National Zoological Park
Zoo's Lion Cubs Pass Swim Test
In order for the National Zoo's seven new lion cubs to go on view by the target date of mid-December, the cubs have to be able to paddle and paw their way across the moat that surrounds the lion habitat. On Tuesday, the four eight-week old cubs, the first of two recently-born litters, took their sw...
October 28, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: Phantoms, Costumes and Halloween Galore
Halloween Costumes of the Past: Not sure what to be for Halloween? The Archives of American Art blog has dug up some photos from Halloweens gone by to spark the imagination. Beginning with an old invitation to a Crazy Costume Dance held by 20th century architect Spencer Fullerton Weaver, a series o...
October 27, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Weekend Events: Celebrate Halloween at the Smithsonian and a Printmaking Workshop
Friday, October 22: Boo at the ZooPerfect for persons ages two to 12, the 11th annual Boo at the Zoo provides families with a safe, fun and educational way to celebrate Halloween. Dress up and step on out to haunt the National Zoo where there will be 40 treat stations featuring an assortment of can...
October 22, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
National Zoo's Baby Kiwi Gets a Name
Some cultures have age-old traditions that introduce babies to the community by way of a naming ceremony. The celebrations can be strictly secular or steeped in the spiritual convictions—but either way, it's a pretty big deal being formally announced to the world. The National Zoo, however, has gon...
October 19, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events: Halloween at the Zoo, the Northern Lights, Quirky Couture and More
Monday, October 18: Northern Lights: A Message from the SunThe aurora borealis is a much-loved sight in a winter's night sky, this phenomenon has been the stuff of myth and legend. In tonight's lecture, solar physicist and senior adviser at the Norwegian Space Centre in Oslo Paal Brekke will give i...
October 18, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Cute Lion Cub Pics, Kiwis and Hula Hoops
Name That Kiwi—On June 15, the National Zoo hatched a female brown kiwi, the second kiwi born this year. To pay homage to New Zealand, the flightless bird's motherland, they have decided to name the chick after the Maori, the indigenous people of the islands. They have chosen three Maori names, and...
October 06, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: Hispanic Art, Haitian Children's Art, a Revolution in Wood and More
Monday, October 4: No special events are slated for today. However, visit this site for a full listing of regularly-scheduled exhibitions and permanent collections on view around the Smithsonian and I am sure something is bound to strike your fancy.Tuesday, October 5: Salmon in the TreesThis evenin...
October 03, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Asian Elephant at the Zoo is Artificially Inseminated
With only three Asian elephants at the National Zoo—one of whom will be turning a whopping 63 years old this year—the Zoo has embarked on an effort to breed baby elephants to join their crew.Zoo staff has attempted to artificially inseminate their 34-year-old female elephant Shanthi, using sperm fr...
September 24, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: High-Glam Band-Aids, More New Lion Cubs and Songs for Haiti
More New Lion Cubs! Three weeks ago, the National Zoo's 5-year-old lion Shera gave birth to four healthy cubs. This morning, Shera's sister Nababiep gave birth to three more lion cubs to add to the growing pride! Check out a clip of the new babies on YouTube.Happy Birthday, George Gustav Heye—This ...
September 22, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Zoo Receives Award for Efforts in Breeding Kori Bustards
The National Zoo is home to many rare and unusual birds: cassowaries, emus, brown kiwis, flamingos and even peacocks all flap their wings in the Zoo's bird habitat. But none of these are quite so peculiar as the world's largest flying bird, the kori bustard.Male kori bustards weigh up to 40 pounds....
September 21, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Weekend Events: Readings, Classical Guitar and a National Zoo Fiesta
Friday, September 17: Performance Reading: Some Sing, Some Cry: A Conversation and Performance Featuring Ntozake Shange and Ifa BayesaAuthors Ntozake Shange (For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf) and her sister Ifa Bayesa (The Ballad of Emmett Till) read from their...
September 17, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
First Pictures of the Zoo's Lion Cubs
Since the birth of four lion cubs earlier this month at the National Zoo, we've all been pining for some adorable pictures to fawn over. Good news: those pictures are here. That's not all—the Zoo reports that all four lion cubs appear to be healthy females.Zoo veterinarians gave the cubs their firs...
September 17, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Wednesday Roundup: Lions, a New Game from American Art, Jump Rope and More
Pheon—The Smithsonian has officially entered an alternate reality—this Saturday, the American Art Museum launches Pheon, their new alternate reality game. Following on the heels of "Ghosts of a Chance," a virtual detective game, Pheon is an otherworldly spin on the classic game Capture the Flag. (I...
September 15, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Events: FONZ Photo Club, Babe Ruth, Taiwanese Film and More!
Tuesday, September 7: FONZ Photo ClubIf you’re a shutterbug with a penchant for snapping shots of critters, come on out to the National Zoo and participate in the FONZ (that’s Friends Of the National Zoo for those of you who were thinking Henry Winkler) photo club’s monthly meeting. Share your phot...
September 06, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Labor Day Weekend Events: New Elephant Habitat, Tango Demonstrations and Storytelling
Friday, September 3: Opening of Elephant Trails Phase IThat's right, the first part of the new and improved elephant habitat is now open to the public! This new habitat and information center will allow the zoo's Asian elephants to live in herds—just as they do in the wild—and include walking trail...
September 03, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Elephant Trails: Phase I Opens Today at the National Zoo
The first phase of a $52 million renovation to the Asian elephant habitat opens its doors today at the National Zoo. Visitors can watch as the elephants explore their brand new outdoor habitat, a state of the art facility that aims to emulate the variety they would have in the wild and educate the ...
September 03, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
National Zoo Welcomes Four New Lion Cubs
The National Zoo is pleased to report that Shera, one of their African lions, gave birth to a healthy litter of four lion cubs between 10:30 pm Monday evening and early Tuesday morning. The large litter (most have two to four cubs) comes on the heels of the unfortunate death in May of the National ...
September 01, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
Three New Frog Species Face an Uncertain Future
According to Andrew Crawford, a former postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and a current researcher at the Universidad de los Andes, the amphibian skin disease chytridiomycosis (known as chytrid) has already eliminated nearly 100 different frog species in Panam...
August 23, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
National Zoo Elephant Tours New Home
As some of you may know, the National Zoo's Asian elephants are getting new digs thanks to a major expansion project dubbed Elephant Trails. With Asian elephant populations at dangerously low levels, it's possible that these creatures could disappear within the next 20 years. This new habitat and i...
August 12, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Wednesday Roundup: Conspiracies, Leopards and Chop Suey
Conspiracy Theories: For those who have always harbored a fear of the Bermuda Triangle, or suspected that aliens have contacted Earth, the Air and Space Museum is considering launching an educational program on aerospace conspiracy theories, of which there are many. This week, curator Roger D....
August 11, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
