News Archive

Several inches of snowfall kept the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute closed to visitors, but the animals and their caretakers still had a good time!

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!

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.

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

From salamanders to siamangs, prairie dogs to pandas, and everything in between, all Zoo animals receive veterinary care. Often, that means an animal needs to take medicine. Find out how keepers and veterinarians administer medicine in this update.

Animal keeper Mariel Lally shares the fluffy scoop on caring for red pandas!

Whether you know them as red pandas, red bear-cats, firefoxes, first pandas, lesser pandas or simply “the other pandas,” get to know these ferociously furry animals.

It's bamboo shoot season, and the Zoo's giant pandas and red pandas are indulging in their favorite food!

From flamingo courtships to weekly weigh-ins for the African lions, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is buzzing with beastly activity behind the scenes!

Happy national panda day! Here at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Asia Trail exhibit, we are celebrating with giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, as well as our red panda pair, Asa and Jackie.

Add a little sunshine to a gray winter day with a trip to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. There’s still plenty to see from December through March. This guide will help you plan for a cold-weather visit.

Moonlight, a 4-year-old red panda, gave birth to a cub overnight June 12 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. Moonlight and the cub appear to be doing well and keepers are cautiously optimistic that the cub will continue to grow.

Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) are mourning the loss of Henry, a 4-year-old male red panda, who died overnight Dec. 5.

Did you know that red pandas have a unique way of picking up scents left by other red pandas? Get the scoop from Asia Trail keeper Mariel Lally.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, two animals that are red and white and beloved by everyone made their debut on Asia Trail! Meet Nutmeg and her son, Jackie, who came to the Zoo from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in December. In this Q&A, get the scoop on the Zoo’s new red panda...

We are sad to share that one of red panda Nutmeg’s cubs born June 14 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, was euthanized Oct. 4. Keepers rushed her to the veterinary hospital after they noticed that she was minimally responsive and had lost weight since her...

Two litters of red panda cubs were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute last month within days of each other.

Training sloth bears, making an otter puzzle feeder and researching red pandas by studying their poop. It’s all in a day’s work for animal keeper Tallie Wiles! Follow her story for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a day in the life of an Asia Trail keeper. Asia Trail is home to the Smithsonian's...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's red panda habitat on Asia Trail reopened to the public Tuesday, May 10. Tusa (male) and Asa (female) explored their new home which has a brand new "retreat." The retreat includes four indoor enclosures complete with air-conditioning and heating. The retreat has a...

WHAT: Media preview of red pandas Tusa and Asa in their newly refurbished habitat on Asia Trail WHEN: Tuesday, May 10 at 10 a.m. WHERE: Smithsonian's National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Park in the bus parking lot in the left lane perpendicular to the bushes. Entering the Zoo from the...

Seven red panda cubs were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute! Our animal care team is always hopeful that new moms will raise their own cubs, but that's not always possible. And when it isn't, keepers are ready to hand-raise cubs. Hear from keeper Jessica Kordell in the latest Q...

Seven months ago today, three male red pandas—Clinger, Slash, and Shredder—were born to mother Shama and father Rusty at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. When Shama died a short time later from encephalitis, keepers stepped in and hand-raised her young. At the time, the cubs were just...

Last December, Smithsonian Channel's Wild Inside series introduced 6-month-old red panda cubs Henry and Tink to the world. Born in summer 2014, the cubs were in critical condition and required round-the-clock care. Thanks to animal care staff, including keepers Jessica Kordell and Ken Lang, the cubs...

All four red panda pairs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., successfully bred and had cubs this year. Of the 10 cubs, more born at SCBI than any other year, seven have survived. The latest pair to have cubs was Shama and Rusty, who are best known to the public...

Red pandas Rusty and Shama have moved from the Smithsonian's National Zoo to our Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. Rusty and Shama are paired as a result of a breeding recommendation based on the Species Survival Plan. Shama has bred successfully in the Zoo's exhibit, but it's...