News Archive

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo recently welcomed a new sloth bear into its zoological family. Niko, a 2-year-old male, arrived Oct. 6 from NaturZoo Rheine in Germany and joins 3-year-old female sloth bear Remi at the Zoo’s Asia Trail exhibit.

On Sept. 28, 450 party animals gathered for some Monkey Business—the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s first-ever gala. Set in the tropical rainforest of Borneo, the evening honored Harrison Ford and Betty White with the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal for their many...

SCBI is part of the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program, which currently has a genomics workgroup that’s focused on better understanding the species genome and its role in breeding success.

How do arboreal species in South America—such as the spider monkey and the tamandua—use tree canopies to move from place to place? Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute biologist Tremaine Gregory scaled the forest to find out. As a member of the Center for Conservation and Sustainability team...

For the first time ever, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has teamed up with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to track the migration of brown pelicans. In this Q&A below, research ecologist Autumn-Lynn Harrison talks about the migration.

In 2016, the international import of 201 salamander species into the United States was restricted in an effort to prevent the newly discovered deadly salamander fungal disease, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), from entering the country. In a new study, Smithsonian Conservation Biology...

We are sad to share that one of red panda Nutmeg’s cubs born June 14 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, was euthanized Oct. 4. Keepers rushed her to the veterinary hospital after they noticed that she was minimally responsive and had lost weight since her...

These bats have been dead for more than a century, but they are finding a second “life” as a research specimen. It may sound like a spooky science fiction story, but it is actually the work of scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics and the...

A stroll down American Trail brings visitors face-to-face with swimming sea lions, busy beavers and resourceful ravens. What visitors may not see are the dedicated keepers working hard behind the scenes preparing diets, training animals and cleaning habitats. Get a glimpse into a day in the life of...

Video Visitors seeking to inject a jolt of fun into their trip to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo need look no further than Amazonia’s Electric Fishes Demonstration Lab! The exhibit, which opened Oct. 6, features six species of fish that emit powerful charges, pulses and waves in order to navigate...

The Amazonia Exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is buzzing with a current from a brand-new Electric Fishes Demonstration Lab, opening Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. The multisensory lab is home to a 5-foot-long electric eel, capable of generating up to 800 volts of electricity, four black ghost knifefish...

Two female Guam rails born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, were released to the wild in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Sept. 18. This month’s release marks the first time since 1985 that there are more Guam rails in the wild than in human...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is mourning the loss of 12-year-old alpaca, Ziggy, who died Sept. 23.

The 3,200-acre Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Va.—which is the headquarters for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s conservation science initiatives and is normally closed to the public—will open its gates Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Conservation...

The Cheetah Conservation Station at the Smithsonian's National Zoo is celebrating a baby boom of critically endangered dama gazelles. Three calves were born Aug. 30, Sept. 16 and Sept. 18 to mothers Adara, Fahima and Zafirah, respectively.

The giant panda team at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has determined that Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) will not give birth this year.

On Sept. 13, Smithsonian scientists and partners published a groundbreaking new book, "Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations," which addresses one of today's greatest conservation challenges.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo transported its 9-week-old male Sumatran tiger cub to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where he will live and thrive with another young male tiger cub.

The panda team is still waiting to find out if Mei Xiang will give birth or if she is experiencing a pseudopregnancy. Giant pandas’ hormones and behavior mimic a pregnancy even if they are experiencing a pseudopregnancy.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is hosting Enrichment Day Sept. 16, ZooFiesta Sept. 24 and Conservation Discovery Day Oct. 7.

After a five-year hiatus, Cheetah Conservation Station keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are celebrating the birth of a critically endangered dama gazelle. The male calf was born in an off-exhibit enclosure Aug. 30.

ZooLights—powered by Pepco—at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is wilder than ever and a perfect holiday event for everyone in the family. Now in its 11th year, the annual free lights festival twinkles from Nov. 24 through Jan. 1, 2018 (except Dec. 24, 25 and 31) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

What happens when a migratory bird’s path lands it right in an urban area like Washington, D.C.? The city is known for its extensive park system, but can these urban parks support wild birds through the breeding season? Moreover, how do birds’ natural behaviors change when they’re living the city...