News Archive

By Pierre Comizzoli, SCBI Scientist Some of the most amazing and rarest wildlife on the planet lives in the arid Sahelo-Sahara region of Africa. An enormous band of land, crossing Africa from east to west, this area incorporates the great Sahara Desert and the Sahel grasslands that border it. The...

Maintaining the genetic diversity of giant pandas living in human care is a science?an exact science. SCBI scientist Jonathan Ballou determines how well-represented an individual panda's genes are in the captive population and makes breeding recommendations. In this panda update he explains how he...

Just before midnight on May 17, the mewling of a newborn kitten delighted keepers at the National Zoo's Asia Trail. The kitten's mother, Electra, had two kittens last year on May 18 (see below for more information on last year's births). The adjacent photo depicts the first time that the mother...

At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, the seals of American Trail are ready to splash down and make their big debut! To help the marine mammals acclimate to their new surroundings, animal care staff added 24,000 pounds of salt to the 125,000 gallon pool last week. Yesterday, three gray seals—Gunther...

The Andean Bear exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo will be double the fun when twin cubs make their debut Saturday, May 11. The male and female cubs, named Curt and Nicole, were born at the Zoo Dec. 14, 2012, and are significant births for the population of Andean bears in human care. They...

In a poll conducted on the Zoo's Facebook page, 830 fans elected to name the cub Hank, a moniker that combines the cubs' parents' names, Hana and Francois. "Hank" proved to be more popular than "Ravi" or "Bandar," which received 615 and 219 votes, respectively. It's important for Hank to know his...

The National Zoo will soon welcome Bozie, a 37-year-old female Asian elephant, into the Zoo's existing herd. She will be on loan from the Baton Rouge Zoo. Bozie's last companion at the Baton Rouge Zoo died in March. Elephants are social species and to meet Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards...

WHAT:Twin Andean bear cubs, Curt and Nicole, will make their media debut in their yard with their mother Billie Jean; their public debut is Saturday, May 11 WHEN:Tuesday, May 7 10 a.m.—11:30 a.m. WHO: Craig Saffoe, curator of Andean bears, Smithsonian's National Zoo Karen Abbott, Andean bear keeper...

Animal care staff at the National Zoo welcomed a new resident to Elephant Trails May 22—Bozie, a 37-year-old female Asian elephant. She arrived safely and is now in quarantine for approximately 30 days. Elephant Manager Marie Galloway, Zoo Veterinarian Nancy Boedeker, and a keeper from the Baton...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is inviting its Facebook fans to name one of Asia Trails' most adventurous and charismatic critters: a sloth bear cub. Starting Wednesday, May 1, the Zoo is hosting a poll on its Facebook page; fans can vote for their favorite among three names that keepers selected to...

We have some exciting news for all of our panda cam watchers! The panda cams, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund, are going to be gradually upgraded. But in order to make the changes the cams will be turned off for a few weeks. The cams will most likely go dark around at the end of May and...

A 7-year-old sand cat named Thor is the newest addition to the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Small Mammal House exhibit. Thor will serve as an ambassador to his wild cousins and teach Zoo visitors and researchers about the behaviors of this secretive species. Native to Northern Africa, Southern Asia...

On Earth Day 2014, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute launched the "Endangered Song Project," an analog-meets-digital outreach campaign that asked 400 participants to help raise awareness about the fact that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. We...

Both Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are returning to their normal routines, following the breeding season. Occasionally, we are still seeing some scent-marking or some restlessness, but their appetites have returned, and both are spending their days exploring their yards independently, with little interest...

Baby marmoset monkeys that began eating solid food earlier than their peers were significantly more likely to be obese at one year of age, scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have found. Marmosets on track for...

This week's Giant Panda Update is from Mike Maslanka, head of the Department of Nutrition Science at the Zoo. It's 6:15 a.m. It's dark and cold outside. Many folks around D.C. are still arguing with the snooze button. But in the morning darkness, the garage door of the Commissary at the Smithsonian...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is mourning the loss of its elderly white-cheeked gibbon, a female named Mae, who died April 8. She was 43 years old and lived well past the median life expectancy of zoo gibbons, which is about 28 years old. Mae arrived at the National Zoo in 1976 from the Los Angeles...

Our 15 week-old sloth bear cub had a check up yesterday, and he received a clean bill of health! Veterinarians examined his eyes, mouth and nose; they listened to his heart and lungs; and they checked his limbs and feet. He also received his first vaccinations. As a treat for cooperating for the...

Reproductive scientists and veterinarians from the Smithsonian's National Zoo alongside Tang Chunxiang, the assistant director and chief veterinarian of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at Wolong performed a second artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang...

Reproductive scientists and veterinarians from the Smithsonian's National Zoo, alongside Tang Chunxiang, the assistant director and chief veterinarian of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at Wolong performed a second artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang on...

Spring has sprung and the giant pandas are breeding again at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Scientists detected a rise in urinary estrogens March 26, in its female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG). This rise and her behaviors indicated that Mei Xiang was in estrus and ready to breed. A team of Zoo...

Spring has sprung and the giant pandas are breeding again at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Scientists detected a rise in urinary estrogens March 26, in its female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG). This rise and her behaviors indicated that Mei Xiang was in estrus and ready to breed. A team of Zoo...

The clouded leopard cubs born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., Feb. 6, are healthy and growing. At nearly two months old, they just received their first vaccinations. As they have grown, their diet has changed to match their appetites and nutritional needs. When...

Breeding season has arrived! Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are exhibiting behaviors indicating that they are ready to breed; and Mei Xiang's hormones have begun to rise. That rise indicates that she is in estrus. Our giant panda breeding team — including Zoo keepers, reproductive scientists, veterinarians...

Asia Trail curator and keeper staff have determined the sex of our 3-month-old sloth bear cub: it's a boy! Keepers report that the cub is quite daring and adventurous; he will balance himself atop wobbly enrichment toys (such as logs and boomer balls) and has recently taken to climbing the mesh in...