Sunny days are here again! Warmer weather spells adventure for Xiao Qi Ji, and our 6-month-old giant panda cub had a blast exploring the great outdoors this week.
Laurie Thompson Laurie Thompson A string of sunny days has graced the Washington
Bao Bao, her keeper Marty Dearie and Dr. Katharine Hope landed at China’s Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport around 6:59 p.m. CST after a 16-hour direct flight aboard the “FedEx Panda Express,” a custom-decaled 777F aircraft.
Back in Washington, D.C. at the Zoo, the panda team is looking to the future.
Brian Gratwicke is a conservation biologist and leads the amphibian conservation programs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Brian’s focus is building capacity to conserve amphibians in Appalachia and Panama, developing outreach and educational programs and exhibits to build public support for amphibian conservation, and research to develop tools to reintroduce amphibians back into the wild. At SCBI, Brian collaborates with Panamanian conservation biologists and zoo partners to build an ex situ amphibian facility in Panama.
After completing his doctorate, Gratwicke moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked
On Feb. 2, our youngest zebra, Yipes, turned 7 months old. It is hard to believe that he is already a juvenile! Over the past few months, we have seen him become much more rambunctious and goofy like his father, Rogan.
Tara Buk Tara Buk Our friends at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington,
Brandt Ryder is a research scientist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center, which studies avian demography and behavior with an overarching focus on the grand phenomenon of migration. At the individual level, Ryder’s research interests are focused on the mechanistic basis of adaptive behavioral variation. At the population level, he studies the causes of avian population declines.
Ryder lives in northwest Washington, D.C., with his wife, daughter and three German
Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s word of the week seems to be: play! Our 4.5-month-old cub’s interest in his surroundings really took off this week.
Ji showed his hometown pride, playing with a giant hockey puck to kick off the Washington
Hop into caring for and discovering new things about Bennett’s wallabies with animal keeper Esther Wray!
Image: The main difference in climate between Washington, D.C. and Tasmania, Australia
Painting with alpacas, training miniature donkeys and hosting hands-on animal encounters. It’s all in a day’s work for animal keepers Nikki Maticic and John Taylor! Follow their story for a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a Kids’ Farm keeper.
Many people who visit the Zoo from Washington, D.C. and other metropolitan areas
The enrichment program provides physically and mentally stimulating toys, activities and environments for all the Zoo’s animals.
the Zoo during the summer, then you know it can get hot, muggy and buggy here in Washington
During your next visit to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, look up—there may be a bear in the treetops! Beorn, a 1-year-old Andean bear, joined our Zoo family this summer.
Beorn came to Washington, D.C. from the Queens Zoo in New York.
