News

Hurricane Sandy has come and gone here and the cats and keepers weathered the storm with no problems. On Sunday, the day before the rain started, we cleaned out gutters and drains, raked leaves, and placed sandbags at the doors. While we certainly got a lot of rain, it did not come all at once as it...

For 9 years we have monitored the small mammals and migratory birds in 12 areas, 6 of which were fenced to exclude deer. As the profile of under story characteristics changes, it may serve as an indicator for the potential of vertebrate species to live in these forests. Managing for deer may serve...

A team of scientists and keepers is traveling all over the eastern United States this year to study a unique and amazing animal: the hellbender. The hellbender ( Cryptobranchus alleganiesis) is a the largest salamander in North America, third largest in the world behind the Chinese and Japanese...

Last month, the Smithsonian's National Zoo celebrated the birth of its sprightly male dama gazelle calf, born Sept. 4 to mother Fahima. Five weeks later, three-year-old Zafirah gave birth to a female calf in the early morning Oct. 13, bringing the Zoo's dama gazelle herd to seven individuals. Raul...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and George Mason University formalized a partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding Oct. 26 aimed at coordinating and fostering the professional training, career development and youth education for...

Media Only: Devin Murphy 202-633-3055 TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Boo at the Zoo Kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 WHAT: Boo at the Zoo WHEN:Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Oct. 26-28, 2012 5:30-8:30 p.m. WHERE: Smithsonian's National Zoo, Washington, D.C. 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20008 WHO...

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute reproductive biologist Dr. Janine Brown has been named this year's winner of the Morris Animal Foundation's Innovation in Veterinary Medicine Award. The tribute celebrates Brown's expansive career in developing pioneering reproductive techniques for...

Come see the Smithsonian's National Zoo in a whole new light during ZooLights—powered by Pepco! Beginning Nov. 23, Friends of the National Zoo invites guests to stroll through the Zoo under the glow of thousands of environmentally-friendly LED lights. ZooLights is 24 nights this year—the most in its...

Traditionally, biologists have gathered basic information such as population density and survival rates of carnivores by trapping, drugging, and fitting radiocollars on restrained animals. We are developing a new, noninvasive method that uses trained dogs to find scats (feces) of carnivores followed...

The Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, a unique program in terms of its academic offerings and contributions to the field of conservation, celebrated the completion of its expansive new academic facilities today, Oct. 18, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va...

Last week, we bid a bittersweet farewell to Zuri and Fahari, as they left for their new home at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Their new keepers traveled to DC to meet the girls and accompanied them during their flight back to sunny California—via FedEx! Zuri and Fahari traveled in the same crates that...

The cats got a present! Port City Brewery in Alexandria, Virginia generously donated some kegs for the cats to use as toys. It's not easy to find things that can stand up to being played with by tigers and lions, but beer kegs are (almost) indestructible. The lions have discovered that if you whack...

After examining the giant panda cub that died six days after it was born to mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, the Zoo's team of pathologists found that lung and liver damage ultimately caused the death of the panda cub. The poorly developed lungs likely caused the cub...

WHAT:Media will be informed about the results from the panda cub necropsy and receive an update about the mother giant panda. WHEN:Thursday, Oct. 11 8:30 a.m.: Photo opportunity: Both giant pandas, Mei Xiang (female) and Tian Tian (male), will be in their outdoor yards. Each panda will receive a...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo euthanized a young black howler monkey, Loki, Sunday, Oct. 7, because she was ill from complications of metabolic bone disease. This disease is a vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus imbalance. It is most often caused by lack of sunlight (ultraviolet light), lack of...

Friends of the National Zoo calls all baking enthusiasts to enter the annual Gin-GRR-Bread Habitat Contest at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. This year's theme is, A Winter's Tail on the American Trail. American Trail is the newest exhibit at the National Zoo and is home to four California sea lions...

WHAT: Autumn Conservation Festival WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, Va. Just off of Route 522 It's that time of year again. In fact, the only time of year when the gates to the Smithsonian...

The 14 th annual Boo at the Zoo promises to be a howling good time filled with costumed families and fun at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Oct. 26, 27, and 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), Boo at the Zoo offers kids ages two to 12 a safe atmosphere to...

As any butterfly watcher knows, it is hard enough to spot a specific butterfly—it turns out that tracking a whole population of butterflies poses an even bigger challenge. Scientists rarely count entire populations because of the difficulty, time, and resources such an endeavor demands. Instead...

Pathologists at the Smithsonian's National Zoo performed a necropsy (animal autopsy) Sept. 23 on the six-day-old giant panda cub that died earlier that morning. A final pathology report will provide more information in the next few weeks, but the preliminary report suggests two potential...

It's hard to believe that another year has passed since the birth of Naba and Shera's cubs, yet here we are planning their second birthday celebration! Lelie, Zuri, Fahari and John turned two years old on August 31; Lusaka will be turning two on September 22. We'd love to invite everyone to join us...

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) announced Sept. 19 that the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park has been awarded Top Honors for the 2012 AZA International Conservation Award for its Scientific Approaches to Conservation of Giant Pandas and Their Habitat program and Significant...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's female giant panda Mei Xiang gave Panda Cam viewers another sneak peek of her cub, born Sunday Sept. 16. At about 7:54 a.m. Sept. 20, Mei Xiang gently picked the squealing cub up in her mouth before placing it on the ground to groom it. Keepers continue to be...

Smithsonian's National Zoo staff and Panda Cam watchers have gotten several quick glimpses of female giant panda Mei Xiang's cub since its birth Sept. 16 at 10:46 p.m. In this video from Sept. 17. at about 8:35 p.m. EST, Mei Xiang cradles the newborn and picks it up in her mouth as she shifts...

Mei Xiang, the National Zoo's female giant panda gave birth to a cub Sunday, Sept. 16 at 10:46 p.m.