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Press Releases

California Sea Lion Pup
Aug. 22, 2019
American Trail keepers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of a 3-year-old female California sea lion named Catalina, who died Aug. 20.... read press release
Bei Bei eating his frozen cake made of diluted juice and fruit.
Aug. 22, 2019
Bei Bei (BAY-BAY) turned 4 years old today, Aug. 22. The Department of Nutrition Science at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo made him a panda-friendly frozen cake as a birthday treat. ... read press release
Juvenile dama gazelle
Aug. 15, 2019
The Smithsonian's National Zoo is mourning the loss of an 11-month-old male dama gazelle named Gustav who died Aug. 7. read press... read press release
Hereford calf Willow at the Kids' Farm.
Aug. 15, 2019
Kids’ Farm keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo welcomed a new member to the cattle herd—a 10-month-old female Hereford calf named Willow. Her arrival bumps the number of cattle at the Kids’... read press release
Red-fronted Lemur Flare at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Lemur Island habitat.
Aug. 07, 2019
Primate keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are mourning the loss of Flare, an elderly red-fronted lemur who was humanely euthanized Aug. 6. At 33 years old, she was one of the oldest red-... read press release
An endangered purple fringeless orchid.
Aug. 06, 2019
Local citizen scientists working with the Changing Landscapes Initiative and Virginia Working Landscapes, both programs of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), discovered a rare... read press release
A Kirtland's warbler perched on a branch.
Jul. 31, 2019
For the past 40 years, brown-headed cowbirds have been trapped and killed in Michigan to prevent them from laying eggs in endangered Kirtland’s warbler nests—causing warbler parents to care for... read press release
A newborn scimitar-horned oryx calf with tan skin and large ears stands in the grass near its mother, an oryx named Chari, and another adult oryx
Jul. 16, 2019
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's herd of scimitar-horned oryx is growing. Keepers welcomed five calves during the past few weeks.... read press release
A small green lizard, called an Asian water dragon, with scaly skin, a long, thin, striped tail, small spikes along its spine and short claws on its digits
Jul. 05, 2019
A 2-year-old female Asian water dragon who was the first documented birth by facultative parthenogenesis in her species died from blood cancer.... read press release
A male African lion laying on the ground with greenery in the background
Jul. 01, 2019
Lion cubs grow up fast, and even faster in zoos. In a long-term study, scientists at SCBI found that male African lions living in human care hit puberty a full year earlier than their counterparts in... read press release
A sea lion pup born June 23, 2019, at the Smithsonian's National Zoo falls asleep while nursing with its mother
Jun. 28, 2019
A new set of flippers splashed down at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, where American Trail keepers are celebrating the arrival of a California sea lion pup. Animal care staff are closely monitoring the... read press release
Red panda cub being weighed.
Jun. 25, 2019
Moonlight, a 4-year-old red panda, gave birth to a cub overnight June 12 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. Moonlight and the cub appear to be doing well and... read press release
A hooded crane chick in the grass.
Jun. 19, 2019
A small beak broke through one of the hooded crane eggs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, June 12.... read press release
Asian water dragon mother (top) and parthenogenic offspring (bottom).
Jun. 05, 2019
Life found a way at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, where a female Asian water dragon at the Reptile Discovery Center underwent facultative parthenogenesis—that is, she reproduced and contributed a... read press release
Following remarks, Smokey Bear; Steven Monfort, John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute; Jim Hubbard, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and P
May. 23, 2019
A new Smokey Bear outdoor exhibit opened May 23 inviting visitors to look back in time to the mid-20th century, when a black bear cub was rescued from a forest fire and placed under the Zoo’s care.... read press release
May. 21, 2019
A new Smokey Bear outdoor exhibit will open at Smithsonian’s National Zoo Thursday, May 23, inviting visitors to look back at the legacy of one of the most famous residents in the Zoo’s 130-year... read press release
A life-sized animatronic T. Rex.
May. 14, 2019
Listed below are events being held June through August as part of the “Dino Summer” experience at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. read press... read press release
A newly hatched Guam kingfisher rests on a soft white towel at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Apr. 26, 2019
A tiny egg nestled in an incubator at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute began wiggling and cracking April 22 until a featherless Guam kingfisher chick emerged. Guam kingfishers are... read press release
A woman stands on stage next to a large dinosaur puppet
Apr. 24, 2019
This summer visitors can travel back millions of years as the Zoo presents "Dino Summer” featuring two dinosaur experiences of prehistoric proportions — “Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live,” a theater... read press release
A wood turtle at the bottom of a stream, blending in with the surrounding rocks.
Apr. 23, 2019
Wood turtles are endangered and can be difficult to find in the wild because of their cryptic nature and frequently small populations, but scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology... read press release