Press Release Archive

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) welcomed two maned wolf pups earlier this winter.

What:The National Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is hosting the free event Easter Monday: A Washington Family Tradition. When: Monday, March 28 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Smithsonian's National Zoo3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W. Traffic notice: Spring vacation season often results in...

One of the National Zoo's adult male cheetahs, Granger, was humanely euthanized March 8. Granger was 10-and-a-half years old. The median life expectancy for male cheetahs in the wild is between six and eight years. Recently, animal care staff noticed that Granger was not eating his entire diet and...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo has temporarily closed the Kids' Farm exhibit because E. coli stx 1 gene bacteria was discovered in a few of the animals. The animals are now being managed under quarantine protocols. At this time, no staff have been affected and no animals are showing any signs of...

WHAT:Free public lecture on the Save Vanishing Species postage stamp WHEN: Thursday, March 3Stamp signing: 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.Lecture: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. WHERE: Visitor Center AuditoriumSmithsonian's National Zoo3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W. WHO: Nancy Stahl, Save Vanishing Species stamp illustratorBrian...

In a serendipitous turn of events, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and partners have discovered a malaria parasite, Plasmodium odocoilei, in up to 25 percent of white-tailed deer along the East Coast of the United States. The results, published Feb. 5 in Science Advances...

A 16-year-old male Przewalski's (shah-VAL-skee) horse named Frog died suddenly under anesthesia in preparation for a reproductive assessment at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). A final pathology report will provide more information in the coming weeks. The median life...

For the past 50 years, the number of wood thrush ( Hylocichla mustelina) that breed in the United States has decreased more than 60 percent.

Extreme weather conditions, like those expected with this year's powerful El Niño have strong effects on a charismatic Amazonian bird species, the wire-tailed manakin (Pipra filicauda).

WHAT: Public debut of giant panda cub Bei Bei at the National Zoo WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16 WHAT: Public debut of giant panda cub Bei Bei at the National Zoo WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Note: It is recommended that visitors interested in seeing Bei Bei arrive at the panda habitat by 3:30 p...

After a two-year hiatus, red pandas have returned to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Visitors can see them at the Small Mammal House, where they will live until upgrades to the red panda exhibit on Asia Trail are completed. The upgrades are expected to be finished by spring. We hope that our...

Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and partners have published a paper that will help them save Panamanian frog species from extinction due to a deadly fungal disease called Chytridiomycosis (chytrid). The study, which was published Jan. 4 in Animal Conservation, draws on the expertise of...

Animal care staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) humanely euthanized an elderly male scimitar-horned oryx named Dr. Bob Dec. 14. A final pathology report will provide more information in the coming weeks. Dr. Bob was 18 years old. The median life expectancy for scimitar...

After decades of attempts, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists and researchers at Cornell University have become the first to successfully use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to produce live, healthy domestic puppies from cryopreserved (frozen) embryos. As part of the Cornell...

Twenty-five Instagrammers will be some of the first people to see giant panda cub Bei Bei (BAY-BAY) Dec. 19 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Beginning today, Dec. 1, anyone age 13 or older can enter for a chance to attend the #PandaStory Instameet. Instagrammers selected to attend will receive a...

During a routine medical exam yesterday, Nov. 24, veterinarians at the Smithsonian's National Zoo discovered that their male clouded leopard had life-threatening tumors. Keepers had noticed that Tai, a 13-and-a-half-year-old male, had been chewing gingerly on the right side of his mouth for the past...

We are sad to announce the loss of three elderly small mammals, who died yesterday, Nov. 23. Geriatric animals receive specialized care from their keepers, veterinarians, and nutritionists to ensure that they receive the best possible care. Often, that entails ensuring their exhibits are easy to get...

Giant pandas, which have been icons and ambassadors for the efforts to save the species in Washington, D.C., since 1972, will continue to live at the Smithsonian's National Zoo through the end of 2020. The new breeding agreement signed by Zoo Director Dennis Kelly and Li Qingwen, deputy secretary...

Giant panda cub Bei Bei (BAY-BAY) will go on public exhibit for the first time Jan. 16, 2016. In the past three months, he has transformed from a pink hairless cub weighing about 5 ounces to a robust 12.5-pound black-and-white cub capable of crawling and sometimes walking on his own. The panda team...

A 19-year-old female North Island brown kiwi named Nessus died Oct. 30 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Per standard procedure, a necropsy (animal autopsy) was performed the same day. The initial report indicates that aspiration of stomach contents was the immediate cause of death. Additional...

Sadly, both of the geriatric maned wolves at the Cheetah Conservation Station recently died. As a non-breeding companion pair, they were terrific ambassadors for their species, and taught visitors about the behavior and social nature of maned wolves. The exhibit will remain empty while our animal...

The National Zoo is sad to announce the death of 7-year-old golden lion tamarin Pepe, who died overnight at the Vet Hospital. A final pathology report will provide more information. The median life expectancy of a golden lion tamarin is 8 years in the wild. A few weeks ago, keepers noticed that Pepe...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) welcomed three chirping cheetah cubs Friday, Oct. 16. The cubs are genetically very important for the population of cheetahs in human care. Their mother, Sanurra, is the third-most genetically valuable female in the United States. She came to...

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For the first time ever, zoos will have access to the most comprehensive information about female African lion reproduction as the result of an eight-year study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and partners. The findings were published Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the scientific...