News Archive

For the first time, a tropical sea urchin — a species intrinsically linked to the long-term health and survival of coral reefs — was grown successfully from cryopreserved embryos.

Kids’ Farm keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of Rose—a 19-year-old female Hereford who was humanely euthanized July 25.

With temperatures soaring, the Zoo continues to take good care of its creatures — human and non-human alike! Find out what keepers do for animals in this heat.

We want to let you know about an incident that occurred at a company that we use to send email communications to our community about our programs and events. The company, WordFly, was the victim of a ransomware attack.

At 9 months old, Rosalie's cubs are teething!

Happy National Zookeeper Week! Meet the dedicated professionals who go above and beyond for the animals in our care.

What does feeding time look like for five growing cheetah cubs and their mom? Watch the video to find out how fast Rosalie and her cubs can devour more than 10 pounds of meat.

Get to know the intelligent, elusive black tree monitor in this Q&A with the assistant curator of Reptile Discovery Center.

Many of the Zoo’s animals are built for extreme temperatures, including the fennec fox! Learn how animal keepers care for these desert dwelling foxes.

They’re sweet, outgoing and always in the mood for food. Meet Scarlet, Xena and Taizong, the new red pandas at our Front Royal, Virginia, campus!

Did you know that the fuzzier an animal is, the better it picks up pollen? Or that most pollination happens by happy accident? Get the buzz on pollinators from Donna Stockton, an entomologist and animal keeper at Amazonia.

For the first time, a whooping crane—one of the most endangered species of crane in the world —hatched May 26 and is thriving at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia.

The ocean has many unusual inhabitants, but few are as strange and ancient as the horseshoe crab.

Put your senses to the test at the Claws and Paws Pathway! Follow your nose to the binturongs, who smell like buttered popcorn, and keep your eyes peeled for petite Pallas’s cats hiding in plain sight. Get the scoop on the Zoo’s newest residents from curator Craig Saffoe.

In March and April, keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, celebrated the arrival of two male kiwi chicks! Get to know them in this update from the bird team.

Slow down for a minute and meet the Zoo’s turtle-y awesome Asian box turtles! Read on to find out what it takes to care for Bourret’s box turtles and other species.

Prowl the new Claws & Paws Pathway exhibit opening to the public Friday, May 27. Visitors will encounter a North American porcupine, bobcats and the Zoo’s newest residents — binturongs and Pallas’s cats.

Wood turtles are one of the most endangered freshwater turtles in North America. To ensure a future for these reptiles, scientists first need to understand where wood turtles remain and how many are left.

We are sad to share that our male harbor seal, Rabbit, died May 13. He was 15 years old.

Staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are devastated and mourning the loss of 25 American flamingos and one Northern pintail duck killed by a fox yesterday in the Zoo’s outdoor flamingo habitat.

Meet the cutest clump of “moss” you ever did see: the Vietnamese mossy frog! In spring, the Reptile Discovery Center team celebrated the arrival of 50 hatchlings. Learn what it takes to set the mood for mossy frog mating from assistant curator Matt Evans.

Snot otter, devil dog, or hellbender? Whatever name you call them, they are largest salamander in the Americas. Check out how animal keeper Matt Neff cares for and studies these unique salamanders!

Young animals learn what it means to be an animal—what to eat, how to behave and more—from their parents. For Yipes, our 1-year-old male Hartmann’s mountain zebra, those lessons most recently came from his father, 7-year-old Rogan.

April, or Ape-ril, is a great time to recognize our apes because many of them celebrate their birthdays this month!

'Hoppy' Amphibian Awareness Week! All week long, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute will be sharing stories about amazing amphibians and the scientists working to save them from extinction.