There’s no better way to celebrate World Gorilla Day than with our adorable animal ambassador, Zahra! Keeper Lynne McMahan shares some of her favorite moments in this Q+A.
Even when we try to hand her bits of food, Calaya swoops in and takes it first.
Happy national panda day! Here at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Asia Trail exhibit, we are celebrating with giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, as well as our red panda pair, Asa and Jackie.
When we give Jackie the hand signal to “stand up,” we examine his belly for any lumps
Get up close to the animals of the Amazon, including turtles, sting rays, arapaima and roseate spoonbills. Or, see cutting-edge Zoo science at Amphibian Alert and the Coral Lab.
The Seal Rock Café (open seasonally) offers hand-dipped ice cream and other sweet
One of the exciting challenges Bird House keepers have had to tackle during construction is how to help our birds feel “at home” even though they are living in temporary housing. The solution: bring the outdoors indoors!
Our Stanley crane, Alice, was hand-raised by keepers and has a fondness for people
Always free of charge, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of Washington D.C.’s, and the Smithsonian’s, most popular tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors from all over the world each year. The Zoo instills a lifelong commitment to conservation through engaging experiences with animals and the people working to save them.
Neiffer’s hand and relaxed. #PandaStory …
Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest of all 13 otter species and are native to Asia. Well adapted to life in the water, these social, intelligent animals spend a majority of their time on land.
To get at the meat, they either crush the shell by hand or let heat from the sun
Golden lion tamarins are small, social primates with reddish-gold coats and long, backswept manes. They live in the Atlantic coastal regions of southeastern Brazil, where their populations once dwindled to just 200 individuals. Thanks to intensive conservation efforts, this endangered species is recovering.
breeding biology, protocols for captive husbandry and management, medical programs, hand-rearing
They’re spunky, opinionated and enjoy splashing in a cool pool on a hot summer day. Who are these playful pachyderms? Our Asian elephants, Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh! Get to know their personalities and quirks from Elephant Trails keepers Rebecca Riley and Ashley Fortner.
Trong Nhi, on the other hand, will hang back.
The beaver is one of North America’s greatest ecosystem engineers and conservation success stories, and we are thrilled to welcome a second beaver to the American Trail!
too young to survive in the wild without her mother, so the decision was made to hand
Romping through grassy pathways, taking a taste of meat and exploring exciting new places to play made June a jolly good month for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah family.
Scotty, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic to meet her!
