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.
mother Shera and father Luke, the 14-week-old cubs passed their swim test in May and have
September 26 marks 40 years since black-footed ferrets were re-discovered in the wild, kick-starting today’s breeding and reintroduction program. Find out what it takes to care for Zoo Guardians‘ September Animal of the Month and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s black-footed ferrets from animal keeper Vicki Lake!
I have black-footed ferret socks, shirts and ornaments.
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.
Do they have any nasal discharge?
She’s spunky, engaging and loves eating bugs. Get to know this 10-year-old female sloth bear, the newest resident of the Zoo’s Asia Trail.
And as you might have already guessed, this 10-year-old female sloth bear is the
Big bright eyes, bounding leaps and vivacious vocalizations—there’s no denying that lemurs are downright adorable! Every October, we celebrate World Lemur Day to raise awareness of these endangered primates from Madagascar. Meet our animal ambassadors—and learn how you can help their wild cousins—in this update from our Primate and Small Mammal House keepers.
Unlike the ring-tailed lemurs, however, they do not have a hierarchical structure
Happy salamander Saturday! This annual holiday honoring these amazing amphibians takes place on the first Saturday in May. To celebrate, we’re counting down animal keeper Matt Neff’s top six favorite salamander facts! Stop by the Reptile Discovery Center’s Jewels of Appalachia exhibit to see these awesome amphibians up close.
Salamanders have super-sensitive skin—and many breathe through it.
It was a busy week for Rosalie and her five cubs, as they moved back inside an artificial den and are back on the Cheetah Cub Cam. Animal care staff were finally able weigh each cub!
It has been a busy week for Rosalie and her cubs, as they have moved back inside
Koi fish are colorful, ornamental versions of the common carp. Modern Japanese koi are believed to date back to early 19th-century Japan where wild, colorful carp were caught, kept and bred by rice farmers. The word “koi” comes from the Japanese word for “carp.”
Though carp domestication is believed to have begun in China as far back as the 4th
Eight-week-old Allen’s swamp monkey Zawadi is on the move. Over the past few weeks, biologist Becky Malinsky has watched the baby—whose name means „gift“ in Swahili—become more independent.
At the Zoo, the monkeys don’t have to worry about predators, but we put water in
They’re sweet, outgoing and always in the mood for food. Meet Scarlet, Xena and Taizong, the new red pandas at our Front Royal, Virginia, campus!
They also have something in common with squid!
