News Archive

American Trail keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of Gunther, a 33-year-old male gray seal who died Jan. 18.

Every Zoo animal receives special care, but some need a little extra support to keep them healthy and active.

A brave and curious gray seal pup is making a splash on American Trail! Two-year-old female Jo-Jo was rescued from the wild and made her debut at the Zoo in January. Get to know her in this Q+A with assistant curator Rebecca Sturniolo.

Behold a brunch between a sloth and a golden lion tamarin, catch a close-up of newborn black-footed ferret kits and get a glimpse of giant pandas gorging themselves on bamboo shoots. All of these events (and more) made for a memorable May at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology...

From whiskers to flippers and a penchant for fish, seals and sea lions have a lot in common. So how can you tell these pinnipeds apart?

A stroll down American Trail brings visitors face-to-face with swimming sea lions, busy beavers and resourceful ravens. What visitors may not see are the dedicated keepers working hard behind the scenes preparing diets, training animals and cleaning habitats. Get a glimpse into a day in the life of...

The youngest members of American Trail’s pinniped family have made quite the splash this summer. In June, sea lion Catalina celebrated her first birthday. Meanwhile, 7-month-old gray seal Birdie is mastering some important training behaviors.

How do keepers ensure a gray seal’s teeth are healthy? American Trail animal keeper Diana Vogel is training the Zoo’s 26-year-old male gray seal, Gunther, to voluntarily participate in dental radiographs. Why does Gunther need dental radiographs? When we ask our gray seals to open their mouths on...

In the early morning hours Jan. 21, American Trail keepers welcomed a fifth seal to the colony! For the past two weeks, the female pup has been bonding with mom, Kara, in an off-exhibit area and growing quickly. Get the scoop on our newest baby from assistant curator Rebecca Sturniolo in this Q&A.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s American Trail team is celebrating the arrival of a female gray seal pup, born Jan. 21 at 12:43 a.m. to mother Kara.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo’s senior female gray seal, Selkie, died today. At 43 years old, Selkie was the oldest gray seal living in human care. The lifespan of a wild gray seal is usually 25 or 30 years. Typically, female gray seals in human care can live close to 40 years; male seals live...

Starting July 2, gray seal pup Rona will be on exhibit! Read about her progress in the latest keeper update from Chelsea Grubb. As Rona grows, are you seeing her personality develop? Rona is a really amazing animal, and we are so lucky to be able to watch her develop physically, socially and...

This Update Was Written By American Trail Keeper Chelsea Grubb. Where is the seal pup? Our seal pup has an entire holding pool to herself behind-the-scenes of American trail! She is neighbors with her mom (Kara), grandmother (Selkie), and aunt (Kjya). Although they are separated from the pup by a...

Our seal pup is growing by leaps and bounds! She has weaned herself from tube feedings and nursing and is now eating fish. Keepers feed her about 8 pounds of fish each day now. She also has been separated from her mom Kara, which is normal. In the wild seal pups only spend a few weeks with their...

After a tough start, our new seal pup appears to be thriving and rapidly gaining weight! She now weighs 60 pounds; that's almost double her birth weight. Gray seals generally nurse from their mothers for about 15 to 20 days. Our team of keepers and veterinarians continue to supplement nursing with...

Animal keepers at the National Zoo have been hand feeding a female gray seal pup, born January 21, 2014, at 10:21 p.m., in the holding area of the seal exhibit on American Trail. Zoo keepers, veterinarians and nutritionists have been closely monitoring the pup and her mother, Kara. Within 48 hours...

gray seal splashdown video