News

The panda team offered Mei Xiang liquids and food this morning and evening. She was not interested in eating or drinking and remains very focused on her cub. She is an excellent mother. We get better visuals on the cub every day. It continues to look good, and today we got several good looks at its...

By Matt Neff, Animal Keeper at the Zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center When I started working at the Reptile Discovery Center late last year, I was lucky when I was asked if I’d be interested in helping with the Salamander Ambassador project. It rekindled the love for salamanders I’ve had since I was a...

This morning, the panda team offered Mei Xiang apple water, a bamboo smoothie, some bamboo, sugar cane and a pear. She was not interested in eating or drinking anything. Keepers are not worried about her lack of appetite: When she had Tai Shan, she did not eat anything until he was 16 days old, and...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is mourning the death of its 23-year-old Przewalski's horse, a male named Rolles, who was humanely euthanized this morning. A final pathology report will provide more information. In July, keepers observed that Rolles had some nasal discharge. Zoo veterinarians...

Keepers went into Mei Xiang's den again this morning to offer her some food and drink. She drank some water sweetened with a little apple juice, which she has done for the past several days. Food still doesn't appeal to her much, which is normal for a bear that recently gave birth. She didn't touch...

In the early morning hours, giant panda Mei Xiang gently placed her cub on the floor of her den. Vigilant panda cam observers were watching at 3:37 a.m. We're delighted to share the video with you on the Zoo's YouTube page! You'll see the tiny cub has a round belly which indicates to the panda team...

In the early morning hours, Mei Xiang gently placed her cub on the floor of her den. Vigilant panda cam observers were watching at 3:37 a.m., and we're delighted to share the video! You'll see the tiny cub has a round belly which indicates to the panda team that it is nursing well. Also, the cub has...

Scientists have studied bird migration for centuries, but it remains one of nature's great mysteries.

This morning keepers entered Mei Xiang's den to offer her food and water. They came with some of her favorite treats—diluted apple juice, a sweet potato and a pear. She licked the sweet potato but didn't show much interest in it or the pear. Although Mei wasn't very hungry, she was thirsty and she...

This morning, the panda team attempted to get the cub for a second veterinary exam. Mei Xiang was more alert and more aware of the keepers' presence today, especially compared with Sunday when she seemed focused on the cub to the exclusion of everything else around her. As opposed to Sunday, today...

This morning, the panda team attempted to get the cub for a second veterinary exam. Mei Xiang was more alert and more aware of the keepers presence today, especially compared with Sunday when she seemed focused on the cub to the exclusion of everything else around her.

As kids around the area geared up for the first day of school today, the three-week-old Sumatran tiger cubs at the Smithsonian's National Zoo received their first veterinary exam—and they passed with roaring colors. Veterinarians determined that the two cubs are a male and a female. The male cub...

Our tiger cubs are 3 weeks old, and this morning they got their first veterinary exam—and passed with roaring colors. Veterinarians determined that the 2 cubs are a male and a female. The male cub weighs a little more than 8 pounds and the female weighs 7.5 pounds. During the exam the cubs received...

This morning, the panda team at the Smithsonian's National Zoo performed the first neonatal exam (8:56 a.m.) on the giant panda cub born Friday, Aug. 23. The cub is robust, fully formed and is a bright, healthy shade of pink. It is too early to determine the sex of the cub. It weighs 137 grams...

How is this work different from work done in domestic horses? The domestic horse has been studied systematically for decades leading to routine use of assisted reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination, sperm cryopreservation, and embryo transfers. Despite these advances, little...

This morning, the panda team was able to give the cub its first neonatal exam. The cub is robust, fully formed, and is a bright, healthy shade of pink. It weighs 137 grams, which is about 4.8 ounces. Its heart rate is steady, and vets were able to hear breathing sounds from both lungs. It's belly...

Look at these pictures of the cubs the keepers got this week. The keepers can already tell which markings they'll use to tell the cubs apart.Can you find one or two distinctive markings to distinguish one from the other?

At 7:29 p.m. this evening, Mei Xiang gave birth to a second, stillborn cub. Keepers watching Mei on the panda cam saw her groom it for 17 minutes. When she stopped grooming, it fell from Mei's body onto the floor of the den. It lay motionless and made no sound. Throughout, staff could see the first...

Giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) gave birth to a cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo 5:32 p.m. The panda team heard the cub vocalize and glimpsed the cub for the first time briefly immediately after the birth. Mei Xiang picked the cub up immediately and began cradling and caring for it. Behavior...

Giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo 5:32 p.m. The panda team heard the cub vocalize and glimpsed the cub for the first time briefly immediately after the birth. Mei Xiang picked the cub up immediately and began cradling and caring for it. Behavior watchers...

Anne's filly is doing wonderfully. She cut her first tooth last week! A second Przewalski's horse foal was born on August 15 to a mare named Solongo (which means "rainbow" in Mongolian). The foal is a little colt born not from artificial insemination but from natural breeding. A Stallion named Frog...

Our elephant herd is growing again—this time with three female elephants from Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada! Next spring, Kamala, Swarna, and Maharani, will arrive here on loan from the Calgary Zoo, expanding our existing herd to seven. Kamala and Swarna were born in the wild around 1975 and came...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo will welcome three female Asian elephants –Kamala, Swarna and Maharani– next spring, expanding the Zoo's existing herd to seven. They will be on loan from the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which announced in April 2012 that it would relocate its elephants...

Calgary, AB – After an extensive international search and in-depth review of available accredited facilities, Calgary Zoo officials today announced that plans have been finalized for its three female elephants — Kamala, Swarna and Maharani — to make their new home together at the Smithsonian's...

When they hear the word "horse" most people have a distinct mental image of the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus) we loved as children—who didn’t want a pony as a kid? The domestic horse has become a multi-million dollar industry to some and serves as companion animals to others. We have a vast...