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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. Find out more about the Zoo's Amazonia Habitat and Science Gallery.| Amazonia Photo Gallery

Watching Andean bear cubs: Ultrasounds on Billie Jean, have revealed two small, distinct amniotic sacs; three subsequent ultrasounds have shown fetal growth and development, heightening hopes that Billie Jean may give birth for the second time. The cam shows Billie Jean in her den as she awaits a possible birth. The only bear native to South America, the Andean bear (sometimes called the spectacled bear) each has its own distinctive set of distinct cream or whitish markings on its head, throat, and chest. Facts| Adopt a Species

Watching Asian small-clawed otters: A family of eleven otters, two parents and two sets of offspring, live on Asia Trail. Small-clawed otters, the smallest of the world's 13 otter species, live in family groups and play often. Asia Trail Photo Gallery | Asian Small-clawed Otter Fact Sheet

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. Cheetah Fact Sheet | African Savanna Photo Gallery | Meet the Cheetahs

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'. Adopt a Clouded Leopard | Asia Trail Photo Gallery | Clouded Leopard Fact Sheet

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. Cub Photos | Adopt a Clouded Leopard

Watching black-footed ferrets: You are viewing a black-footed ferret nest box at the Zoo's Virginia campus, where ferrets are bred to be saved from extinction. This adult female ferret is named Rupee. She gave birth to seven kits on June 17. In 2010, a record number of kits—49—were born there. The three kits born on the cam on June 22 have gone to Colorado in preparation for their release into the wild; the other kits will either be released as well or participate in the breeding program in Virginia or at other facilities. Ferrets, which once ranged across the Great Plains and are now one of the world's rarest mammals. Recovery of the endangered black-footed ferret | North America Photo Gallery

Watching fishing cats: Two fishing cats live on Asia Trail. These short-tailed cats are about twice the size of the average housecat. They attract fish by lighting tapping the water's surface with a paw, mimicking insect movements. Then, they dive into the water to catch the fish. Watch Fishing Cats Fish | Asia Trail Photo Gallery | Fishing Cat Fact Sheet

Watching a flock of flamingos: There are dozens of birds in the National Zoo's flamingo flock, some of which have been living at the Zoo since 1965! You may notice smaller, gray birds among the adult flamingos—these are flamingo chicks that hatched in the spring. Flamingos turn pink as a result of brine-shrimp in their diet; chicks develop pink feathers between one and two years of age.Flamingo Facts | Birds Photo Gallery | Adopt a Flamingo

Watching golden lion tamarins: This cam looks in on a Small Mammal House exhibit where a golden lion tamarin family lives. You may see other animals that live there too, such as a pair of saki monkeys, sloths, or an acouchi. There are only about 1,500 golden lion tamarins in the wild. National Zoo scientists have been working to conserve these small monkeys for more than 30 years. Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program | Golden lion tamarin facts | Adopt a Golden Lion Tamarin

Watching gorillas: The Zoo is home to six western lowland gorillas, three adult females, three males, and a baby born in January 2009. The males were born here at the Zoo—Kojo was born in November 2001, Kwame was born in November 1999, and the silverback, Baraka, was born in 1992. Gorillas are the world's largest primates and, after chimpanzees, our closest relatives. Gorilla Facts | Meet the Gorillas | Adopt a Gorilla

Watching a kiwi: Our camera looks into the nest box of Hiri, a brown kiwi that hatched at the Zoo in March. This is the third chick to hatch here since 1975—the first time a kiwi hatched outside of New Zealand. Since kiwis are nocturnal, the best time to view the chick exploring and foraging in her box is in the evening.

Watching lions: The Zoo is home to one male lion, Luke, two adult female lions, Shera and Nababiep, and seven juvenile lions. Tigers are lions' closest relatives. Without their coats, lion and tiger bodies are so similar that only experts can tell them apart. Lion Fact Sheet | Meet the Lions

Watching lion cubs: Shera, the Zoo's five-year-old lioness, gave birth to four cubs on August 31, 2010. Her sister Naba, a six-year-old lioness, gave birth to three cubs on September 22, 2010. By summer 2011, all the young lions weighed more than 100 pounds each. If no lions are visible, toggle between cams, as the lions have the freedom to move between dens. Lion Fact Sheet | Meet the Lions

The world we see with our own eyes contains another very small world. Every second of every day, millions of tiny (single-celled, multi-celled, and acellular) organisms are thriving around us. They eat, travel around, and reproduce largely without us ever noticing. Despite this, these tiny organisms play a vital role in the world. They are important decomposers, and even aid us in our own digestion. Without the benign bacteria that live in our bodies, our immune system would be weak and unable to fend off more dangerous microorganisms. On the darker side, they are also responsible for the deaths of millions of people every year. This MicroTheatre gives us the opportunity to catch a glimpse of this everyday, invisible world. Invertebrate Exhibit | Invertebrates Photo Gallery

Naked mole-what? Despite the fact that they burrow underground like moles, and have rat-like tails, naked mole-rats are more closely related to porcupines, chinchillas, and guinea pigs than to moles or rats. This naked mole-rat colony lives in a labyrinth of transparent tubes that mimics the underground tunnels and burrows in Africa where they live in total darkness virtually all their lives. The web cam is focused on an intersection of two tunnels where there is often mole-rat traffic. Naked mole-rats are the only known mammals to live in large colonies presided over by a queen (like ants and termites). | Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Monster of the deep? Hardly! Octopuses are actually mollusks, a group including snails and clams, which is a far cry from giant monsters dragging sailors to their doom. As alien as the giant octopus may look to us, they are harmless creatures, both shy and reclusive. Some of their most fascinating adaptations tend to be defensive in nature, designed to keep them out of trouble and off a predator's menu. They can instantaneously alter their color and texture, a useful trait for remaining unseen by both predators and prey. Watch our octopus being fed each day at about 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., on the web cam or in person at the Invertebrate Exhibit. | Ocean Living Photo Gallery

Watching apes: Six orangutans live at the Zoo. They can travel between the Great Ape House and Think Tank along the Orangutan Transport System (O Line), a series of towers and cables, 35 to 40 feet above ground. You may see them swinging on the ropes and making nests of hay to rest on. Great Apes & Other Primates Photo Gallery | Orangutan Facts

Watching giant pandas: The Zoo is home to adult female panda Mei Xiang and adult male panda Tian Tian. The panda cams follow the pandas in their indoor and outdoor exhibits at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. Giant Panda Conservation Fund | Giant Panda Photo Gallery | Adopt a Giant Panda

Watching red pandas: The Zoo is home to two adult red pandas, Shama and Tate, and their two female cubs, born in June 2011. Shama and the cubs are temporarily living in the Giant Panda House and can be seen on a web cam until they move to their outdoor exhibit on Asia Trail. Red Panda Cub Updates and Photos | Asia Trail Photo Gallery | Adopt a Red Panda

Watching sloth bears: Two adult female sloth bears and an adult male live at the Zoo. You may see the bears climbing, foraging for insects, or sleeping. Native to India, Sri Lanka, and southern Nepal, sloth bears are the only bears to carry young on their backs. Sloth Bear Fact Sheet

Watching Sumatran tigers: Two tigers live at the Zoo. You may see the cats walking about, occasionally pausing to scent-mark territory, just like they would in the wild.