News Archive

Our panda cub is 4 weeks old today — and what a difference a few weeks makes! Keepers say that it looks like she has eye markings shaped like Mei Xiang's and her back saddle is shaped like Tian Tian's. And she is growing exponentially. One of the keepers at her veterinary exam on Monday exclaimed...

The giant panda cub born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Aug. 23 received her first veterinary exam late yesterday Sept. 16 and was given a clean bill of health. Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), who has spent much of the past three and-a-half weeks cradling the cub, put her down and left her den at 4:11 p.m...

As we mentioned last week Draco, one of our cheetahs, hasn't been eating and has been losing weight. As he isn't improving, the animal care team gave him a complete examination yesterday.

During his examination, the team found that Draco was very thin, which reflects what animal care had observed. He...

Damai brings the cubs up to see Kavi most mornings now. Traveling around the building is a great way to develop their strength and coordination. We are even starting to see the cubs playing together. They are not very good at pouncing on each other yet, but it's a lot of fun to watch them try! They...

Regular Zoo visitors are probably familiar with the sight of our three cheetah brothers: Zabini, Granger, and Draco. One of the brothers, Draco, has never had a robust appetite. It's typical for cheetahs to lose weight in the spring and summer and to gain it again in the fall and winter. While he...

Mei Xiang and her cub are still doing well! Keepers and veterinarians expect that Mei will begin leaving her den for longer periods of time soon. When she does leave the den for longer periods of time keepers and veterinarians hope to be able to perform another health check on the cub. In the...

Hellbenders, aquatic salamanders from the eastern United States, are surprisingly good at dealing with unpredictable weather. In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute found that hellbenders can experience...

The Smithsonian's National Zoological Park has been awarded a five-year accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The accreditation certifies that the National Zoo has met or exceeded the AZA's standards for animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety.

In the...

The tiger cubs continue to thrive and are steadily gaining weight. Their coordination is improving as well, and they are exploring all five of the rooms that are available to them. The little girl came out into the runway yesterday afternoon and saw her mother Damai engage in a training session with...

Scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics confirmed that the giant panda cub born Aug. 23 at the National Zoo is female. A paternity analysis showed that the Zoo's panda Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN) is the cub's father. Scientists...

The tiger cubs are one month old today. And Damai has moved them back into a den on the tiger cam!

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WHAT: The Smithsonian's National Zoo will announce the sex and paternity of the

giant panda cub born at the National Zoo Aug. 23, and the second stillborn cub.

WHO:Pierre Comizzoli, reproductive biologist

Jesus Maldonado, research scientist

Brandie Smith, senior curator of mammals and giant...

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When I started working at the Reptile Discovery Center late last year, I was lucky when I was asked if I’d be interested in helping with the Salamander Ambassador project. It rekindled the love for salamanders I’ve had since I was a...