News

On May 5, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute welcomed thousands of visitors to celebrate community and diversity in recognition of International Family Equality Day.

Happy salamander Saturday! This annual holiday honoring these amazing amphibians takes place on the first Saturday in May. To celebrate, we’re counting down animal keeper Matt Neff’s top six favorite salamander facts! Stop by the Reptile Discovery Center’s Jewels of Appalachia exhibit to see these...

Many creatures, great and small, call grasslands their home, including the most diverse and abundant animals: arthropods! Knowing which grasses provide the ideal habitat for arthropods will ultimately benefit wildlife and people, too, says Virginia Working Landscapes intern Kelsey Schoenemann.

Over the winter, Bornean orangutan Redd learned some new husbandry behaviors! Read the latest #OrangutanStory from primate keeper Erin Stromberg. 

Two peanuts sit on a tray. One is beneath the curve of a tool; the other is beside a different tool, out of reach. Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Allen’s swamp monkey Nub Armstrong is eyeing both. Will he pick the tool that brings the peanut toward him? To examine whether guenons understand how tools...

A tiny egg nestled in an incubator at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute began wiggling and cracking April 22 until a featherless Guam kingfisher chick emerged. Guam kingfishers are extinct in the wild and only approximately 140 live in human care, making every chick extremely precious.

In November 2018, Smithsonian researchers spent two weeks in Peru counting and identifying fish. In part two of this story, meet more of the animals they encountered and find out how their work could help protect wildlife in this part of the Amazon.

This summer visitors can travel back millions of years as the Zoo presents "Dino Summer” featuring two dinosaur experiences of prehistoric proportions — “Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live,” a theater production with a larger-than-life cast of dinosaur puppets, and “DinoRoars,” an outdoor exhibit of six...

One fish, two fish, red-blue Peru tetra fish. In November 2018, Smithsonian researchers spent two weeks in Peru counting and identifying fish. In this photo essay, see some of the animals they discovered.

Wood turtles are endangered and can be difficult to find in the wild because of their cryptic nature and frequently small populations, but scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) found that environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to find them much faster. 

American Trail keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Crystal, a female gray wolf who was humanely euthanized Sunday, April 21. At 14 years old, Crystal was considered geriatric for her species.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's dedicated staff are at the forefront of shaping the world’s understanding of animals and their habitats. Wildlife conservation is their passion. And, they are women.

Humans have Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. Wire-tailed manakins have social networks, too. For more than 17 years, Smithsonian ornithologist Brandt Ryder has studied this bird's unique social systems. Learn more in this Q&A.

It is hard to believe that an entire year has passed since the day that Moke, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo's infant western lowland gorilla, was born. In the blink of an eye, he has grown from a fragile newborn to a rambunctious youngster.

Virtual visitors to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s website will soon be able to watch naked mole-rats on two live webcams broadcasting the activities of the small, blind, subterranean-dwelling rodents.

In a rural area of west China, the highest railroad on earth transports visitors from Qinghai to Tibet (QTR).

April 7 is International Beaver Day, so sink your (orange) teeth into these fun beaver facts!

Lemurs like to do more than move it, move it. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, these primates party! Every April, animal keepers throw a big birthday bash for the Zoo’s ring-tailed lemurs, black-and-white ruffed lemurs and red-fronted lemur to raise awareness about these critically endangered...

Stories about amphibians don’t always end with “happily ever after,” but scientists around the globe, including Brian Gratwicke at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, are working together to rewrite frogs’ fate.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is otterly delighted to introduce Coquille, Potomac and Nash — American Trail’s adorable North American river otter pups! Get the latest news in this PUPdate.

Springtime at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has arrived, and we are looking forward to warmer weather, longer days and many exciting events.

See a list of events being held at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo from April through the beginning of June 2019.

Fishing cats are vulnerable in the wild across South and Southeast Asia, and sightings by scientists are few and far between. Not many of these small spotted cats live in zoos either, which could spell trouble for the entire species.

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 (may-SHONG) March 28.

An international study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found that a fungal disease has caused dramatic population declines in at least 501 amphibian species, including 90 extinctions, over the past 50 years.