Press Release Archive

A geriatric black-footed ferret named Capone was humanely euthanized Jan. 19 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). He was seven years old.

Join the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for “Bye Bye, Bao Bao,” a series of online and on-site celebratory events to bid a fond farewell to giant panda Bao Bao (BOW-BOW) before she departs for China.

Bei Bei is continuing to recover well from his major surgery, and he started eating small amounts of bamboo again a few weeks ago. He now gets several meals of leaf eater biscuits, sweet potatoes and apples, and several bamboo feedings every day. He eagerly consumes all his food—much as he has since...

The first three brown kiwi chicks to hatch from eggs laid and incubated at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) have received names. The male chicks are Hari (hatched May 10), Kaha (hatched June 1) and Kake (hatched July 31). In Maori their names translate to “joy,” “strong,” and...

With temperatures dropping, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo continues to ensure that all of its animals are healthy and comfortable.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is transforming its historic 1928 Bird House into “Experience Migration,” a state-of-the-art exhibition about one of the most spectacular stories in the natural world—the migration of birds in the Western Hemisphere. “Experience...

Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cub Bei Bei is stable and recovering following an emergency bowel obstruction surgery to remove a dense, masticated lemon-sized mass of bamboo.

The first Przewalski’s (cha-VAL-skee) horse born from artificial insemination moved from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) to the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, N.D., today, Nov. 21. The move is based on a breeding recommendation. The mare, Christine, was born July 27, 2013, and her...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo’s senior female gray seal, Selkie, died today. At 43 years old, Selkie was the oldest gray seal living in human care. The lifespan of a wild gray seal is usually 25 or 30 years. Typically, female gray seals in human care can live close to 40 years; male seals live...

ZooLights, powered by Pepco, at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is wilder than ever and a perfect holiday event for families. Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo, the festival will run over 35 days and features thousands of environmentally friendly LED lights.

A 23-year-old male Andean bear named Cisco died at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Oct. 24 during an emergency veterinary exam. In the past week, Cisco became less active and began breathing more heavily with an occasional cough. Those signs worsened over the weekend and his appetite declined, which...

Giant panda Bao Bao will depart the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for China in late winter, within the first few months of 2017.

The Great Ape house will reopen on Tuesday morning.  This will be the first opportunity for the visitors and the media to see the Zoo’s infant Bornean orangutan born to Batang on Sept. 12.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Va., will open to the public for its annual Autumn Conservation Festival Oct. 1 and 2. The festival is the only time of year when the breeding and research facility is open to the public. The 3,200-acre facility serves as...

For the first time in 25 years, primate staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are celebrating the birth of a male Bornean orangutan. He was born at 8:52 p.m. Sept. 12. Both 19 years old, female Batang and male Kyle bred in January following a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos...

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is proud to announce Jonathan D. Ballou, research scientist emeritus, has received the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)’s prestigious Devra Kleiman Scientific Advancement Award for outstanding scientific research contributions...

Ever since 41-year-old Asian elephant Shanthi was diagnosed with arthritis in her front wrists more than a decade ago, animal care staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo have been working to minimize the impact of the disease. Staff surmised that arthritic pain led Shanthi to bear weight on her...

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists, as part of a team of international researchers, have shed light on the genetics of the pangolin, a mammalian mystery.

Visitors to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo can view 2-month-old female sea lion Catalina making a splash on American Trail. Born June 26, Catalina is the first sea lion pup born at the Zoo in 32 years. Since Aug. 22, she has been slowly acclimating to the exhibit and exploring alongside 11-year-old...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is home to a new male Sumatran tiger. Sparky is acclimating to his new home and can be seen at the Great Cats Exhibit. The 12-year-old tiger came to the Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan. Sparky has never sired a litter of...

Thirty years after the scimitar-horned oryx were driven to extinction, the desert antelope will return to the last-known place it existed: Chad's Sahelian grasslands. The reintroduction--the culmination of decades of work--is being led by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), the government of...

WHAT: A traditional Zhuazhou ceremony for giant panda cub Bei Bei. (Media opportunity only. Not open to the public. Public celebration for Bei Bei, Bao Bao and Tian Tian's birthday begins at 11 a.m.)

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 20 
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Zhuazhou ceremony
1 p.m.: Giant pandas receive...

Two red pandas died at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute on consecutive days, July 24 and 25. The initial necropsy results and investigation do not reveal an obvious cause of death nor do the results link the deaths. The two male red pandas, along with the rest of the collection, were...