News

By Malia Somerville, Beaver Valley Keeper at the National Zoo At the end of August, Associate Director of Animal Care Sciences Don Moore, Curator of Enrichment and Training Heidi Hellmuth, and I traveled to the Temaiken Biopark outside Buenos Aires (BA), Argentina, to participate in a joint...

Although the magnificent frigatebird may be the least likely animal on the Galapagos Islands to be unique to the area, it turns out the Galapagos population of this tropical seabird may be its own genetically distinct species warranting a new conservation status, according to a paper by researchers...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo welcomed its second litter of African lion ( Panthera leo) cubs in three weeks Sept. 22. Nababiep and her cubs can now be seen on the Zoo’s live webcam. Viewers are able to toggle between four different cameras, as Nababiep, Shera, mother of the first litter of four...

The four lion cubs born at the National Zoo Aug. 31 had their first physical exam today. All four cubs are believed to be female, according to the vets, but it is difficult to determine their gender with certainty at such a young age. Each cub weighs between 7 and 8 pounds. “They were great first...

The birth of three more lion cubs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo this morning has contributed to the growth of the Zoo’s lion pride over the past three weeks and has brought the total number of cubs to seven so far. The Zoo’s six-year-old lion Nababiep gave birth to the three newest cubs three...

It is easy to feel small in face of large environmental problems, especially with the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which continues to threaten wildlife and habitats. Project Blue Planet, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Friends of the National Zoo, is a way that children...

It’s that time of year again. In fact, the only time of year when the gates to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, open to the public. During the Autumn Conservation Festival visitors can tour the sprawling campus in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, meet some of...

Veterinarians and animal care staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo conducted a series of artificial insemination procedures on Shanthi, a 34-year old Asian elephant, September 19, 20, 21 and 22 with sperm from elephants from the Fort Worth Zoo and Tulsa Zoo. A successful pregnancy would be an...

A Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center review of more than 50 studies in regions ranging from Central and South America to Indonesia over the past 15 years demonstrates that shade-grown coffee farms far outshine sun-grown coffee farms when it comes to sustainability measurements.

The National Zoo’s kori bustard ( Ardeotis kori) team received the prestigious Edward H. Bean Award Sept. 15 from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for its work on the long-term propagation, breeding and management of kori bustards. This award recognizes institutions that contribute to the...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo celebrated the completion of Phase I of Elephant Trails, an innovative and expanded home for Asian elephants, Sept. 2. Phase I has four elements: a new elephant barn, two new outdoor yards, the Elephant Exercise Trek and The Homer and Martha Gudelsky Elephant Outpost...

The least flycatcher spends most of its life in the lowlands of Mexico and Central America. It is easy to overlook with its drab coloration and size. It is only 5 inches long and weighs about the same as 2 nickels. In fact, the best way to find one might be to listen for its oft-repeated song or...

On August 30, around 10:30 p.m., the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 5-year-old female African lion Shera watched as her very first cub awkwardly wriggled at her feet. Moments later, lion keepers watching from a webcam breathed a sigh of relief as she lay down and gingerly groomed and nursed her cub...

Visitors to the Think Tank exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo will see new interactive activities relating to orangutans—an ape may spray them with water at the Orangutan Mister or play tug-of-war with them at the Orangutan Pull. These new interactive enhancements give the orangutans an...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has become the first in the zoo and aquarium community to use coral larvae settling techniques to successfully grow two species of anemones—an accomplishment that will provide the Zoo a unique opportunity to learn how anemones grow. “We have many questions about how to...

Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa have created the first frozen bank for Hawaiian corals in an attempt to protect them from extinction and to preserve their diversity in Hawaii. Mary Hagedorn, an adjunct faculty...

As part of her acclimation to her new home, Shanthi, a 34-year-old female Asian elephant at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, explored her grassy “lower” yard yesterday for the first time. She happily drank from the new pool too. Throughout the summer, elephant keepers are gradually introducing the...

A black and rufous giant elephant shrew, or sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi), was born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Small Mammal House around July 10. This female sengi is the first birth for the baby’s parents. Sengis typically stay in their nest for about a month after birth, but this baby has...

Once believed to be extinct, black-footed ferrets have had a banner year for breeding at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s conservation facility in Front Royal, Va. Twelve litters of black-footed ferrets have been born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute since May 7, including litters...

Four years of work by a team of scientists, veterinarians, animal care specialists and interns from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., and ”The Wilds” in Cumberland, Ohio, have culminated in the birth of two rare Persian onagers ( on- uh-ger). The foals, born at The...

Overnight, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo welcomed this year’s second litter of African lion ( Panthera leo) cubs. On Aug. 31, Shera gave birth to four cubs—the first litter for 5-year-old Shera and the first surviving litter for 4-year-old male Luke. “The National Zoo is thrilled that our captive...

As frogs around the world continue to disappear—many killed by a rapidly spreading disease called chytridiomycosis, which attacks the skin cells of amphibians—one critically endangered species has received an encouraging boost. The La Loma tree frog, Hyloscirtus colymba, is notoriously difficult to...

One of Japan's "special natural treasures" is now among the National Zoo's most valued scientific gems, after a voyage that has united two cultures in an international conservation effort. The City of Hiroshima Asa Zoological Park gave the Zoo Japanese giant salamanders. These salamanders will be...

WhatOpening of the National Zoo’s Japanese giant salamander breeding facility WhenThursday, July 2210:30 a.m. WhereReptile Discovery Center3001 Connecticut Avenue N.W.(Park in Lot B) WhoIchiro Fujisaki, ambassador, Embassy of Japan in the United StatesEva Pell, Under Secretary for Science...

The recent discovery of what may be three new frog species by researchers in Panama illustrates the hope and fear encountered daily by the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. The discoveries lead to hope that project researchers can save these animals from a deadly fungus killing frogs...