News

Caring for creatures that live in the sea, on land and in the sky is a fun challenge for the dedicated team of animal keepers. Go behind the scenes to learn how they provide enriching environments and experiences for the animals in their care.

Expectant animal mothers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo often undergo maternal training to ensure that they are successful parents to their new offspring. In addition to training the mothers-to-be, animal keepers frequently train a “foster mom” in the event that a mother is unwilling or unable to...

Tentacled snakes are masters of hiding in plain sight. This species is so stealthy that Reptile Discovery Center staff were surprised to discover three babies in their exhibit last December. What makes this aquatic snake so unique? In this Q&A, animal keeper Erin Stewart shares some of her favorite...

A team of reproductive scientists, veterinarians and panda keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute performed an artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang.

Visitors may have noticed that 12-year-old African lion Luke has had an on-again, off-again limp. As part of his treatment, the veterinary team is performing deep-tissue laser therapy, electroacupuncture and dry-needle acupuncture on the affected areas.

Family dynamics and relationships can be complicated, even among gorillas. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Great Ape House is home to two groups—called troops—of western lowland gorillas. When deciding to introduce gorillas into a troop, animal care staff carefully consider each individual’s age...

Four maned wolf pups were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Dec. 23, 2017. During much of their first weeks they were nestled in a den but are now exploring more areas of their yard.

Keepers have noticed some dramatic changes in Mei Xiang and Tian Tian’s behavior during the past several days. On Saturday, Feb. 17, Mei Xiang started showing behavioral changes that indicate she may be going into estrus within the next few weeks.

Giant panda Bei Bei celebrated the Lunar New Year with some special Year of the Dog enrichment!

Primate keeper Melba Brown trained the Zoo’s pregnant western lowland gorilla, Calaya, to participate in ultrasounds.

Congrats and best wishes from our wild and furry team to Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea!

The future of rhinos could depend on their DNA. Scientists In collaboration with researchers in the United States, South Africa and Russia, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Klaus-Peter Koepfli has helped to pioneer new technology to save some of the most poached animals on our...

When it comes to caring for babies at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, it takes a village. For western lowland gorilla Calaya, her village of support is the great ape animal care team and her primary keeper, Melba Brown. Every day, keepers use positive reinforcement training to teach the gorillas...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, two animals that are red and white and beloved by everyone made their debut on Asia Trail! Meet Nutmeg and her son, Jackie, who came to the Zoo from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in December. In this Q&A, get the scoop on the Zoo’s new red panda...

If Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) endocrinologist Janine Brown could make a New Year’s resolution on behalf of North America’s elephants, it would be for them to get in shape. To better understand the role diet and exercise play in elephant health, she studied the animals’...

At 16 months old, Bornean orangutan infant Redd is growing stronger and more independent every day. Read all about Redd’s progress and favorite activities in the latest Q&A with animal keeper Erin Stromberg. How is Redd doing? Redd is doing very well! Over the past several months, he has sharpened...

Hoofstock keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) are mourning the loss of Raylan, a 4-year-old male Hartmann’s mountain zebra who was humanely euthanized yesterday.

A cup of coffee can do more than provide a wake-up boost. Consumer choices can either help or hinder the survival of migratory bird species, which spend the spring and summer in North America but overwinter in Central and South America’s forests and coffee plantations. Get the scoop on how Bird...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is experiencing a Guam rail baby boom. Three chicks, covered in black downy feathers with oversized feet, hatched in January.

With the support of the David Bohnett Foundation, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is helping address the important question of whether apes can attribute mental states to others.

Everyone likes to have a cozy place to sleep. Western lowland gorillas, however, rarely sleep in the same bed twice. With the exception of young infants, each gorilla in a troop constructs his or her own nest. Gorillas forage where resources are available, so they are often on the move, leaving...

Through years of research and breeding, Smithsonian scientists have created a thriving variable harlequin frog colony in human care and released approximately 500 healthy frogs in Panama’s Colon province.

When Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) conservation biologist Jessica Deichmann joined a project to determine how the construction of a road in Gabon’s Moukalaba-Doudou National Park would affect amphibians in the area, she quickly realized something surprising: the frogs are masters...

An egg-citing new finding from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute could help bolster the success of assisted reproduction for some of the most endangered species—with implications for human reproduction, too.

Once common along highland streams in western Costa Rica and Panama, the variable harlequin frog, Atelopus varius, is endangered throughout its range, decimated by a disease caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus. On Jan. 17, 2018, Smithsonian researchers released approximately 500 frogs at First...