News Archive

By: Lauren Augustine Happy Reptile Awareness Day! This Croc blog is going to be a little different because it's actually about gharials! I recently visited India and I was able to see two amazing species in the wild: gharial and mugger crocodile. My colleagues and I were graciously hosted by local...

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All of the world's coral face global threats from ocean warming and acidification making coral reefs one of most extinction-prone ecosystems on the planet. The algae that live inside the coral are an important link in this process, and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists are...

By: Lauren Augustine During the first few months of their lives, our baby Cuban crocodiles are meticulously monitored to ensure they are growing properly. In addition getting an initial weight from them after they hatched, RDC keepers frequently weigh them each month to ensure they are eating and...

Pollination study in southern Costa Rica on a coffee farm.

On October 8, vets performed an exam on Bei Bei. He weighed in at 5.9 pounds. His eyes are now fully open and he is getting more active and rambunctious. He also received his first vaccination. Before the full veterinary exam, our chief veterinarian Don Neiffer settled the panda cub by massaging two...

What better way is there for students to learn about the environment than being immersed in it? That’s how students at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) are learning about animals and their ecosystems. The school welcomes students and professionals from all over the world to live...

Seven loggerhead shrikes that hatched in May have become the first of their species born at SCBI to be released into the wild! Now in Canada, they're helping to bolster native populations. But why are these “butcher birds” in decline? Hear from animal keeper Chris Crowe how SCBI is trying to crack...

For the first time ever, zoos will have access to the most comprehensive information about female African lion reproduction as the result of an eight-year study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and partners. The findings were published Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the scientific...

Look at those toes! Our favorite panda cam shot from our #PandaStory Flickr album this week was from user partipersian. Look at those toes! Our favorite panda cam shot from our #PandaStory Flickr album this week was from user partipersian. A photo posted by Smithsonian's National Zoo (...

Yesterday, before Bei Bei's full veterinary exam our chief veterinarian Dr. Don Neiffer settled the little panda cub by massaging two pressure points at the base of his skull. And Bei Bei really seemed to enjoy it. He closed his eyes, rested his chin on Dr. Neiffer's hand and relaxed. #PandaStory ​...

Keepers had a chance to weigh Bei Bei on Thursday, October 1, when Mei Xiang left her den to eat. He now weighs about 5 lbs. This is an increase of a pound since he was weighed last week! Vets also did a thorough checkup and took some body measurements. Bei Bei's head to the tip of his tail measures...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. is celebrating the birth of two male Eld's deer, an endangered species native to Myannmar. The first fawn, pictured here, was born Sept. 26 to 7-year-old mother Sherri and 6-year-old father Nam Tann. On Sept. 27, a second fawn was...

The classic nose to nose nuzzle! Thanks to Janet Crouse for sharing. Post fav cam screenshots of#BeiBei˜and Mei Xiang to our#PandaStory˜Flickr group. We'll share a great one each week! Keepers had a chance to weigh Bei Bei on Oct. 1. He now weighs 4.5 lbs. (2070g)?half a pound increase since he was...

Q: What do we call a giant panda cub sneeze? A: Bei Bei choo! #PandaStory #BeiBei @michelleobama @smithsonian ​ Q: What do we call a giant panda cub sneeze? A: Bei Bei choo! #PandaStory #BeiBei @michelleobama @smithsonian A video posted by Smithsonian's National Zoo (@smithsonianzoo) on Sep 29, 2015...

Why is it difficult to breed cheetahs in human care? Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists addressed that question in a PLOS-ONE paper paper entitled, "Motile Sperm Output by Male Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) Managed Ex Situ Is Influenced by Public Exposure and Number of Care...

In summer 2015, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute celebrated the birth of seven scimitar-horned oryx calves. When keepers noticed that a female calf named Esmerelda wasn't getting the maternal care she needed, they leapt into action. Keeper Dolores Reed bottle-fed Esmerelda, and now she...

This weekend, Oct. 3 and 4, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Va., will open to the public for its annual Autumn Conservation Festival. Held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Festival will allow visitors to explore the scenic facility, view endangered species—such as...

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) announced that the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute received Top Honors in marketing for budgets under $175,000 for their Endangered Song Project.

In a study published Sept. 28 in the journal Nature Plants, a team led by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists found that bigger trees suffer the most during droughts, regardless of location or forest type. The team, including ecologists Kristina Anderson-Teixeira and Amy...

On September 17, an 4-year-old female Eld's deer was spooked during a semiannual fire safety check on the sprinkler system at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. The safety test produced a startling noise to which the deer reacted by running into the enclosure's...

This morning, our giant panda cub received his name: Bei Bei or 贝贝 (BAY-BAY)! Bei Bei means "precious, treasure" in Mandarin Chinese and is complementary to his sister's name, Bao Bao. In celebration of the state visit and as a special honor for the cub, the name was selected by First Lady of the...

This morning, Sept. 25, the giant panda cub born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Aug. 22 received his name, Bei Bei (BAY-BAY), which means precious, treasure" and is complementary to his sister's name, Bao Bao. In celebration of the state visit and as a special honor for the cub, the name was...

When Mei Xiang left her den to eat on Sept. 21, keepers took the opportunity to get the latest weight on our not-so-little-anymore giant panda cub. At 4.5 weeks old, the cub weighs 2.95 pounds (1,139 grams). He has now surpassed both of his older siblings in size when they were the same age: Bao Bao...