News Archive

Brandie Smith has been named associate director of Animal Care Sciences at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., effective immediately. Since 2008, Smith has served as a senior curator of mammals and the curator of giant pandas at the National Zoo. In her new role, Smith will lead the...

WHAT:Two male Andean bear cubs will receive their names and make their media debut; the public debut is Saturday, March 28 WHEN: Thursday, March 26 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m.: Media arrival and set-up WHERE:Andean Bear exhibit (bottom of the Zoo between Amazonia and American Trail) 3001...

This update was written by keeper Nicole MacCorkle. Hopefully Friday morning was the last hurrah for winter 2014-2015. While our pandas enjoy the snowy weather and all the tobogganing opportunities that it can bring, it also makes things more challenging logistically. While long-time National Zoo...

A new study published this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society by scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) found unique communities of skin bacteria on Panamanian golden frogs that survived chytridiomycosis (ki-TRID-io-MY-co-sis) infections. Chytridiomycosis is an...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo, in collaboration with Univision's ¡Despierta America!, is inviting the public to name two rambunctious and charismatic 18-week-old male Andean bear cubs. Starting today, March 16, fans can vote on the Zoo's website for their favorite among names reflecting the...

El Zoológico Nacional del Smithsonian, en colaboración con ¡Despierta América! de Univision, invita al público a elegir los nombres para dos revoltosos y carismáticos oseznos andinos machos de 18 semanas de edad. Desde hoy, 16 de marzo, las personas pueden votar en el sitio web del zoológico por sus...

Meet Cayenne, a southern tamandua now on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Keepers describe the 1-year-old female as active and curious. She arrived at the National Zoo from the Denver Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Southern Tamandua Species...

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) scientists working as part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project hatched the first Andinobates geminisae froglet born in human care. The tiny dart frog species only grows to 14...

This update was written by panda keeper Nicole MacCorkle. It has been nearly a week since Mei Xiang and Bao Bao were separated, and we are happy to report that they are both doing well. With any major change in life, there is an adjustment period, but each of our female pandas are settling in and...

This past weekend brought lots of news for giant pandas around the world, and our three bears at the National Zoo. China's State Forestry Administration released the results of the latest giant panda survey, which found 1,864 bears living in the wild. That's an increase of 16.8 percent since 2003...

China's State Forestry Administration released giant panda census data earlier today. It's good news for pandas. As the only species of bear listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and an icon for species conservation, it's vital for scientists to keep monitoring the wild population of giant...

It's hard to believe, but Bao Bao is almost 18 months old! Eighteen months is a big milestone for giant panda cubs because they stop nursing and start living separately from their mothers. Bao Bao started the weaning process naturally a few months ago, and now she's eating significantly more bamboo...

January 24 and March 2 mark our African lion cubs first birthdays! Animal keepers Kristen Clark and Rebecca Stites reveal what's new with the cubs in the latest Q&A! How have the cubs' personalities developed? Rebecca: The personality of each begins to show itself at just a few weeks old, and these...

Giant anteater Maripi gave birth to a female pup the night of January 24. Keepers monitored both Maripi and her pup via a closed circuit camera. Within 48 hours keepers became concerned that the pup was not thriving. Per Zoo protocol, keepers and veterinarians safely assessed the pup and concluded...

The Kori bustard is bird native to the eastern and southern grasslands of Africa. This species weighs in at 40 pounds, making them the world's heaviest flying bird. Unfortunately, it is also considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. From 1997 to 2008, the...

Seven months ago today, three male red pandas—Clinger, Slash, and Shredder—were born to mother Shama and father Rusty at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. When Shama died a short time later from encephalitis, keepers stepped in and hand-raised her young. At the time, the cubs were just...

The forests of central Africa—the Congo River basin and along the Gulf of Guinea—are some of the most important, and largest, wild ecosystems in the world. They are home to stunning numbers of diverse species and habitats. And while they have been subjected to deforestation and degradation, but some...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's attendance varies greatly throughout the year varying from a few hundred visitors per day in January to more than 25,000 visitors per day in April. To safely and securely handle the crowds, the Zoo coordinates with several security entities including Smithsonian...

Next week, we will be transferring Carmelita from the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Cheetah Science Facility to incorporate her into the C2S2 Cheetah Sustainability Program. A member of the Breeding Centers Coalition, SCBI has become a leader in the challenging...

This week, we will be transferring female cheetah Carmelita from the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Conservation... Posted by Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Saturday, January 17, 2015

Congratulations to our very own FONZ volunteer Ann Bissell, named "Washingtonian of the Year" for 2014 by Washingtonian...Posted by Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Thursday, January 15, 2015

Last December, Smithsonian Channel's Wild Inside series introduced 6-month-old red panda cubs Henry and Tink to the world. Born in summer 2014, the cubs were in critical condition and required round-the-clock care. Thanks to animal care staff, including keepers Jessica Kordell and Ken Lang, the cubs...

As the year's first blanket of snow coated the Washington, D.C. area today, giant panda Bao Bao spent much of the morning playing in it for the very first time. The sixteen month-old panda cub tumbled down the hill in her outdoor enclosure, climbed trees and pounced on her mother Mei Xiang. Our...

Today was Bao Bao's first time playing in the snow outside! And she was quite the little snow panda. She spent her morning tumbling down the hill in her yard, climbing and sliding down trees and pouncing on her mom Mei Xiang! Bao Bao also did the panda version of snow tubing, which we caught on...