News

How do you train a panda to voluntarily participate in blood draws and other medical exams? By building the bears’ trust and rewarding their participation with treats!

Earlier this spring, a curious and playful pinniped splashed down on American Trail. Meet Ronin, our 1-year-old sea lion, who has charmed keepers and visitors alike since her debut in April!

Poison frogs living in human care aren’t poisonous, thanks to a “detox” diet of mild insects, like crickets and fruit flies. Can adding alkaloids to a frog’s diet help it regain its toxins and get its “spice” back?

'Hoppy' Amphibian Awareness Week! All week long, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute will be sharing stories about amazing amphibians and the scientists working to save them from extinction.

Every spring and fall billions of birds fly thousands of miles to reach their breeding and wintering grounds, yet some of the most basic details of these astonishing avian pilgrimages remain murky. In two studies published today in Movement Ecology, Nathan Cooper, research ecologist for the...

With just a few tips and tricks, anyone can find salamanders and celebrate nature in their local area.

The warm weather has brought the cubs new enrichment activities, including a tub filled with ice cubes!

The sliminess on amphibians is more than just goop—it’s how these animals survive. A scientist and intern from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics explains.

There's plenty to see this summer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Check out five amazing things you won’t want to miss during your next visit.

Focus on the Future is a series that seeks to highlight the early career scientists who conduct research at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Focus on the Future is a series that seeks to highlight the early career scientists who conduct research at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Learn about undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral fellows, and the conservation research they are supporting through...

At Lemur Island, school is always in session for our ring-tailed and black-and-white ruffed residents. Learn how primate keeper Lynne McMahan has trained the lemurs to voluntarily participate in awake radiographs!

What animal can rotate its head 180 degrees, has ears that function like satellites and marks its territory (and members of its social group) with urine? Meet our southern lesser galago brothers, Mopani and Damara!

Our Andean bear cubs have moved into the outdoor yard! Animal keeper Sara Colandrea describes how they're learning to explore their new home for the first time.

On March 30, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Zoo Neighborhood Council (ZNC) held its first meeting of 2023.

Thanks to their thick skin, strong claws, sharp teeth, and painful bite, Komodo dragons are NOT an animal you'd want to mess with.

Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute made a breakthrough in the recreation of glyptodon, a prehistoric giant armadillo that went extinct nearly 11,000 years ago.

Here's why eating poop can sometimes be good for animal health—and how the practice is even becoming an important part of human and animal medicine.

Just in time for spring break, two male Andean bear cubs named Sean and Ian are now on view.

Two male Andean bear cubs make their outdoor debut March 27, 2023.

Primate staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington, D.C., are making preparations for the highly anticipated birth of a critically endangered western lowland gorilla.

Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, delivered these remarks at the Eleanor Holmes Norton Town Hall event on March 15, 2023.

As each of Amani's cub’s personality begins to shine through, it’s the perfect time to debut their names. Plus, the cubs have some new neighbors, who are familiar faces to our cheetah fans!

Flutter into how animal keeper Becca Zurlo cares for the iconic wood thrush—the official bird of Washington, D.C.—in the newly renovated Bird House!

Xiao QI Ji is stepping out on his own! Our 2.5-year-old giant panda has been playing, eating and sleeping by himself lately—behaviors that indicate he’s ready for independence.