News Archive

Here at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, the carnivore team is gearing up for a very special arrival: cheetah cubs! As one of 10 facilities in the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, we study the behavior, biology, health and reproduction of these rare cats.

A special delivery of cheetah milk recently arrived at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's milk bank (the largest milk repository in the world). Find out what researchers hope to learn from this unique milk sample.

Animal care staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are mourning the loss of two rare species—a cheetah and an Eld’s deer.

Add a little sunshine to a gray winter day with a trip to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. There’s still plenty to see from December through March. This guide will help you plan for a cold-weather visit.

Scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and the Columbus Zoo have successfully transferred cheetah embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) to a surrogate cheetah mom for the first time.

Amani (Ah-MON-ee), an elderly cheetah living at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, was humanely euthanized Feb. 19.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is dedicated to saving species. Every year, its team of conservationists here and around the globe works hard to make that mission a reality — and 2018 was no exception.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) welcomed a litter of three cheetah cubs Sept. 22. The cubs were born to first-time mother, Sukiri.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's seven cubs are thriving! They received a clean bill of health at their first veterinary exam.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute welcomed a litter of seven chirping cheetah cubs July 9. The cubs appear to be healthy and doing well.

Discover the answers to some of the most-searched questions about these lightning-fast cats!

Over the last year, a record 91 cheetah cubs have been born at institutions affiliated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Cheetah Species Survival Plan (SSP). In this Q&A, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) cheetah biologist and manager of the Cheetah SSP Adrienne Crosier...

There is a brand new band of brothers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. A coalition of two male cheetahs made their debut at the Cheetah Conservation Station yesterday, Dec. 21.

A new study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is helping to make headway in an area of animal management that has historically proven challenging: the breeding of cheetahs under human care.

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how keepers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute enrich the lives of animals by presenting them with toys, training and novel food items.

First come cubs, then comes species recovery. Find out how a thriving population in human care benefits wild cheetahs.

The public is invited to help name five of the 10 cheetah cubs born in late March at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia.

Sometimes, even top predators need a leg up in order to survive. The recent boom in Kenya’s human population prompted people to sprawl and build their homes on the savannah. As a result, increased competition among wildlife for territory, food, water and mates can spell trouble for many the animals.

The start of spring brought a cheetah cub boom to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, where two large litters were born over the course of a single week.

At the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), our cheetah breeding program has been very successful since its beginnings eight years ago. The cheetah breeding facility is nine acres and it’s nestled away in a quiet area of SCBI. Cheetahs in particular breed more successfully in quiet...

As their native habitat continues to shrink, wild cheetahs are facing a drought of genetic diversity. This is in direct contrast with the population of cheetahs in zoos, which is as genetically diverse as it was 30 years ago because of cooperative and strategically managed breeding programs. The...

The planet's last stronghold of wild cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) is losing genetic diversity at an alarming rate according to a new study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and partners published June 21 in the journal Biological Conservation. This is in direct contrast with...

Why is it difficult to breed cheetahs in human care? Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) scientists addressed that question in a PLOS-ONE paper paper entitled, "Motile Sperm Output by Male Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) Managed Ex Situ Is Influenced by Public Exposure and Number of Care...

Next week, we will be transferring Carmelita from the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Cheetah Science Facility to incorporate her into the C2S2 Cheetah Sustainability Program. A member of the Breeding Centers Coalition, SCBI has become a leader in the challenging...

We are mourning the loss of eight-year-old adult male cheetah, Draco, who was humanely euthanized earlier this morning. A final pathology report will provide more information. Typically, male cheetahs in human care have a median lifespan of ten years. Longevity studies have not been conducted in the...