News Archive

Lebanon’s majestic cedar forests are the country's national symbol. Yet the famous forests and the animals that live there have declined precipitously as the result of logging, invasive species, human encroachment and hunting. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s (SCBI) Center for...

Elephants playfully roll in sand dunes. Sloth bears lounge in hammocks, woven by keepers. Giant pandas gobble up birthday cakes garnished with their favorite foods. Enriching toys, environments, foods and experiences abound at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo as part of the Animal Enrichment and...

Ms. Chips, a two-toed sloth and longtime resident of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, died overnight Jan. 2. She was 46 years old. The median life expectancy for female two-toed sloths in human care is 15 years old.

There’s a new tiger in town! Meet Pavel, a 10-year-old Amur tiger who lives at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Great Cats habitat. He made his debut this week and is the first of his endangered species to be on exhibit here in 70 years. In this Q&A, get the scoop on Pavel from Great Cats curator...

Some of the most endangered species on the planet can be found at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Cheetah Conservation Station. Get a glimpse behind-the-scenes at a day in the life of keepers who work with animals, ranging from the graceful dama gazelle to the speedy cheetah, from assistant curator...

Guam rails are classified as extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and partners are working to change the birds’ fate. Last September, SCBI deputy director Will Pitt and animal keeper Erica Royer...

For the first time since 1948, the Great Cats habitat at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is once again home to an Amur tiger, a 10-year-old male named Pavel.

Hoofstock keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of Yvonne, a 15-year-old female Hartmann’s mountain zebra who was humanely euthanized Dec. 31, 2017. The median life expectancy for a female of this species is 15 years.

There is a brand new band of brothers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. A coalition of two male cheetahs made their debut at the Cheetah Conservation Station yesterday, Dec. 21.

A new study from the Smithsonian and partners presents the most comprehensive evolutionary family tree for the eight known species of pangolins—one of Earth's most evolutionarily unique animals and the world's most trafficked mammal.

As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, the pandas are spending more time in their yards. Panda keepers sometimes get asked by the visitors why we place the bamboo and enrichment items in the places that we do when we set up the yards.

Western lowland gorilla Calaya recently entered her second trimester of pregnancy. Just like other members of the great ape family—including humans—gorillas experience weight gain, and some experience bouts of morning sickness.

A new study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is helping to make headway in an area of animal management that has historically proven challenging: the breeding of cheetahs under human care.

ZooLights visitors will have the opportunity to attend GRUMP, a European-style outdoor market, Dec. 15, 16 and 17 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Caring for many bird species—from the itty bitty indigo bunting to the giant greater rhea—is all in a day’s work for Bird House keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Although renovations to transform the building into the brand new Experience Migration exhibit are well underway, keepers are...

Next week, 4-year-old male Andean bear Quito will make his debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo! Get the scoop on the new guy in town from animal keeper Sara Colandrea and assistant curator Leigh Pitsko.

When western lowland gorilla Calaya first arrived at the Zoo, she was unfamiliar with many husbandry behaviors. Then, one Day, animal keeper Melba Brown had an 'aha' moment. She noticed that Calaya would often watch other gorillas interact with keepers.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute hatched two Guam rail chicks earlier this month. The hatchings are a boon for the species, which is currently classified as “extinct in the wild” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN), although there are small populations that...

Bei Bei started showing signs of abdominal discomfort overnight Saturday, Nov. 25. As a result, the panda team began monitoring him closely. He passed a mucous stool on Sunday, Nov. 26, and began eating and defecating normally again. As of Wednesday, Nov. 29, Bei Bei is bright, alert and fully...

Excitement abounds at the Great Ape House as animal keepers prepare western lowland gorilla Calaya for motherhood. Even before she arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2015, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan coordinators were matchmaking Calaya with male silverback...

With a new statistical tool from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, researchers can take data and better understand the strength of migratory connectivity—whether and when populations spread out or stay together in different seasons of the year—in a quantitative way.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Przewalksi's horse colt Zygmund (or “Ziggy” as keepers affectionately refer to him) is growing into a powerful stallion.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Director Dennis Kelly plans to retire after a temporary appointment as the interim president of Smithsonian Enterprises. Effective Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, Steven Monfort will become acting director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo, in collaboration with CulturalDC, will host Washington, D.C.’s first mobile art gallery during ZooLights, powered by Pepco, the Zoo’s annual free holiday lights festival from Nov. 24 through Jan. 1 (except Dec. 24, 25 and 31).

Tian Tian had a preventative health exam yesterday. He was taken to the veterinary hospital, which allowed our veterinarians to get an up-close and in-depth look at him while he was under anesthesia.