Press Release Archive

Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) is seeking volunteers with an interest in animals and their conservation to assist with upcoming events, games, projects and keeper needs. Volunteers offer invaluable support to the Zoo—they work with staff, visitors, animals, plants, independently and in groups...

A 24-hour pregnancy watch of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) is slated to begin today at 4 p.m. A corps of more than 40 Friends of the National Zoo volunteers and animal care staff will closely monitor the panda for maternal behaviors through keeper...

Shade-grown, Bird Friendly coffee is now available in five museum locations at the Smithsonian.

As a disease known as amphibian chytrid fungus continues to wipe out amphibian species worldwide, frogs in Panama are finding a safe haven in a seemingly unlikely spot—between the metal walls of shipping containers once used to transport ice cream, strawberries, coffee beans, flowers and...

Two weeks and 7,050 votes after the Smithsonian’s National Zoo opened the online polls to the public to name its new giant Pacific octopus ( Enteroctopus dofleini), one choice has emerged as the clear victor: Octavius. “Octavius the Octopus” is more than just a pretty, alliterative name. The prefix...

Following a final ultrasound and hormone analysis, staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo confirmed late yesterday (Tuesday, April 27) that female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) is not pregnant but was experiencing a pseudo, or false, pregnancy during the past several months. National Zoo...

Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo detected a secondary rise in urinary progestagen levels in the Zoo’s female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) March 30. This hormone rise indicates that it should be 40 to 50 days before Mei Xiang either gives birth to a cub or comes to the end of a...

Does your child’s teddy bear need a checkup? Families with preschool and elementary school-age children can talk to veterinarians, scale rock-climbing walls, enjoy live entertainment, feast on kid-friendly treats and much more at the National Zoo’s 16th Annual Guppy Gala sponsored by...

Organized by Friends of the National Zoo, the Science Fair is part of the Zoo’s ongoing commitment to education. About 20 seventh-grade students from Jefferson Middle School and Capital City Public Charter School will exhibit their projects, which are based on the National Zoo’s research, animals...

One of the world’s most endangered species—a brown kiwi Apteryx mantelli—hatched at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Bird House, early Tuesday morning, March 30. Keepers have been carefully monitoring the egg’s progress since it was laid January 19. Keepers looked for signs of pipping: the process...

It is a natural explorer in the wild and seems to have an impressive memory. It has eight arms, no spine and its very own Web cam. That is how the National Zoo describes its new giant Pacific octopus ( Enteroctopus dofleini), which has been making a name for itself over the past few weeks. The only...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Friends of the National Zoo will continue a Washington tradition that spans more than 100 years by hosting “Easter Monday: An African American Family Tradition” April 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and will take place rain or shine. This year’s...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s rare male clouded leopards Ta Moon (“mischievous child”) and Sa Ming (“brave warrior”) are one year old today! Ta Moon and Sa Ming were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., March 24, 2009. The leopards were served “birthday...

The ensemble of animal noises at the National Zoo will hopefully include the tiny roar of lion cubs this spring. The Zoo is attempting to build a breeding lion pride for the first time in more than 20 years, both to simulate more natural conditions for the most social of the great cats and to help...

At a mere three pounds, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new giant Pacific octopus ( Enteroctopus dofleini) doesn’t appear to have earned its name. Yet not only will it grow to be more than 13 times its current size over the next year, it will also play a big role in teaching researchers and...

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...

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...

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...