru’s pacific coastline, where desert meets sea, lives one of the least studied and most at-risk birds: the Peruvian tern. This bird's desert camouflage makes it almost impossible to track, but that’s exactly what our team set out to do.

En la costa del Pacífico peruano, donde el desierto se encuentra con el mar, vive una de las aves menos estudiadas y en mayor riesgo: el gaviotín peruano (Sternula lorata), también conocido como el gaviotín chico.

Oct. 24 is International Gibbon Day, so take a few minutes to learn all about these acrobatic apes.

It’s official—our giant panda cub is as round as he is long, received his first vaccine and is 100% adorable. 

Although our giant panda cub is still perfecting his crawling skills, mother Mei Xiang is helping her son see the world beyond their den. Over the weekend, the pair took a brief “field trip” into their large enclosure, where the cub got a glimpse of their indoor habitat. 

Tomorrow, our giant panda cub will be eight weeks old! Mei Xiang has always been a devoted mother to her cubs, and this little guy is no exception. 

This update was written by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute cheetah biologist Adrienne Crosier and animal keeper intern Shannon Richard.

American Trail keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Coby, a female gray wolf who was humanely euthanized Sept. 30. At 16 years old, Coby was considered geriatric for her species. 

Small Mammal House keepers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Thor, an elderly male sand cat who was humanely euthanized Sept. 29 due to a recent and irreversible decline in health. He was 14 years old. 

Our 6-week-old giant panda cub is packing on the pounds! Get the scoop on his weekly weigh-in from assistant curator Laurie Thompson. 

We hope that you have enjoyed watching black-footed ferret Potpie and her kits on the Black-footed Ferret Cam! Join us in celebrating the next chapter in their lives, contributing to their species’ survival.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 6-week-old giant panda cub is a male, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists confirmed. During the cub’s first veterinary exam Sept. 19, Zoo veterinarians obtained a swab from his cheek for DNA analysis to determine the cub’s sex.

An update from Associate Director of Communications and Exhibits Pamela Baker-Masson regarding fall 2020 happenings at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Giant panda keeper Marty Dearie shares that the Zoo's 6-week-old cub is starting to open its eyes. Check out the latest #PandaStory update! 

Nature is often awe-inspiring, but the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 1-month-old giant panda cub is also ‘aww’-inspiring. Hear the stories behind September's precious moments from the Panda Team. 

Our playful 3-month-old Hartmann's mountain zebra colt is a bundle of energy! Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute ungulate keeper Tara Buk shares how the colt spent his summer in her latest update on our growing herd. 

Animal keeper Kyle Miller leaps into his experience caring for Cuban crocodiles!

Check out a video of last week's giant panda cub exam! 

When Mei Xiang left her den to grab a bite to eat this morning, the Panda Team had another opportunity to conduct a brief exam on our 1-month-old giant panda cub. 

Sept. 24 is World Gorilla Day, and we are celebrating with an update on our 2-year-old, Moke, and his troop! 

After an absence of more than 50 years, the swift fox has returned to the grasslands of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana.

Animal keeper Mariel Lally shares the fluffy scoop on caring for red pandas!