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.
Shoveler Ducklings For the first time since 1908, northern shoveler ducklings have
We’ve answered some of the most-searched questions about ostriches to get you better acquainted with these big, flightless birds.
Scientists have seen ostriches run continuously at speeds of 30-37 mph and sprint
A special delivery of cheetah milk recently arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s milk bank (the largest milk repository in the world). Find out what researchers hope to learn from this unique milk sample.
Izzy was also raised by keepers, and they have spent years training her to voluntarily
Meerkats are active carnivores that live in burrows in Africa. These social animals live in groups, called mobs, with as many as 30 individuals that keep watch and scare off predators or other meerkats.
Description A member of the mongoose family, meerkats (also known as suricates) have
Vostok is a new face at the Zoo’s Great Cats exhibit. Explore how animal care staff helped him adjust to his new home.
Image: Smithsonian/Charlie Shaw “You have to let them talk back to you with their
A recent paper by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists with the Center for Species Survival found that salamanders were larger in warmer parts of their range. The scientists also found that that body size increased significantly in places where the climate had become hotter and drier.
They have thrived in the cool, temperate climate of the Appalachian Mountains, making
What’s black, white and adorable all over? Our new Hartmann’s mountain zebra colt! Born July 2 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, he already is melting our ungulate team’s hearts with his playfulness and curiosity. Get to know him in this Q+A with SCBI animal keepers Morgan Vance and Tara Buk.
Even through the colt is primarily consuming milk at this time, we have started to
It’s time for an update on our sloth bear cub, Remi! Animal keepers Mindy Babitz and Stacey Tabellario tell us that since making her yard debut in May, Remi has been busy behind-the-scenes getting to know the other bears on Asia Trail.
the two of them can start to become more familiar with each other now that they have
The Reptile Discovery Center team is warming up to a new monitor lizard this winter. The young Komodo dragon, named Onyx, moved into his new habitat Dec. 10.
Komodo dragons have thick, leathery skin, strong claws, sharp teeth and a venomous
Check out the latest news and updates about cheetahs.
Plus, the cubs have some new neighbors, who are familiar faces to our cheetah fans
