Press Release Archive

A fundamental change in the conservation strategy to save wild tigers may save them from extinction. That change is taking shape in regional smart patrol training courses in Asia led by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Tiger Conservation Partnership--one of the founding members of...

Wooing is an art form whether you're human or animal. Take a walk on the wild side and learn about romance in the animal kingdom at Woo at the Zoo on Feb. 11, at the National Zoo. Think love has to be warm and fuzzy? Think again. Reptile Discovery Center animal keepers, Barbara Watkins and Lauren...

A big change is in the wind this winter for the lions at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. The time when all magnificent seven juveniles can share a yard at the Great Cats exhibit is winding down, and animal care staff have begun preparations for separating the 1-1/2 year-old male juveniles from their...

Cities tend to be noisy places.

Sans berets, smocks or palettes, the animals at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are getting their paws dirty with non-toxic, water-based paint and creating one-of-a-kind works of art. Painting is one among many activities that fall under Animal Enrichment—a program that provides physically and...

The survival of wild tigers hinges on the ability of tiger-range countries and their partners in conservation to stop the biggest threat to tigers: poaching. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, as one of the founding members of the Global Tiger Initiative and with support from the World...

Although giant Pacific octopuses are masters of disguise, the new octopus at the National Zoo revealed its true identity Saturday when a keeper helped it select its name: Pandora. The octopus had a chance to pick one of four names submitted by the finalists in the Washington Post's KidsPost naming...

David M. Rubenstein donated $4.5 million to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to fund the giant panda program for the next five years. In appreciation, the giant panda complex—home to giant pandas Tian Tian (male) and Mei Xiang (female)—will be named the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park will announce a generous gift that funds the giant panda program for five years. Animal experts have also witnessed the first signs of breeding season: Tian Tian (male panda) is “power walking.” Speakers will discuss details of the new 2012 breeding plan...

A member of one of the world's most endangered species—the brown kiwi ( Apteryx mantelli)—hatched at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Bird House Dec. 11 at 10:25 a.m. The egg was laid Oct. 1 and keepers began looking for signs of the chick hatching starting in early December. The sex of the chick is...

The spotlight of ZooLights fell on the Kids' Farm, sponsored by State Farm®, Sunday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Three winners were chosen from 23 entries for the Gin-GRR-bread Kids' Farm Habitat contest, sponsored by Starbucks in a ceremony hosted by Scott Thuman of ABC7/WJLA-TV and Debbi...

Springtime in Australia means balmier weather, but the Great Barrier Reef's future may depend on subzero temperatures. Researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and other partnering organizations spent two weeks at the end of November...

The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is thrilled to announce another major grant to help fund the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory (NEHL) at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Major donors of 2011's $52,000 grant include Alex Rines and Vinnie Christiano – fifth graders and best friends...

The newest member of the charismatic cephalopod community at the Smithsonian's National Zoo may only be the size of a grapefruit now, but he (or she) has some long arms to grow. On Nov. 4, the Zoo's beloved giant Pacific octopus, Octavius, died at the old age of about 4 years and a feisty new young...

Nearly 20 years after the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute became the first to produce an Eld's deer fawn through artificial insemination, SCBI scientists have now contributed to the birth of the first Eld's deer via in vitro fertilization. The researchers collected eggs, inseminated them...

Instead of hibernating this holiday season, visitors can weather the winter at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. With so much to see indoors, a stroll through the Zoo will not feel like an arctic trek. Visitors can stop in any of the eight animal houses to warm up, enjoy animal demonstrations and chat...

WHAT: Washington Capitals Players, Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault, skate with 50 contest winners on Dec. 11, at ZooLights, following the reveal of the Gin-GRR-bread Kids' Farm habitat contest winner. WHEN: ZooLights has been expanded this year with new activities and added dates. The event...

Sparkling brighter than ever in its fifth straight year at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, ZooLights-- powered by Pepco--remains the only free holiday light show in the Washington-Metro area. With added dates and expanded hours this year, ZooLights will run the weekends of Nov. 25–27, Dec. 2–4, and...

After voting polls closed at noon today, black-footed ferret keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., revealed the ferret webcam star’s new name—on the webcam. More than 1,000 voters picked the winning name, Rosebud, on the Smithsonian magazine’s website. The...

HANOI, Vietnam – Project Predator, an initiative to protect and save the world's last surviving wild tigers was unveiled today at the 80th INTERPOL General Assembly, a gathering of global law enforcement officials from the organization's 190 member countries. Created by INTERPOL, Project Predator...

Using one of the largest DNA data sets for a group of birds and employing next-generation sequencing methods, Smithsonian scientists and collaborators have determined the evolutionary family tree for one of the most strikingly diverse and endangered bird families in the world, the Hawaiian...

Veterinary and pathology experts from the Smithsonian Institution, University of Illinois and the Wildlife Conservation Society will conduct a five-day training workshop for pathologists in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia on how to identify and investigate unknown diseases.

Twenty years ago today, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo welcomed naked mole-rats ( Heterocephalus glaber) into its collection. These rodents, which are more closely related to porcupines and guinea pigs than to their namesake, are one of only a handful of mammals that exhibit eusocial behavior. Like...

Human history has never seen a more pivotal time for wildlife. While extinction threatens nearly one-quarter of all known vertebrate species, scientists are creating interdisciplinary techniques and partnerships geared toward recovering endangered populations. To meet the global challenge of...