13K views · 359 reactions | Today the National Zoo celebrated Bei Bei’s first birthday with a traditional Chinese Zhuazhou ceremony. The little panda, with help from mama bear Mei Xiang, selected a symbol that will foretell his destiny. They choose the Chinese knot, which is a symbol for luck & friendship! Watch this little panda grow up in the newest episode of Wild Inside the National Zoo: bitly.com/Panda_monium | Smithsonian Channel | Facebook

12K views · 844 reactions | If you love the great outdoors, tonight's...

New research using the pelt of “Mutton,” the only known woolly dog fleece in the world, sheds light on the ancestry and genetics of woolly dogs, a now extinct breed of dog that was a fixture of Indigenous Coast Salish communities in the Pacific Northwest for millennia. Woolly dogs possessed spiritual significance and were often treated as beloved family members. Coast Salish weavers used the dogs’ wool to craft blankets and other woven items that served a variety of ceremonial and spiritual purp