Wild Inside the National Zoo

Smithsonian's National Zoo is caring for an unprecedented four giant pandas at once: adults Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, juvenile Bao Bao, and little Bei Bei. The panda boom is a blessing and a good sign the program between the Chinese and U.S. governments to conserve this critically endangered species is working. But more pandas means tons of work for their caretakers, who are committed to keeping them fed, rested, and mentally stimulated. Follow them as they share the secrets to keeping their diverse group of charismatic pandas happy and healthy.

Smithsonian's National Zoo has just welcomed some of the rarest newborns in the world, and to first-time mothers. Meet red-ruffed lemur Molly, who just gave birth to a litter. Lemurs, the most endangered mammals on Earth, have a 65% infant mortality rate, so preparing the enclosure for her rowdy trio is key. The zoo's caretakers are also glad to see Allen's swamp monkey Layla excel at raising her first baby, Zawadi, who she can barely put down. While mothering has come so naturally to both, their young are already showing signs of independence.

Maned wolf pair Echo and Zayda have finally welcomed their first pups at Smithsonian's National Zoo. Female canids have only one estrous cycle a year with a five day window to conceive, which makes successful captive breeding efforts vital. But incredible research at the Cornell-Smithsonian Joint Graduate Training Program, where the first in-vitro fertilization in a domestic dog was recently successful, is making that process easier. Learn more about this scientific breakthrough and the threatened wolves it will one day help protect.

"Odd couple" doesn't begin to describe Walnut, a female white-naped crane, and her caretaker at Smithsonian's National Zoo. The pair have formed a connection mirroring two lifelong mates. From dancing together to letting out unison calls, witness their unique bond and learn how it's helping conserve an endangered species. Then meet the Zoo's new kiwi chick, the first born there in decades. Caretakers show what makes these flightless, nocturnal New Zealand birds so special and give a look at how to care for a precious kiwi egg about to hatch.

At Smithsonian's National Zoo, human-animal communication occurs in surprising and vital ways. First, meet an elderly sloth bear who's learned to cooperate with his caretakers during blood pressure tests and spends time indulging in his favorite form of creative expression: painting. Then, a caretaker for a lesser kudu shows us how she's established a bond with such a timid creature and how reading body language helps her more effectively care for him.

Reptiles aren't generally included in conversations about animal intelligence, but caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo can speak to their smarts. From Cuban crocodiles who hunt for targets to monitor lizards who respond quickly to tapping sounds, training is a vital way to ensure animal safety, provide stimulation, and help with vital husbandry. Join the zoo's caretakers as they introduce the brilliant reptiles they work with and teach daily.