Wild Inside the National Zoo

Bao Bao, the baby panda at Smithsonian's National Zoo, is celebrating her first birthday. Giant pandas are endangered and less than 2,000 remain on Earth, making Bao Bao's very existence special and the act of raising her all the more critical. Track her evolution with her caretakers, from a scrawny 4.5 oz. cub to a playful 40 lb. bear who spends her days scaling trees and devouring sweet potatoes. And learn about the bittersweet transition that Bao Bao will undergo when she leaves her mother's care and grows into independent adulthood.

It's a lion baby boom! Within two months, six new cubs are born at Smithsonian's National Zoo, tripling the size of its pride. In the wild, lion populations have declined nearly 50% over the last 20 years. The zoo's pride is crucial in growing their numbers and teaching scientists how to best protect nature's most-social cats. Join their caretakers, who walk you through the cubs' development and the importance of meatball training. Then learn about the pride's wide-ranging personalities and the challenges of striking the right big-cat balance.

Each summer, Smithsonian's National Zoo is flooded with calls from visitors reporting large, brown birds on the loose. What they don't know is these supposed fugitives, black-crowned night-herons, are visitors just like them. The elusive winged tourists have flocked to the zoo for over 100 years, breeding on its grounds and stealing its food for six months at a time. Then, they vanish. Now, join the zoo's caretakers as they attempt to track the mysterious herons' migratory patterns, a crucial step in better understanding these secretive birds.

When two red panda babies, Henry and Tink, are born in critical condition at Smithsonian's National Zoo, caretakers make the crucial decision to hand-rear them. There are approximately 10,000 red pandas left in the wild, and very little is known about the species, heightening the pressure to save these two cubs' lives. Take a behind-the-scenes look at how their caretakers are raising them and see what incredible, vibrant animals they're becoming as they approach adulthood.

Meet Christine, a young Przewalski's horse at Smithsonian's National Zoo who represents hope for an endangered species once extinct in the wild. These Mongolian animals are the only undomesticated horse breed in existence, and Christine, the first to be born from artificial insemination, is a scientific breakthrough in conservation. Join us as caretakers at the National Zoo walk us through her development. Then learn how their work helps strengthen the population of 500 Przewalski's horses currently thriving in their native Mongolian habitat.

Just because reptiles are cold-blooded animals doesn't mean they're devoid of personalities or feelings. Join caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo as they introduce us to the most charismatic creatures in the reptile house... and the very particular pampering they receive daily. We'll see how a 100-year-old tortoise gets a pedicure, meet a picky Grand Cayman iguana who allows only certain caretakers to bathe him, and learn the skin care regimen for the zoo's sole Komodo dragon.

As part of its reproduction program, Smithsonian's National Zoo arranges for animals to be brought together in hopes they'll "get along." But blind dates are just the beginning. The zoo's expecting mothers go through a full prenatal care program, complete with regular ultrasounds. There's no guarantee of success, but the rewards are worth it: a new generation of rare animals. Join the zoo's caretakers as they tend to two moms-to-be, Bess, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, and Maripi, a giant anteater whose baby is due any day now.

Sea lions and seals are some of the smartest creatures around, and their energy and curiosity mean that caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo have to stay on their toes to keep them stimulated. In this episode, we'll meet some of the zoo's most beloved sea mammals, including Selkie, a 41-year-old gray seal who came to the zoo after three years working alongside the U.S. Navy, helping deliver tools to divers. In old age, Selkie's vision is nearly gone, but we'll learn first-hand from her caretakers how she stays fit and sharp in retirement.

While Asian elephants are known to be intelligent creatures, caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo are embarking on a new study to prove just how smart they are. In doing so, they put Kandula, a young pachyderm born and raised at the zoo, to the test... and the results are fascinating. Join the team at the National Zoo as they examine the problem-solving powers of their Asian elephants. By shedding new light on the minds of these critically endangered animals currently losing their natural habitats, they hope to raise awareness worldwide.

Mayni and Muniri, two Andean bear cubs recently born at Smithsonian's National Zoo, are growing up -- and fast. Because Andean bears, native to the South American Andes, are almost impossible to study in the wild, these cubs are crucial to understanding the development of this vulnerable species. No longer infants, they're now climbing and stumbling through their enclosure one tree and rock at a time. Join the zoo's caretakers as they show us how they babyproof these cubs' surroundings and how they foster their boundless curiosity.

Cheetahs are different from other cats in that males exclusively form lifelong coalitions for protection and companionship. At Smithsonian's National Zoo, caretakers are hoping to create one with Gat, a young, attention-seeking male, and 22-month-old Bakari. But arranging a cheetah coalition, especially between strangers, is a risky process with no guarantees. See the excitement and tension when they meet and learn what their behavior means for the future. Only Gat and Bakari can decide if they'd be a good match, but the signs are promising.

Sure, salamanders are slimy and slippery. But in the Appalachian Mountains, home to the world's most diverse collection of these animals, they also hold the secret to understanding the overall health of their environment. Join caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo as they give the forest an annual check-up by searching for and studying these elusive amphibians. Then learn what makes the more than 50 species of salamander living in Virginia so crucial to the ecosystem around them.