News Archive

Guam kingfishers are incredibly rare and difficult to breed, so we are thrilled to be closing out the breeding season with four new chicks. This has been our biggest year to date — and one of our busiest!

Spindly legs and thick, red fur have earned them the nickname “foxes on stilts,” but maned wolves are neither fox nor wolf. Today, researchers are monitoring maned wolves' heart rates to learn more about these unique and charismatic canids.

Breeding season is the most demanding time of year for the bird team at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, but it can also be the most rewarding.

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute carnivore keeper Adri Kopp and intern Shannon Richard share the latest news on Echo's cheetah cubs, from weigh-ins to water play. 

For the first time in the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s (SCBI) history, ungulate keepers celebrated the birth of a male Hartmann’s mountain zebra at the Front Royal, Virginia, facility. The colt was born overnight July 2 to 6-year-old mother Mackenzie and 5-year-old father Rogan. 

Celebrate the Fourth of July with one of America's most precious national treasures: the black-footed ferret! SCBI carnivore keeper Vicki Lake shares the story of mom Potpie and her six kits as they grow, play and prepare to help save their species from extinction.

In May, the cheetah cubs born April 8 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute experienced many exciting “firsts”—from passing their veterinary exam, to receiving their names, to taking a taste of their mother Echo’s diet. 

In April, animal keepers celebrated the birth of two extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher chicks. Find out more about the new chicks in this update from keeper Erica Royer.

Meet Amabala, Jabari, Hasani and Erindi! Now that the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah cubs have names (thanks to your votes) keepers have bestowed them upon the cubs.

What does the world outside the cheetah cubs’ den look like? Keeper Amber Dedrick offers a look at the world beyond the webcam's view. 

Mother’s Day was extra special for carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, who welcomed the year’s first litter of black-footed ferret kits Sunday. Two-year-old female Potpie gave birth throughout the morning May 10 to six kits. Staff are...

The cubs are back on the webcam, but bigger and with a bite! Read on for more.

Ungulate keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of two elderly American Bison, a male named Ten Bears and a female named Kicking Bird, who were humanely euthanized May 14. They were both 22 years old. 

Hot on the tailfeathers of a white-naped crane chick and two Guam kingfisher chicks, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s bird team celebrated the arrival of yet another rare resident—a brown kiwi! 

Bird keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are celebrating the arrival of two Guam kingfisher chicks that hatched April 21 and 23. They are the first offspring for 11-month-old father Animu and 2-year-old mother Giha.

From the arrival of adorable chicks to award-winning excellence in animal care, much is brewing behind the scenes at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. 

In this week’s #cubdate, we take you behind the scenes at a cub weighing! 

It was a busy week for Echo’s cheetah cubs! Not only did Echo move them to a new den, but keepers were able to weigh the cubs and determine their sex.

There are only 135 Guam kingfishers in the world, but scientists around the world are working to change that by breeding the species for release in the near future.

Today was a big day for keepers and cheetah cubs alike. For the first time, keepers were able to approach the four cubs born April 8. Learn more in this Q&A with cheetah biologist Adrienne Crosier.

Bird keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, are celebrating the arrival of a female white-naped crane chick that hatched April 2. She is the fourth chick for parents Brenda and Eddie and is the 46th to hatch at SCBI. 

A brief #cubdate on cheetah Echo and her four newborn cubs. Watch them live on the Cheetah Cub Cam.

Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, are about to welcome a litter of chirping cheetah cubs. Five-year-old female Echo is having contractions and birthed one cub already shortly after 11 a.m., which can be viewed via the Cheetah Cam. 

As an animal keeper at SCBI, some of my favorite birds to work with are small but sassy. Guam kingfishers certainly fall into this category. We have three pairs to introduce during this year's breeding season, so we have our work cut out for us.

Here at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, the carnivore team is gearing up for a very special arrival: cheetah cubs! As one of 10 facilities in the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, we study the behavior, biology, health and reproduction of these rare cats.