News Archive

By Tony Barthel, Curator of Large Mammals at the National Zoo This past October I was lucky enough to travel to Malaysia and join a team who was exploring opportunities for collaboration on elephant and wildlife conservation between the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), the National...

The birth of a Persian onager at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., Wednesday, Sept. 7, is a boon for a vital program that seeks innovative ways to manage endangered species that live in herds. The foal is now one of 26 onagers in captivity in North America. The last...

The black-footed ferret, once thought to be extinct in the wild, was rediscovered in 1981 with a small population of 24 animals in Wyoming―30 years later the species’ future is brighter than ever. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is marking this anniversary with a record-breaking year...

Pierre Comizzoli, a gamete biologist at SCBI’s Center for Species Survival received one of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. President Obama named 94 researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor...

Thunder, lightning and strong winds greeted the National Zoo’s two female red panda cubs when they were born June 17, and that stormy night has now determined their names. One cub, Pili, received her name today after voting closed on NBC Washington’s website. Pili, which means “clap of thunder” in...

Smithsonian’s National Zoo Director Dennis W. Kelly has been elected to serve on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Board of Directors. Kelly will be one of nine members on the Board, which works to promote AZA’s mission of dedication to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Communications Team won the prestigious PR News Platinum Award! The award, in the Public Affairs category, recognizes their work on the amphibian crisis public relations campaign.This is a significant honor and acknowledgement from the public relations industry. PR...

The lion cubs—John, Fahari, Zuri, Lelie, Baruti, Aslan and Lusaka—will receive wrapped presents containing individual-sized “bloodcicles” (frozen treats composed of blood and bones). The cubs were born in two litters last year: The first Aug. 31 to Shera and the second Sept. 22 to her sister...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo cares for some of the rarest species on earth, including the Micronesian kingfisher ( Todiramphus c. cinnamominus), a bird that has been extinct in the wild for more than 20 years. The Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., is celebrating...

The lion cubs—John, Fahari, Zuri, Lelie, Baruti, Aslan and Lusaka—will receive wrapped presents containing individual-sized “bloodcicles” (frozen treats composed of blood and bones). The cubs were born in two litters last year: The first Aug. 31 to Shera and the second Sept. 22 to her sister...

For the first time in decades, researchers have found a new bird species in the United States. Based on a specimen collected in 1963 on Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, biologists have described a new species of seabird, Bryan’s shearwater ( Puffinus bryani), according to differences in...

The vibrations from yesterday’s 5.8 earthquake were keenly felt at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park; all animals, staff and visitors were safe and no injuries were reported. Zoo buildings were closed to the public and checked by safety personnel for structural damage. Zoo gates were closed...

On August 18, PLoS ONE published a significant paper about elephant cognition in which the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s now 9-year-old elephant, Kandula, showed unparalleled problem-solving skills. Three of the five co-authors of the study, Insightful Problem Solving in an Asian Elephant, include...

A genetic study focusing on the Central American river turtle ( Dermatemys mawii) recently turned up surprising results for scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and collaborators involved in the conservation of this critically endangered species. Small tissue samples...

Researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute have discovered why older female cheetahs are rarely able to reproduce—and hope to use this information to introduce vital new genes into the pool. SCBI scientists and collaborating researchers analyzed hormones, eggs and the uteriof 34...

The National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Coordination Network for Haemosporidia of Terrestrial Vertebrates will hold a three-day meeting starting this Friday, August 5 to address various aspects of malaria and related blood-borne diseases in wildlife, including transmission dynamics...

Two red panda ( Ailurus fulgens) cubs born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on June 17 received a clean bill of health during their first veterinary exam yesterday. They appear to be very healthy, strong, active and have good vocalizations. Zoo Veterinarian Margarita Woc-Colburn performed a...

The warm weather that heralds the onset of summer brought with it a baby boom at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginiaa. Red pandas, white-naped cranes, scimitar-horned oryxes, tufted deer, and clouded leopards all had recent births, from May 13 through the middle...

Two red panda cubs were born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and two additional cubs were born at the Zoo’s facility in Front Royal, Va., bringing the total to four in 2011. Unfortunately, female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) is not pregnant but was experiencing a pseudo...

Birds use their bills largely to forage and eat, and these behaviors strongly influence the shape and size of a bird’s bill.

A generous $1.4 million gift from State Farm Insurance to the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park guarantees that the Kids’ Farm exhibit will remain open for the next five years. The State Farm donation is the largest made to the Zoo since 2007. Earlier this year the Zoo announced plans to close...

Lesli A. Creedon has been named chief advancement officer at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., effective July 18. As head of Advancement, Creedon will manage, plan and coordinate all fundraising activities and events of the Zoo, as well as oversee major gifts from...

The five cheetah cubs born May 28 at the National Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., are healthy and thriving, veterinarians reported after the cubs’ first exam on July 12. The six week-old cubs each weigh between 4 and 5 pounds and are growing quickly. The...

Summer has arrived and there are lots of changes, new residents and new opportunities at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo: 1. Three Dozen NEW Reptile Residents: The Zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center is brimming with new additions this summer, including false water cobras, leaf-tailed geckos, green tree...

After an 88-year-long hiatus North America’s tallest bird, the statuesque whooping crane ( Grus americana), is once again on exhibit at the Bird House at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park. An 11-year-old male whooping crane named Rocky left Homosassa Springs State Park in Florida and is now...