As you eagerly await the arrival of two new giant pandas to Washington, DC, later this year, don’t overlook the other adorable creatures that live in the Smithsonian National Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals representing nearly 400 species — and many new friendly faces have popped up in the past year. Get your fill of cute animals and conservation education by visiting these six new animals that have recently joined the zoo family.
Zahra the Western Lowland Gorilla
If you visited the zoo last summer, you may have already had a chance to see Zahrah, the western lowland gorilla who was born at the zoo last spring. Zahra turned 1 in May. She spends her days exploring the gorilla’s outdoor habitat, including climbing in and out of the hammocks. Visitors to the Great Ape House can see Zahra and the other six gorillas that call the National Zoo home, including mom Calaya and dad Baraka.
A Baby Wallaby
This adorable young wallaby has recently begun to explore its habitat near the Small Mammal House after leaving its mother’s pouch for the first time in late April. Wallabies spend the first several months of life inside the pouch, so it’s not certain when the joey was born, but it was probably around late August. Visit this little one and its parents, Victoria and Winton.
Pygmy Slow Loris Babies
One look into these creatures’ huge eyes and your heart will melt. These two pygmy babies were born at the zoo in March to mom Naga and dad Pabu. You can spot them in the small mammal house. Their enclosure is under red light to simulate nighttime for the nocturnal family.
Vicki the Sloth Bear
Visit the Asia Trail to meet Vicki, a 10-year-old sloth bear who joined the National Zoo in September. She joins two male sloth bears in the enclosure, Niko and Deemak. Sloth bears are native to the forests of India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal and have a “vulnerable” conservation status. Stop by to see these three in their enclosure playing like siblings and munching on a diet of insects.
Cotton-Top Tamarins
In the Small Mammal House, say hello to Toph and Suki, a pair of cotton-top tamarins that arrived in January. The public voted over the winter to choose names that suited these big-haired creatures’ personalities. These are the first of the critically endangered species to live in the National Zoo in the past 50 years.
An Addax Calf
Visit the Africa Trail to see this young female addax, born in late January. Addax are a critically endangered type of antelope with long, twisted horns.
Feature image of cotton-top tamarins by Chelia Chong, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
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