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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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Get to Know the Zoo's Meerkat Pups

From sweet snuggles to sassy vocalization and snatching snacks, it’s been a busy June for the Smithsonian National Zoo's growing meerkat pups!

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Oh, Baby! Meet Some of the Zoo's Newest Arrivals

Prepare for cuteness overload.

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After An Insect Detox, Can Once-Poisonous Frogs Get Their Spice Back?

Poison frogs living in human care aren’t poisonous, thanks to a “detox” diet of mild insects, like crickets and fruit flies. Can adding alkaloids to a frog’s diet help it regain its toxins and get its “spice” back?

Two female Asian Elephants

Two Asian Elephants Arrive at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

The females, 19-year-0ld Trong Nhi and daughter, 9-year-old Nhi Linh, join males Spike, 41, Kamala, 47, Swarna, 47 and Maharani, 32, at the "Elephant Trails" exhibit in Washington, D.C.

Three female African lions rest in the sun and shade in a grassy area along a wood-panel fence

How Zookeepers Care for Aging Lions

Training allows lions to participate in their own health care

Black tree monitor (lizard) with dark coloration, an elongated body and a long, slender tail rests on a branch

Meet the Black Tree Monitor

Get the scoop on these intelligent, elusive reptiles

A butterfly on a cluster of small flowers

8 Reasons to 'Bee' in Awe of Pollinators

Get the buzz on pollinators from an entomologist and animal keeper.

An aerial photo of two horseshoe crabs on the sand in shallow tidal waters

10 Incredible Horseshoe Crab Facts

Celebrate World Ocean Day on June 8 by learning about these ancient arthropods

A small wood turtle stands in a pile of fallen leaves in a forest

Meet the Researchers Working to Save Wood Turtles

To ensure a future for these endangered turtles, scientists need to know how many are left

Asian elephant standing in a sandy patch at an outdoor zoo exhibit

Watch: How Do You Help An Elephant With a Toothache?

Experts come together to provide dental care for an Asian elephant

Cheetah mother and cubs huddled together in the grass

Meet the Small but Mighty Microbiomes

Trillions of microscopic bacteria play an important role in keeping animals healthy

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in a tree with his tongue sticking out

A Decade of Adorable Giant Panda Cam Moments

From newborn cubs to belly slides in the snow

A close-up of a green tree python with orange-red eyes, small scales, a forked tongue and small put organs visible around its mouth

Do Snakes Have Ears? And Other Sensational Serpent Questions

Get the scoop from an animal keeper who works with snakes

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50 Panda Facts to Celebrate 50 Years of Giant Pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

The Zoo has been home to giant pandas since 1972!

A male Guam kingfisher bird wearing a transmitter on its back is held gently in an animal keeper's gloved hand

Scientists Are Using 3-D-Printing Technology to Ready Guam Kingfishers for Reintroduction to the Wild

'Test flights' using replica transmitters will help scientists select the best option for siheks

Snake-necked turtle hatchling crawling over leaf

These Teeny, Tiny Turtle Hatchlings Fit in the Palm of Your Hand

The Zoo welcomed four snake-necked turtle hatchlings in October 2021

tamandua with its long tongue sticking out

How Long Is a Tamandua's Tongue? And More Fun Facts

Get to know this remarkable member of the anteater family

Close-up of giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in a tree with his tongue sticking out

Watch Giant Panda Xiao Qi Ji’s Best Moments of 2021

How do you measure a year of giant panda cub cuteness?

Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji upside-down in a hammock

Watch: 10 Animal Videos That Topped Our List in 2021

Look back on a year of animal antics and conservation stories

Horned lark chicks camouflaged in their nest on the ground in the Northern Great Plains

A Rare Look Inside the Nests of Declining Prairie Songbirds

It can take hours to find the well-hidden nests of migratory birds on the Northern Great Plains

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