As senior curator of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Bryan Amaral oversees the care, research and management of the mammal collection at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. This includes Asia Trail, Pandas, Great Ape House, Lemur Island, Think Tank, Cheetah Conservation Station, Great Cats, Kid’s Farm, Small Mammal House and Elephant Trails.

While having experience with varied taxa, Amaral’s focus has been in the area of elephant management, training and welfare. Reproduction was also a priority, and he was part of seven successful elephant births, both by natural means and assisted reproduction techniques.

Before coming to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Amaral worked at both the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He also currently serves on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Elephant Taxon Advisory Group Steering Committee, is a member of the board of directors of the Elephant Managers Association and a course instructor at AZA’s Principles of Elephant Management I and II.