News Archive

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) welcomed a litter of three cheetah cubs Sept. 22. The cubs were born to first-time mother, Sukiri.

Primate keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Muneca, a white-cheeked gibbon who was humanely euthanized this morning.

Five-month-old western lowland gorilla, Moke, has been spending some quality time with his father, says primate keeper Melba Brown. 

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has been awarded a five-year accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The accreditation certifies that the Zoo has met or exceeded the AZA’s standards for animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and...

Friends of the National Zoo volunteers are helping primate keepers monitor how our western lowland gorillas interact with one another, says primate keeper Melba Brown. 

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is buzzing over a new pollinator-themed playground: Me and the Bee, sponsored by Land O’Lakes Inc. Adjacent to the Kids’ Farm and Conservation Pavilion, Me and the Bee encompasses 4,900 square feet of space where children of all ages can climb atop honeycomb steps...

Steven Monfort has been named the John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, effective Sept. 17.

The façade of the Great Ape House is getting a “bee-autiful” makeover. Beginning Sept. 17, artist Matthew Willey will put paint to the popular primate exhibit, creating a larger-than-life swarm of honeybees to highlight the importance of pollinator conservation.

Moke is 5 months old! Check out primate keeper Melba Brown's latest update on our western lowland gorillas. 

Cheetah Conservation Station keepers are celebrating the birth of a critically endangered Dama gazelle.

Western lowland gorilla Moke celebrated his mom's birthday and is learning through play, says primate keeper Melba Brown. 

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's seven cubs are thriving! They received a clean bill of health at their first veterinary exam.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, will host a day of science-filled activities for college and high school-aged students Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Smithsonian researchers are busy in the Peruvian Amazon monitoring wildlife around areas where pipelines, roads and other infrastructure may be built.

Migratory bird conservation is taking flight at zoos and aquariums, according to a new paper published in Zoo Biology. The study outlines the role that Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institutions are currently playing or could play in the conservation and management of native songbirds...

Nearly 50 percent of the planet is covered by the high seas, referred to as the “Wild West” of the ocean and among the least protected areas in the world. In September, the United Nations will convene to discuss the management of the high seas beyond national jurisdiction and opportunities for...

Follow Primate Keeper Melba Brown's latest #GorillaStory update on 20-week-old western lowland gorilla Moke!

As the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s great apes prepare to go to sleep, they make their beds, then settle in. Just like their wild counterparts, orangutans in zoos build cozy nests.

Global Health Program veterinarian Dr. Marc Valitutto traveled to the Save Vietnam’s Wildlife center in Cuc Phuong National Park, where hundreds of confiscated pangolins are received each year for rehabilitation and hopeful reintroduction back into the wild. 

Follow a day in the life of Virginia Working Landscapes scientists. 

During your next visit to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, look up—there may be a bear in the treetops! Beorn, a 1-year-old Andean bear, joined our Zoo family this summer.

If you think a blind, nearly hairless rodent that lives underground can’t get much stranger, then buckle up. There’s a lot more to these weird (and wonderful) rodents than meets the eye!

A new naked mole-rat exhibit featuring a colony of 17 of the “nude” rodents at the Small Mammal House will open Sept 1. 

Primate keeper Melba Brown says western lowland gorilla infant Moke's big (and often, humorous) personality is beginning to emerge. 

The iconic song of the American West, “Home on the Range,” got a key detail wrong — buffalo never roamed the region! But bison still do. Isn’t it time you learned why?