News Archive

When did the elephants leave the Calgary Zoo?

Tuesday May 20, 2014 at 2:30p.m.

 

How do you move an elephant?

Custom-made, 10,000-pound elephant-sized travel crates will keep the females contained and safe while on the move.

 

Calgary Zoo keepers worked slowly and diligently to ensure that...

As part of the Worldwide InstaMeet and the National Zoo's ongoing 125th anniversary celebration, the Zoo invites Instagrammers from across the Washington, D.C., region to help create a digital “weekend in the life of the Zoo” portrait all day Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18. Instagrammers should post their photos to Instagram and tag @SmithsonianZoo using the hashtags #ZooMeet and #WWIM9. The Zoo will select images and Instavideos to post and share through its social channels and website.

The Worldwide InstaMeet is a once-a-year event where Instagram community members from all over the world organize meetups in their respective cities and countries. In addition to visiting animals on exhibit across the Zoo, #ZooMeet participants can attend a number of daily programs that range from “Meet a Mammal” to an elephant-training demonstration to a seal feeding.

A map of the Zoo is available here.

The #EndangeredSong campaign continued this evening at the Smithsonian's National Zoo with a free stripped-down concert by Portugal. The Man. It was the first time the band had performed the #EndangeredSong, titled "Sumatran Tiger," for a live audience. The song will become part of their set list...

Four African lion cubs took a brisk paddle today and passed their swim reliability test. The cubs—three males and one female—were born at the Zoo March 2. All cubs born at the Great Cats exhibit must undergo the swim reliability test and prove that they are ready to be on exhibit. All four cats were...

WHAT: Portgual. The Man will perform a free stripped down concert at the Smithsonian's National Zoo as part of the #EndangeredSong campaign.

WHEN: Monday, May 12
6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
(Please note: The band goes on promptly at 6:30 p.m. Media may arrive at 5:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Band Shell at Lion...

Four African lion cubs took a brisk paddle at the Smithsonian's National Zoo today and passed their swim reliability test. The cubs--three males and one female--were born at the Zoo March 2. All cubs born at the Great Cats exhibit must undergo the swim reliability test and prove that they are ready...

Four month-old sloth bear cub, Remi, ventured outside for the very first time this morning with her surrogate bear moms and dad!

She quickly began exploring her outdoor yard with keepers nearby. They were happy to report that she did very well during her first trip outside, climbing and playing, but...

WHAT:Four 9-week-old African lion cubs will take a swim reliability test (weather permitting) prior to their public debut in June. Following the swim test, two 14-week-old lion cubs will venture into a nearby exhibit as part of their yard introduction process. The older litter will debut to the...

The lion cubs are all doing quite well! Naba's girls weigh about 30 pounds now, and Shera's cubs range from 19 to 20.5 pounds. Shera's cub that had the limp is showing great improvement. His limp is very slight, and his blood-work came back normal this week. In fact, he seems to be outcompeting his...

A six-year-old male brown kiwi named Koa died during the weekend at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. He had not exhibited any warning signs of clinical illness and was found dead in his exhibit unexpectedly the morning of April 26 at the Bird House. As is standard procedure a necropsy, or animal...

Sumatran Tiger cubs Bandar and Sukacita turn nine months old on May 5—how time flies! One sign that they are making the transition from cubs to sub-adults is that both have started to lose their "baby" incisor teeth. Their adult fangs will take a few months to grow out.

It's all a part of growing up...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoo announced today, Earth Day, the launch of the Endangered Song Project, an analog-meets-digital awareness campaign that calls upon 400 participants to use their social media strength to spread the message that there are only 400 Sumatran...

The sloth bear cub born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Dec. 29 has been named Remi by the people who know her best--her keepers. They have been hand-rearing the cub 24 hours a day since a week after she was born, becoming her surrogate parents. Care for the cub has included ensuring that she...

A sloth bear cub and a seal pup by any other name would still be as sweet, but our keepers chose the perfect names for them. Our sloth bear cub is named Remi and our seal pup is named Rona!

Asia Trail keepers who have been hand-rearing our sloth bear cub chose the name Remi. The name is derived from...

We have an animal care update from our Great Cats team. Last week, one of our African lion cubs—a male born to Shera and Luke—had not gained as much weight as expected and was exhibiting some lameness in his right leg.

The good news is that he has gained weight over the weekend! Although he continues...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is sad to report that Maude, a geriatric grey-cheeked mangabey, was humanely euthanized April 14. Maude well surpassed the typical lifespan (early 30s) of her species. She was 41 years old.

Maude was born in the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Ind. Feb. 25, 1973, and...

Last week, keepers started introductions between Shera and Naba's cubs! Keepers watch these interactions closely in the event that the cubs need to be separated. Fortunately, everyone has been getting along fine.

As part of the Zoo's animal management plan for big cats, African lions are weighed...

How mammals use coffee landscapes and what parameters are important to enhance their habitat.

Camera traps are scientists’ eyes in the wild–and SCBI scientist Tremaine Gregory has been looking up. She was looking nearly 100 feet up in to the canopy of the Peruvian rainforest to be exact. No camera traps had ever been placed that high. They will unobtrusively capture candid photos of arboreal...