The words "National Zoo" represent a large, complex, and diverse organization with a multifaceted mission: demonstrate leadership in animal care, science, education, and sustainability.
Take a Virtual Visit to the Zoo
The National Zoo is home to 2,000 individual animals of nearly 400 different species. Our best known residents are our giant pandas, but great apes, big cats, Asian elephants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, aquatic animals, small mammals, and many others can be found at the Zoo.
You can take a virtual visit to the Zoo any day of the week by tuning into our live web cams, which feature many of the Zoo’s animals:
Watching Amazon river fishes: Here is a glimpse into the rich and vibrant underwater life of the Amazon. When the large, serpent-like arapaima swims past the camera, you will get a close-up look at one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, growing up to ten feet in length and weighing 300 pounds. Red-tailed catfish, arowanas, black pacus, and guppy share this 55,000-gallon aquarium below a living tropical forest.
Spotting cheetahs: The Zoo is home to one female cheetah and three males. Cheetahs are the world's fastest land mammal, able to run as fast as 60 miles per hour. These cats are vulnerable to extinction.
Watching clouded leopards at the Zoo: Two clouded leopards live on Asia Trail. You may see them leaping from limb to limb and napping on sturdy branches. Relative to body size, clouded leopards' long canines are the largest of all living cats'.
Watching clouded leopards at the Zoo's Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia: The cam cam features a male and female that were paired at a young age to create a bonded pair for future breeding.
Visit the site: Animal web cam video
Have fun.
