Happy Birthday, Xiao Qi Ji! National Zoo's Panda Cub Turns 1

The youngest panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo is now one year old.

Xiao Qi Ji celebrated his first birthday Saturday with a specially made fruitsicle cake, as did his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.

To see pictures and an adorable video, click here: Happy Birthday, Xiao Qi Ji! National Zoo's Panda Cub Turns 1

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National Zoo Says Panda Mei Xiang Appears to be Pregnant, Could Give Birth Soon

The zoo said there could be panda cub, or cubs, within a few days.

Keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo said Friday they were thrilled to detect what looks like a fetus during an ultrasound earlier in the day on giant panda Mei Xiang.

"Theres no denying that a giant panda is a charismatic animal, this is a huge success story," zoo spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson told ABC News. "We have million's of people watching our panda cam program every year around the world."

To watch panda cam, click here: Mei Xiang

To read more on this story, click here: National Zoo Says Panda Mei Xiang Appears to be Pregnant, Could Give Birth Soon

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The National Zoo's Giant Panda, With A Yearly Window of 24-72 Hours to Become Pregnant, May Be Expecting

(CNN)When Mei Xiang went in for an ultrasound on Friday, her results were shared around the world.

The 22-year-old giant panda could deliver a cub in the next few days, the Smithsonian's National Zoo announced, after imaging revealed what appeared to be a fetus.

Mei Xiang has had a team of experts supporting her through the process since March, when they performed an artificial insemination. The beginning of her journey toward expectant motherhood also marked the country's shift to life under a pandemic, with zoos temporarily shutting their doors around the nation. And now, the possible birth could mark another moment -- one of wonder amid a time of continued uncertainty.

To read more on this story, click here: The National Zoo's Giant Panda, With A Yearly Window of 24-72 Hours to Become Pregnant, May Be Expecting

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New at the Zoo: Guinea Pigs

Why do guinea pigs belong in the Zoo?
Here in the United States, guinea pigs make wonderful family pets. Visitors may be surprised to learn that these adorable creatures also play an important role in many South American cultures! They are celebrated at festivals, given to couples as wedding gifts and raised as livestock. We hope that our guinea pigs here at the Zoo teach visitors something new about this species’ origins and open up discussions with our visitors about proper pet choice and care. Also, why wouldn’t they belong in a Zoo — they are just adorable and are amazing ambassadors! Although these animals are not found in the wild today, the montane guinea pig — a likely ancestor — still resides in the Andes in South America.

To read more on this story, click here: New at the Zoo: Guinea Pigs



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Bye Bye, Bei Bei: Beloved Giant Panda Leaving DC for China in Private Jet

WASHINGTON – No cramped leg space and blah entertainment in coach for Bei Bei, the giant panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in DC. He's off to China this week -- and he's traveling in style.

As if flying in his own Boeing 777F private plane dubbed the Panda Express is not enough, handlers will be feeding him his favorite treats during the trip. And the zoo is asking for song recommendations for a mixed tape for the long trip -- just change the title of the original from "baby" to "Bei Bei."

To read more on this story, click here: Bye Bye, Bei Bei: Beloved Giant Panda Leaving DC for China in Private Jet


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Smithsonian's National Zoo: We Are Building A Naked Mole-Rat Exhibit

If you've ever been to the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Small Mammal House, you’ve probably seen the naked mole-rats—those small, nearly hairless rodents running through a series of tubes and chambers. These funky Zoo favorites are ready for a home renovation. 

Because of your generosity, we're getting a new exhibit: a corner habitat with more realistic tunnels where guests can see the mole-rats up close and peek at a keeper area behind them, along with a webcam so online viewers can watch the naked mole-rats anytime, anywhere!

We would like to extend a special thank you to the following donors who made this exhibit possible.

To read more on this story, click here: Smithsonian's National Zoo: We Are Building A Naked Mole-Rat Exhibit

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Bei Bei The Giant Panda, At Smithsonian's National Zoo, Turned 3-Years-Old Today

Washington, DC - Bei Bei turned 3 years old today! In celebration of his big day, Bei Bei enjoyed an ice-cake, participated in an enrichment painting session and received a new panda-friendly toy.

His cake was specially made by the Zoo’s department of nutrition sciences and included all of his favorite foods. The tiers were made of diluted apple, cranberry and grape juice with leaf-eater biscuit puree. It was decorated and filled with apples, pears, bananas, shredded carrots and cooked sweet potatoes. The number 3 that topped the cake was made of diluted apple juice with a leaf-eater biscuit puree center.

Now weighing in at almost 215 pounds, Bei Bei has been taking full advantage of his summer—splashing around in his big green tub, and napping in trees and on his new hammock.

Tian Tian is the next giant panda to celebrate a birthday. He turns 21 on Monday, Aug. 27 and will also receive a special cake at 11 a.m.

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The Smithsonian's National Zoo is Showing Off the Rare Spider Tortoise that Hatched in the Reptile Discovery Center

Washington, DC - The Smithsonian's National Zoo is showing off the rare spider tortoise that hatched in the Reptile Discovery Center. The spider tortoise was born on May 10 and staff have been watching it closely since then.

The birth marks the first time a spider tortoise has hatched at the center. Zoo officials say spider tortoise eggs can be difficult to hatch in human care "in part because they must be incubated, cooled, and incubated again during the embryo's development."

The tortoise "appears to be thriving," according to zoo officials, and they hope to have it on exhibit this summer. Right now, zoo visitors can see a family group of adult male spider tortoises.

The sex of the two-week-old tortoise is unknown at this time.

Spider tortoises are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, according to zoo officials. They are native to the forests and sandy coastlines of Madagascar. Their populations have "declined by 80 percent since 1970 and populations continue to dwindle due to habitat loss and wildlife trafficking for the food and pet trade," according to zoo officials.

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Washington, DC - The Smithsonian's National Zoo: Help Name Our Andean Bear Brothers - Voting Ends March 22

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is asking for your help in namimg two of its newest additions. In November, the Zoo's eight-year-old Andean bear Billie Jean gave birth to two cubs and now the Zoo is crowdsourcing naming of the bear brothers.

The first cub, which the Zoo describes as "rambunctious and seems to need Mom's attention a bit more than his brother," has three options to vote for: Larusiri (lah-roo-SEE-ree), which means "giggly;" Mayni (MY-nee), which means "unique;" and Kusisqa (coo-SEES-kah), which means "happy." The cub's brother is described as "playful and likes to wrestle but is more laid back than cub #1" has the following name choices you can vote for: Tusuq (too-SOOK), which means "dancer;" Muniri (moo-NEE-ree), which means "loving;" and Wayna (WHY-nah): means "young."

If you're curious about the origins of the names, they're Quechua and Aymara, which are the languages of the indigenous communities in the Andes, where the bears originate. According to folklore, Andean bears were "said to protect pilgrims, especially musicians and dancers, during their pilgrimage to Q'oylluriti (a festival held high in the Andes mountains)."

The Zoo describes Andean bears as a "loving and happy, seeking harmony and balance in nature," which each of the name suggestions represents. Voting ends on March 22 and the winning names will be announced on March 26.

To vote, click HERE.

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