There’s a new species at the Bird House! Animal keeper Stacy Hill gives us the rundown on the clapper rail.
Rehabbers work diligently to keep young animals as independent as possible, so they have
Put your senses to the test at the Claws and Paws Pathway! Follow your nose to the binturongs, who smell like buttered popcorn, and keep your eyes peeled for petite Pallas’s cats hiding in plain sight. Get the scoop on the Zoo’s newest residents from curator Craig Saffoe.
The pair have been together for years, but they have never reproduced.
There are two new (adorable) kids on the block at American Trail! The team welcomed California sea lion pup Charger and North American beaver Poplar to their new homes at Smithsonian’s National Zoo this past summer.
Sea lions are very social animals and tend to not have a defined hierarchy.
Banded leporinus are torpedo-shaped, striped yellow and black freshwater fish found primarily in the creeks and streams of the Amazon River basin in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela where they feed on plants, fruits and leaves.
Young banded leporinus may have fewer stripes, which will split as they grow.
Animal care teams keep a close eye on the Zoo’s residents every day of the year, but staff take special measures to keep animals safe on hot days.
All of the Zoo’s outdoor exhibits have cool indoor holding areas and hiding spaces
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.
ancient DNA, scientists can learn about genetic variation and how certain species have
Beginning today, June 30, the Smithsonian has approved an increase in the amount of visitors the Smithsonian’s National Zoo can admit daily, and an increase in our building capacities.
However, we know it is unlikely we will actually have that many people in the Zoo
With an aggressive attitude, an eager appetite for fish and the ability to “walk” on land, the northern snakehead fish is a powerful predator. Recently, Asia Trail keepers welcomed four snakeheads—one male and three females—into their care.
Snakehead fish have evolved to “walk” on land!
Why is giant panda Mei Xiang sleeping for longer periods, eating less and denning? After going into estrus this spring, months later, she’s experiencing a pseudopregnancy—even though she did not breed! Learn more from curator Michael Brown-Palsgrove.
Those of you who have followed our #PandaStory updates know that Mei Xiang and her
Love is in the air for the Zoo’s Sumatran tigers, Sparky and Damai! Their relationship, says keeper Dell Guglielmo, has been blossoming ever since the pair was introduced last September.
So far, they have shown interest in one another and behaved as we would expect.
