News Archive

Understanding how to save an animal species from dying out may depend, in part, on understanding the many unique processes that lead to birth. That is why researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are looking beyond the lab rat to learn about how other animals reproduce—and urging the rest of...

On February 22, Kigali—the National Zoo’s 15-year-old female western lowland gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla)—successfully underwent dental surgery for a fractured tooth. “Tooth cracks are somewhat common in animals and humans alike,” explains Dr. Suzan Murray, Chief Veterinarian and Head of the...

A clouded leopard at the Smithsonian's National Zoo’s campus in Front Royal, Va., gave birth to a genetically valuable litter of two cubs on Valentine’s Day—Sunday, Feb. 14. Staff had been on a pregnancy watch of the 3 1/2-year-old clouded leopard Jao Chu (JOW-chew) for four days. Jao Chu gave birth...

Love is in the air at the Small Mammal House at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo this Valentine’s Day weekend. Keepers helped set “the mood” for their animal friends, doling out hand-crafted valentines and heart-shaped treasures unlike anything from any greeting card company or chocolatier. These...

Tai Shan, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo's beloved 4 ½-year-old giant panda, has arrived safely to his new home at Wolong’s Bifengxia Base in Ya’an, Sichuan. The 184-pound panda arrived at 4:26 p.m. local time in Chengdu on Feb. 5, 2010. On Feb. 4, Tai Shan’s 15-hour non-stop flight departed Dulles...

Tai Shan (tie-SHON), one of the National Zoo’s giant pandas, officially began his journey to China early this morning, leaving the Zoo at 9:04 a.m. The 4 1/2-year-old panda is on his way to Dulles International Airport, where he will board a FedEx 777 plane bound for Chengdu. The non-stop flight...

Last November, the National Zoo accepted 40 endangered Virginia big-eared bats ( Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) to establish a security population and scientifically develop husbandry practices—a feat no one else has undertaken with this subspecies. In the months since, efforts to keep the...

A clouded leopard at the National Zoo's campus in Front Royal, Virginia, gave birth to a genetically valuable litter of two cubs on Valentine's Day—February 14. Staff had been on a pregnancy watch of three-and-a-half-year-old Jao Chu for four days. She gave birth to the first cub at 6:04 p.m. and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.... January 28, 2010—FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world's largest express transportation company, is donating its logistical services to transport two giant pandas from the United States to China on February 4, 2010. Working in conjunction with the...

Tai Shan (tie-SHON), the National Zoo’s giant panda, will depart for China on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 4. Details will be provided at this press briefing Thursday, Jan. 28, including how Tai Shan is being prepared for the journey, and the logistics for his transport. Under the National Zoo’s...

The Smithsonian has established a Conservation Biology Institute to serve as an umbrella for its global effort to conserve species and train future generations of conservationists. Headquartered in Front Royal, Virginia, the facility was previously known as the National Zoo’s Conservation and...

As the number of Asian and African elephants in the wild continues to dwindle, a key to bolstering their survival could be contained within their DNA, according to researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. The scientists successfully analyzed part of the complex gene family that helps determine...

The National Zoo lost its senior female lion, Lusaka, last evening. A final pathology report will provide more information, but her health had been in decline for several months. In early 2009, Lusaka developed a mass under the skin on her back. When the mass began to change shape, National Zoo...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda mating season began earlier than expected again this year. Female Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and male Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) attempted to mate Saturday, Jan. 9. It appears a new January ovulation pattern is emerging for Mei Xiang; excluding 2009, typical...

A story of creation is unfolding in the Amazonia exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and it involves a mammoth amount of attention and loving care by one of the Amazon’s smallest amphibians. For the first time in its history, the National Zoo has bred strawberry dart frogs ( Oophaga pumilio)...

Why hibernate this winter when you can take your family for a walk on the wild side? Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) proudly presents Wild Side Stage—a brand new educational performance series for children ages 2 to 10, sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Families are invited to sing with award...

Looking for the “wildest” way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank? Attend the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s second annual Woo at the Zoo on Friday, Feb. 12, from 6:00–10:00 p.m. This extraordinary evening, open to both singles and sweethearts, is a light-hearted exploration into...

The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation (PARC) Project announced today that some of the frogs collected in their inaugural expedition in November were already affected by amphibian chytrid fungus ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), the disease that has devastated nearly 100 frog species...

Dennis W. Kelly has been named director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., effective February 15, 2010. As director, Kelly will oversee the 163-acre facility in Rock Creek Park and the 3,200-acre Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia. Kelly, 56, has been the...

Sales of organic, shade-grown coffee grown to the Bird Friendly standards of the National Zoo’s Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center rose to nearly $3.5 million in 2008.

Tai Shan (tie-SHON), the first surviving giant panda cub born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, will be sent to the People’s Republic of China in early 2010, as stipulated in the agreement between the Zoo and the Chinese government. The exact date of his departure has not been determined due to the...

Tickets are now on sale for ZooLights, the National Zoo’s 3rd annual winter celebration, featuring sculptures of the Zoo’s animals in LED lights. ZooLights, powered by Pepco, will take place December 4-13 (Friday through Sunday nights) and December 18-January 2 (every night except Dec. 24, 25, and...

This winter, Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) will present Wild Side Stage, a new performance series for children. Families are invited for shows by acclaimed, award-winning musicians, dancers, storytellers and puppeteers from around the country.

Two adult arapaima fish have died in the Amazonia exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. The first fish died Thursday, November 19, and a second fish was found dead Friday, November 27. The tank is being closely monitored by Zoo staff as a third adult is in poor health and is currently being...

Most countries throughout the world participate in the $40-million-per-year culinary trade of frog legs in some way, with 75 percent of frog legs consumed in France, Belgium, and the United States. Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and colleagues have found that this trade is a potential...