Press Release Archive

The four youngest members of the African lion pride at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are making their public debut today at noon at the Great Cats Exhibit. Born March 2 to mother Shera and father Luke, the 14-week-old cubs passed their swim test in May and have received all their vaccinations. They...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute celebrated several births recently. During the past several weeks 31 new residents have been born, many of which were endangered species. A short-eared elephant shrew was born May 8 at the Zoo's Small Mammal House. The short-eared...

Asian elephants Kamala (39), Swarna (39) and Maharani (23) arrived safely at the Smithsonian's National Zoo at 10:55 a.m. They are on loan from the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and will join the Zoo's herd of four Asian elephants Ambika (66), Shanthi (39), Bozie (38) and Kandula (12)...

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 the elephants...

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...

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...

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/Tiger...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Seven-month-old Bao Bao will have access to her mother Mei Xiang's (may-SHONG) larger yard this week beginning each day around 8 a.m., weather depending. Bao Bao will be given the option to explore outside with her mother if the temperature is at least 35 degrees Fahrenheit with no precipitation.

The decision for keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo to hand-raise a female sloth bear cub instead of leaving her with her mother Khali likely saved her life. She is now very active and growing as the result of the round-the-clock care she has received for the past two-and-a-half months. The...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's 32-year-old female Przewalski's (Shah-VAL-skee) horse, Misha, was humanely euthanized March 12. Misha was one of three horses to arrive at SCBI in Front Royal, Va. in 1984 and the oldest Przewalski's horse in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums...

Animal care staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. are celebrating the birth of three male Dama gazelles. The calves were born Feb. 18, Feb. 20 and Feb. 25. At their 24-hour neonatal exam, the first calf weighed 11 pounds and the second and third calves weighed...

March came in like a lion—four lions, to be exact—9-year-old African lion Shera gave birth to a litter at the Great Cats exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Their delivery March 2 spanned a seven-hour period, from 8:27 a.m. to 3:17 p.m. These cubs are the second litter for Shera and the fifth...

On March 2, 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill passed by both Houses that officially established the National Zoo and allocated funds for the purchase of land. To celebrate its 125th Anniversary, the Smithsonian's National Zoo is proud to bring back the animal that sparked the...

Pandora, the female giant Pacific octopus at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, died yesterday. Animal care staff estimate that Pandora was about 5 years old. The median lifespan for giant Pacific octopuses is about 3 to 5 years. Pandora came to the Zoo in November 2011 when she was about 1.5 years old...

Animal keepers at the National Zoo have been hand feeding a female gray seal pup, born Jan. 21 at 10:21 p.m., in the holding area of the seal exhibit on American Trail. Zoo keepers, veterinarians and nutritionists have been closely monitoring the pup and her mother, Kara. Within 48 hours of her...

The snowy owl that has been spotted recently in the Washington D.C. area was brought to the Smithsonian's National Zoo for care early this morning after reportedly being hit by a bus in the 15 th and I St. area of the District. The owl was found by the Metropolitan Police who reported the injury to...

The National Zoo is mourning the loss of an 8-year-old adult male cheetah, Draco, who was humanely euthanized earlier this morning. A final pathology report will provide more information. Typically, male cheetahs in human care have a median lifespan of 10 years. Longevity studies have not been...

Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) announced that John Ring, a partner with the law firm Morgan Lewis, has been elected to serve as President of the FONZ Board of Directors. Ring has been an integral part of FONZ for more than seven years and succeeds Andrew Shore, who led the organization for the...