Press Release Archive

When the elephant keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo hear the sound of a harmonica, it is not the radio they have left on. Instead, it is the Zoo's 36-year-old Asian elephant, Shanthi, who, unsolicited, has a propensity for coming up with her own ditties using whatever instruments the keepers...

Giant panda breeding season began this year at the Smithsonian's National Zoo when female giant panda, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), went into estrus over the weekend. Dr. Li Desheng from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, and National Zoo scientists and veterinarians...

Two young adult Asian small-clawed otters, from a new family of 13, died late yesterday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Seven otters received routine quarantine exams during which the animals had patches of their fur dyed for identification purposes and they received contraceptive implants. After...

Genetic analysis can give researchers a wealth of information about an individual animal or an entire population. But when the animal is wild, dangerous and rare, it can be difficult to obtain the best sources of DNA, which would usually mean capturing the animal to get a blood or tissue sample...

Visitors strolling through the Smithsonian's National Zoo one of these beautiful spring days will see a variety of baby animals, some new faces and enjoy an entirely new food experience.

Birds provide one of the most common ways to encounter nature in cities, but few people wonder how their actions affect birds looking for love.

Many factors affect the future of forests, making it complicated to develop predictions about where they will disappear and where they will flourish, what types of trees they will include and how much carbon they will store in the years to come. In a paper published in this month's issue of...

Two new research papers by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists and partners will help conservation biologists make strides in saving the fewer than 1,600 giant pandas left in the mountain forests of central China. Over the years SCBI has worked to conserve giant pandas by studying...

Spring is in full swing at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, and the Small Mammal House — which celebrated the birth of a black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) March 22 — is no exception.

The same device used to detect early warning signs of heart disease in humans will now benefit two male sub-adult gorillas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Twelve-year-old Kwame and 10-year-old Kojo are the first western lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla) to participate in a study lead by...

Two of the four maned wolf pups born Jan. 5, 2012, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, are in need of names and for the first time the Smithsonian's National Zoo is turning to Facebook to find the most fitting monikers.

Part of the mission of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., is to provide exciting and enriching experiences for approximately 2 million annual local, national and international Zoo visitors. As the National Zoo's new foodservice partner, Sodexo, leader in Quality of Daily...

The National Zoo's 21-year-old female scimitar-horned oryx ( Oryx dammah), Liberty, was euthanized this morning. A final pathology report will provide more information, but her health had been in decline for several months. National Zoo visitors can see two young male scimitar-horned oryx on exhibit...

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, animals--and their keepers--at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Cheetah Conservation Station got into the holiday spirit. Animal care staff and aides created enrichment items--a paper-Mache mouse and Leprechaun hat--for maned wolves Siete and Diamantina...

As Washington, D.C's unseasonably warm winter turns into spring, a baby boom is underway at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Two Guam rail (Gallirallus owstoni) chicks hatched March 3 and 4; they join six others in the Zoo's collection--three of which live at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology...

Tickets are now on sale for ZooFari—D.C.'s foodie event of the year that drives diners wild. Food aficionados are invited to unleash their taste buds and sample delicious dishes from the area's finest restaurants and vintners. ZooFari, hosted by Friends of the National Zoo, will be held May 17 from...

The third female brown kiwi that hatched at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Dec. 11 has a new moniker: Omana (pronounced oh-MAH-nah). Mike Moore, New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, named the kiwi in honor of his hometown, O-Manawatere, a township located southeast of Auckland. Omana's...

It's easy to feel small in the face of large environmental problems like oil spills or air and water pollution, but kids can make a big difference. How? By entering Project Blue Planet, a nationwide contest organized by the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

The four maned wolf pups born Jan. 5 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., received their first vaccinations Thursday during a routine medical exam. SCBI veterinary technician Lisa Ware worked with animal care staff to perform the exams, insert identification...

Childhood obesity is a serious concern, with more than 18 percent of American 4-year-olds considered obese. A new study of marmosets, small South American monkeys, indicates that obesity may begin very early in life and suggests that marmosets may be a helpful model for obesity in humans. In the...

Where is the love this Valentine's Day? At the Smithsonian's National Zoo! Cuban crocodiles and giant Aldabra tortoises at the Reptile Discovery Center feasted on heart-shaped treats prepared by the Zoo's Nutrition staff. In the Bird House, a blue-billed curassow couple, a red-and-green macaw named...

Celebrate Valentine's Day at the Smithsonian's National Zoo on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Roche and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, DC announced today a collaboration agreement to use Roche's GS Junior benchtop sequencing system for research in SCBI's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics. SCBI's state-of-the-art genetics laboratory, based at the...

Experts at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have proof that romance is not only for the warm and fuzzy; friskiness is a trait all animals share-be they furry, feathered or finned. Seduction techniques abound in the animal kingdom: Zoo staff recognize when reptiles are feeling rapturous and giant...