Zoo News Archive
Jun. 20, 2017
In the largest camera-trap study ever conducted in a forest canopy, Smithsonian scientists and partners found that tree-dwelling mammals were willing to travel using intentionally preserved natural...
Jun. 16, 2017
It's nesting season. In April, the Reptile Discovery Center's Cuban crocodile Blanche built up a large mound nest. She constructed the nest by kicking up the mulch in the exhibit into a central...
Jun. 14, 2017
With temperatures soaring, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo continues to take good care of its creatures — human and non-human alike! Find out what keepers do for animals in this heat.
Jun. 13, 2017
The James Smithson Bicentennial Medal will be presented Sept. 28 to Harrison Ford and Betty White to honor their commitment to wildlife and efforts to create a sustainable planet. The medals will be...
Jun. 02, 2017
In April, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s chief veterinarian joined colleagues in South Africa to investigate an ancient disease that has the potential to collapse the entire ecosystem: bovine...
Jun. 02, 2017
Neither wind, nor rain, nor dark of night can stop a songbird’s migration. Crossing the Gulf of Mexico, a popular stopover site, can take a 24 hour non-stop flight. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center...
Jun. 02, 2017
Join us for the return of D.C.'s biggest best beer festival, Brew at the Zoo, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 20 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Member tickets go on sale on June 8.
Jun. 02, 2017
Venture into the Reptile Discovery Center and find more than 70 species, including crocodilians, snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and salamanders. Follow keepers Kyle Miller and Matt Neff as they...
Jun. 02, 2017
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...
Jun. 01, 2017
Ninety Limosa harlequin frogs bred in human care are braving the elements of the wild after Smithsonian scientists sent them out into the Panamanian rainforest as part of their first-ever release...
May. 26, 2017
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s team of reproductive scientists, veterinarians and panda keepers performed two artificial inseminations on female giant panda Mei...
May. 24, 2017
Four years after conservationists relocated 570 desert tortoises in California from a threatened habitat to a nearby location, the tortoises outwardly appeared to have successfully acclimated....
May. 23, 2017
Mei Xiang, the Zoo’s 18-year-old female giant panda, is showing behavioral and physical signs of estrus.
May. 18, 2017
Bei Bei is a bit of a daredevil. Although eating and sleeping are still his favorite pastimes, the giant panda cub also loves to climb trees. Lately, he has been climbing trees in his yard and...
May. 18, 2017
The loss of intact forest cover in Myanmar has accelerated over the past decade, according to a study by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists and partners published May 17 in...
May. 17, 2017
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is celebrating the upcoming Endangered Species Day (May 19) with a slew of new births of endangered and vulnerable species. The births have...
May. 11, 2017
You've explored the Smithsonian's National Zoo. But not like this. FONZ Members now have exclusive access to the FONZ Member Cyber Safari: Passport to Asia, a scavenger hunt that'll take you all...
May. 09, 2017
2017 Mad Island field season is underway for Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientists at the Clive Runnells Family Mad Island Marsh Preserve!
May. 05, 2017
Learn a few fun facts about these beautiful birds, and see them in person during your next visit to the Zoo's Bird House outdoor exhibit!
May. 05, 2017
Go behind the scenes with animal keepers Emily Bricker, Melba Brown and Alexandra Reddy as they care for some of the most endangered primates in the world.
May. 05, 2017
It’s not easy to be low on the food chain. But white-bearded wildebeests face a threat even greater than lions and leopards. Habitat loss and fragmentation are causing an alarming collapse in their...
May. 05, 2017
Every fall, forest elephants venture onto Shell Gabon’s Yenzi camp in search of mangos, putting both animals and humans in jeopardy. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists are helping...
May. 03, 2017
The period of a migratory bird’s annual cycle thought to be the most perilous—its twice-annual journeys over oceans and inhospitable landscapes—is also the least understood. A new collaborative study...
Apr. 28, 2017
In March, female Cuban crocodile Rose underwent a series of tests to determine if she is still capable of producing healthy eggs. It all began with an egg — a perfectly smooth, white, oval-shaped,...
Apr. 27, 2017
The ability of some conifer forests to recover after severe fire may become increasingly limited as the climate continues to warm, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists found...
