News Archive

How do you get an orangutan to sit still for an electrocardiogram? All it takes is a little patience and a lot of ingenuity! The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s positive reinforcement training program enables primates to voluntarily participate in their own medical care without the need for anesthesia.

Catch the latest news about our 1.5-year-old western lowland gorilla, Moke, from primate keeper Carolina Powell.

Western lowland gorilla infant Moke is becoming bolder, and with his growing confidence, we are beginning to see traces of his mom’s personality, says assistant curator Becky Malinsky.

Treat dad like the king (of the jungle) he is at the Smithsonian's National Zoo!

With two youngsters, Moke and Redd, growing up at the Great Ape House, primate staff are taking the rare opportunity to study the gestures and spatial proximity between gorilla and orangutan mother-infant dyads.

It is hard to believe that an entire year has passed since the day that Moke, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo's infant western lowland gorilla, was born. In the blink of an eye, he has grown from a fragile newborn to a rambunctious youngster.

Get the scoop on the reunion between western lowland gorilla infant Moke and his troop from Becky Malinsky, assistant curator of Primates.

With each passing day, western lowland gorilla infant Moke places more weight on his injured leg. His gait and movement have improved over the past month.

The holiday season and new year were an exciting time for the Zoo's 9-month-old western lowland gorilla, Moke! Read the latest keeper update.

The Zoo's rambunctious 9-month-old gorilla has a fractured femur. Moke is resting and recovering with his parents, Calaya and Baraka, under the close watch of the animal care team.