News

On Oct. 7, the Small Mammal House team celebrated the arrival of golden-headed lion tamarin twins! They are the first of their endangered species born at the Zoo in 16 years. Get to know the mischievous and curious babies from keepers Mimi Nowlin and Maria Montgomery.

The Smithsonian is preparing for unprecedented staff shortages in the coming weeks due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. To accommodate these shortages, the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., and the National Zoo will operate on a modified schedule from Wednesday, Jan. 5, through Monday, Jan. 17...

Rosalie's cubs got their 9-week-old checkup and received a clean bill of health!

On Dec. 17, Xiao Qi Ji took his first “panda paddle” in the pool! Get the latest #PandaStory update from assistant curator Laurie Thompson.

As the Arctic and the oceans warm due to climate change, understanding how a rapidly changing environment may affect birds making annual journeys between the Arctic and the high seas is vital to international conservation efforts.

We rounded up the animal antics and species conservation stories that made us laugh, smile and cheer in 2021. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments caught on video.

From smart shrews to clever coatis, every animal in Small Mammal House receives enrichment. Learn how the animal care team puts together puzzle feeders, sprinkles spices and comes up with creative elements that ensure animals keep physically active and mentally sharp.

Listen up! Rosalie's now 7-week-old cubs are feisty, playful and healthy. Keepers even captured a video of one cub up-close to the fence, chirping. Read on to learn to speak cheetah and get the latest scoop on these cubs!

Meet our nearly 16-year-old male and female swamp sparrows, who keepers liken to an old married couple. They squabble and jockey for food. They take frequent naps. And, as with people, they have started to “gray” in their older years.

Have you herd . . . our Persian onager filly and scimitar-horned oryx calves are exploring their surroundings! Get the latest update on their adventures from Tara Buk, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute animal keeper.

Get to know our red pandas’ personalities and insider tips on the best times to spot them from Asia Trail keeper Mariel Lally.

Dr. James Hassell, wildlife veterinarian, epidemiologist and Keller Family Skorton Scholar for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Global Health Program was selected as the runner up on Nov. 30 for the 2021 Nature Research Award for Driving Global Impact.

Winter came a little early for giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji. Our Department of Nutrition Science team provided all three pandas with a pallet of ice to play in!

Nov. 29 is World Anteater Day. Celebrate by getting to know one of the remarkable members of the anteater family: the tamandua!

It’s been another busy week for Rosalie and her five cubs, from their first taste of meat to their first veterinary exam.

The cheetah cubs are back on the Cheetah Cub Cam! Check out this adorable video and tune into the Cheetah Cub Cam in the evenings for a chance to catch the cubs live.

Each spring, the Northern Great Plains erupts with life as migratory birds return to build nests and raise their young. Smithsonian researchers are studying these grassland birds that nets in areas inhabited by prairie dogs.

Cheetah mom Rosalie and her five cubs continue to do well and live between the den without a webcam and the tall grasses in their yard.

In these excerpts from his field journal, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center intern Haley Haradon transports you to Michigan’s young jack pine forests as he searches for Kirtland’s warbler nests.

Brandie Smith has been named the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, effective Nov. 9. Smith previously served as acting director of the Zoo beginning May 2021.

On Nov. 3, Small Mammal House keepers said goodbye to our last Geoffroy’s marmoset, Lilo. At 12 years old, she was considered geriatric for her species; typically, Geoffroy’s marmosets in human care live about 7 years.

On Saturday, Nov. 6, cheetah mom Rosalie moved her cubs out of the webcam dens and back to the tall grasses in her yard, creating her own natural den. Read on for the full account of the cubs' weekend adventures!

For decades, scientists have wondered whether the key to saving frogs from the deadly chytrid fungus lies in their skin. Could they genetically modify bacteria found in the frogs’ mucus layer and boost its antifungal properties, in effect creating a “living pharmacy” on the frogs?

They’re goofy, sweet and superstars at training — meet Ronnie and Bradley, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s siamangs! These apes may be small in stature, but their endearing personalities (and booming calls) make their presence felt far beyond Gibbon Ridge.

Meet the loggerhead shrike—a beautiful songbird with a gruesome reputation for impaling its prey on thorns and barbs. More frightening than the “butcher bird’s” hunting habit is the reality that their populations are in steep decline. Since 2005, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI)...