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Center for Species Survival News
Nov. 22, 2023
Does an animal's personality play a role on whether it will survive in the wild? Researchers are using a surprising clue to find out: poop.
Oct. 27, 2023
A lifelong goal to save animals led Smithsonian fellow Molly Corder to find ways to protect critically endangered black rhinos from extinction threats. She hopes to inspire more young...
Jul. 28, 2023
In this Focus on the Future, learn how Juliana Vélez Gómez created wildlife friendly practices that benefited Colombian ranchers, while providing new opportunities for young women in science.
Jul. 01, 2022
They’re sweet, outgoing and always in the mood for food. Meet Scarlet, Xena and Taizong, the new red pandas at our Front Royal, Virginia, campus!
Jun. 03, 2022
In March and April, keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, celebrated the arrival of two male kiwi chicks! Get to know them in this update from the bird...
Apr. 28, 2022
Young animals learn what it means to be an animal—what to eat, how to behave and more—from their parents. For Yipes, our 1-year-old male Hartmann’s mountain zebra, those lessons most recently came...
Feb. 04, 2022
The countdown to the Guam kingfisher’s reintroduction to the wild has begun. Before these birds, also called siheks, can soar over the Palmyra Atoll, scientists need to determine which harness...
Dec. 03, 2021
Have you herd . . . our Persian onager filly and scimitar-horned oryx calves are exploring their surroundings! Get the latest update on their adventures from Tara Buk, Smithsonian Conservation...
Nov. 02, 2021
Guam rails are small, speedy ground birds who can only fly three to 10 feet at a time. They are also only the second bird in history – after the California condor – to recover from being extinct in...
Aug. 27, 2021
In the eastern part of North America, purple martins nest in groups of plastic gourds hung by bird enthusiasts. Each year, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's bird team prepares nest...
Jun. 07, 2021
From the deepest trenches to the shallowest shores and across five basins, water circulates in one interconnected system: the world ocean. This World Ocean Day, discover how seemingly different...
Jun. 03, 2021
The spring and summer months are a chorus of songbird calls and songs at SCBI. As the breeding season begins, staff prepare artificial nest boxes for birds that will find mates, compete for real...
Nov. 20, 2020
We care for many rare and endangered species here at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, including a little brown bird named Tasi. Tasi is a 4-year-old Guam rail...
Oct. 05, 2020
We hope that you have enjoyed watching black-footed ferret Potpie and her kits on the Black-footed Ferret Cam! Join us in celebrating the next chapter in their lives, contributing to their species’...
Oct. 02, 2020
Our playful 3-month-old Hartmann's mountain zebra colt is a bundle of energy! Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute ungulate keeper Tara Buk shares how the colt spent his summer in her latest...
Sep. 11, 2020
Guam kingfishers are incredibly rare and difficult to breed, so we are thrilled to be closing out the breeding season with four new chicks. This has been our biggest year to date — and one of our...
Sep. 04, 2020
Spindly legs and thick, red fur have earned them the nickname “foxes on stilts,” but maned wolves are neither fox nor wolf. Today, researchers are monitoring maned wolves' heart rates to learn more...
Aug. 21, 2020
Breeding season is the most demanding time of year for the bird team at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, but it can also be the most rewarding.
Jul. 31, 2020
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute carnivore keeper Adri Kopp and intern Shannon Richard share the latest news on Echo's cheetah cubs, from weigh-ins to water play.
Jul. 02, 2020
Celebrate the Fourth of July with one of America's most precious national treasures: the black-footed ferret! SCBI carnivore keeper Vicki Lake shares the story of mom Potpie and her six kits as they...
Jun. 05, 2020
In May, the cheetah cubs born April 8 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute experienced many exciting “firsts”—from passing their veterinary exam, to receiving their names, to taking a...
Jun. 04, 2020
In April, animal keepers celebrated the birth of two extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher chicks. Find out more about the new chicks in this update from keeper Erica Royer.
May. 28, 2020
Meet Amabala, Jabari, Hasani and Erindi! Now that the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah cubs have names (thanks to your votes) keepers have bestowed them upon the cubs.
May. 14, 2020
Mother’s Day was extra special for carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, who welcomed the year’s first litter of black-footed ferret...
May. 14, 2020
Ungulate keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of two elderly American Bison, a male named Ten Bears and a female named Kicking Bird, who were humanely...