Zoo News Archive
Feb. 20, 2018
This year, Friends of the National Zoo is celebrating its 60th anniversary. We couldn't have made it this far without your energy, passion and support.
Feb. 16, 2018
Giant panda Bei Bei celebrated the Lunar New Year with some special Year of the Dog enrichment!
Feb. 16, 2018
Members can get up close and personal with animals at 4 p.m. on March 3.
Feb. 16, 2018
Primate keeper Melba Brown trained the Zoo’s pregnant western lowland gorilla, Calaya, to participate in ultrasounds.
Feb. 09, 2018
Congrats and best wishes from our wild and furry team to Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea!
Feb. 09, 2018
The future of rhinos could depend on their DNA. Scientists In collaboration with researchers in the United States, South Africa and Russia, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Klaus-...
Feb. 09, 2018
When it comes to caring for babies at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, it takes a village. For western lowland gorilla Calaya, her village of support is the great ape animal care team and her primary...
Feb. 02, 2018
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, two animals that are red and white and beloved by everyone made their debut on Asia Trail! Meet Nutmeg and her son, Jackie, who came to the Zoo from the Smithsonian...
Feb. 02, 2018
To better understand the role diet and exercise play in elephant health, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute endocrinologist Janine Brown studied the animals’ hormones.
Feb. 01, 2018
At 16 months old, Bornean orangutan infant Redd is growing stronger and more independent every day. Read all about Redd’s progress and favorite activities in the latest Q&A with animal keeper...
Feb. 01, 2018
Hoofstock keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) are mourning the loss of Raylan, a 4-year-old male Hartmann’s mountain zebra who was humanely euthanized yesterday.
Jan. 31, 2018
A cup of coffee can do more than provide a wake-up boost. Consumer choices can help or hinder the survival of migratory bird species. Get the scoop on how Bird Friendly® coffee helps wildlife.
Jan. 30, 2018
Registration is open now for Spring and Summer Safari Day Camps at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.
Jan. 29, 2018
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is experiencing a Guam rail baby boom. Three chicks, covered in black downy feathers with oversized feet, hatched in January.
Jan. 26, 2018
Everyone likes to have a cozy place to sleep. Western lowland gorillas, however, rarely sleep in the same bed twice.
Jan. 19, 2018
Through years of research and breeding, Smithsonian scientists have created a thriving variable harlequin frog colony in human care and released approximately 500 healthy frogs in Panama’s Colon...
Jan. 18, 2018
Put a barcode on it! Untangling the complex web of Gabon's frogs, many of which look different but belong to the same species, required DNA barcoding. SCBI's Jessica Deichmann shares how this...
Jan. 18, 2018
An egg-citing new finding from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute could help bolster the success of assisted reproduction for some of the most endangered species—with implications for...
Jan. 18, 2018
Once common along highland streams in western Costa Rica and Panama, the variable harlequin frog, Atelopus varius, is endangered throughout its range, decimated by a disease caused by the amphibian...
Jan. 18, 2018
Which mammals live in Lebanon’s legendary cedar forests? Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute staff traveled to Beirut and trained students to identify animals using advanced DNA tools.
Jan. 05, 2018
Enriching toys, environments, foods and experiences abound at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Learn how animal care staff encourage the Zoo’s residents to use their natural behaviors.
Jan. 05, 2018
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...
Jan. 05, 2018
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...
Jan. 05, 2018
Guam rails are classified as extinct in the wild, but staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and partners are working to change their fate. Last September, they repatriated two...
Jan. 05, 2018
Get a glimpse at a day in the life of Cheetah Conservation Station keepers who work with dama gazelles, cheetahs and maned wolves.