News Archive

After five days of public voting and just under 25,000 votes, the baby western lowland gorilla is named Zahra [ZAH-rah], which means “beautiful flower” in Swahili.

The beaver is one of North America's greatest ecosystem engineers and conservation success stories, and we are thrilled to welcome a second beaver to the American Trail!

Our newest member of the wallaby mob at the Small Mammal House has been named! Meet Winton in this keeper Q&A.

Over the past few months, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute welcomed some adorable new members to the Zoo family. Say hello to our newest (and cutest) baby animals!

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI)’s Global Health Program and partners including the International Livestock Research Institute, Government of Kenya Zoonotic Disease Unit and Turkana Basin Institute have been awarded a five-year, $4.98 million grant to study...

Starting today, June 5, western lowland gorilla fans will have an opportunity to vote on a name for a baby gorilla born May 27 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia welcomed a litter of endangered black-footed ferrets last week. One-year-old female Hickory gave birth to six surviving kits May 27.

For the first time in five years, primate staff are celebrating the birth of a western lowland gorilla—a critically endangered species. It was born between midnight and 6:15 a.m. May 27 to mother Calaya and father Baraka.

For the first time in 16 years, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington, D.C., is celebrating the birth of three meerkats.

How do you train a panda to voluntarily participate in blood draws and other medical exams? By building the bears’ trust and rewarding their participation with treats!

Earlier this spring, a curious and playful pinniped splashed down on American Trail. Meet Ronin, our 1-year-old sea lion, who has charmed keepers and visitors alike since her debut in April!

Poison frogs living in human care aren’t poisonous, thanks to a “detox” diet of mild insects, like crickets and fruit flies. Can adding alkaloids to a frog’s diet help it regain its toxins and get its “spice” back?

'Hoppy' Amphibian Awareness Week! All week long, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute will be sharing stories about amazing amphibians and the scientists working to save them from extinction.

Every spring and fall billions of birds fly thousands of miles to reach their breeding and wintering grounds, yet some of the most basic details of these astonishing avian pilgrimages remain murky. In two studies published today in Movement Ecology, Nathan Cooper, research ecologist for the...

With just a few tips and tricks, anyone can find salamanders and celebrate nature in their local area.

The warm weather has brought the cubs new enrichment activities, including a tub filled with ice cubes!

The sliminess on amphibians is more than just goop—it’s how these animals survive. A scientist and intern from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics explains.

There's plenty to see this summer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Check out five amazing things you won’t want to miss during your next visit.

Focus on the Future is a series that seeks to highlight the early career scientists who conduct research at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Focus on the Future is a series that seeks to highlight the early career scientists who conduct research at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Learn about undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral fellows, and the conservation research they are supporting through...

At Lemur Island, school is always in session for our ring-tailed and black-and-white ruffed residents. Learn how primate keeper Lynne McMahan has trained the lemurs to voluntarily participate in awake radiographs!

What animal can rotate its head 180 degrees, has ears that function like satellites and marks its territory (and members of its social group) with urine? Meet our southern lesser galago brothers, Mopani and Damara!

Our Andean bear cubs have moved into the outdoor yard! Animal keeper Sara Colandrea describes how they're learning to explore their new home for the first time.

On March 30, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Zoo Neighborhood Council (ZNC) held its first meeting of 2023.

Thanks to their thick skin, strong claws, sharp teeth, and painful bite, Komodo dragons are NOT an animal you'd want to mess with.