Press Release Archive

China's State Forestry Administration released giant panda census data earlier today. It's good news for pandas. As the only species of bear listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and an icon for species conservation, it's vital for scientists to keep monitoring the wild population of giant...

Giant anteater Maripi gave birth to a female pup the night of January 24. Keepers monitored both Maripi and her pup via a closed circuit camera. Within 48 hours keepers became concerned that the pup was not thriving. Per Zoo protocol, keepers and veterinarians safely assessed the pup and concluded...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's attendance varies greatly throughout the year varying from a few hundred visitors per day in January to more than 25,000 visitors per day in April. To safely and securely handle the crowds, the Zoo coordinates with several security entities including Smithsonian...

This week, we will be transferring female cheetah Carmelita from the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Conservation... Posted by Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Saturday, January 17, 2015

Congratulations to our very own FONZ volunteer Ann Bissell, named "Washingtonian of the Year" for 2014 by Washingtonian...Posted by Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Thursday, January 15, 2015

As the year's first blanket of snow coated the Washington, D.C. area today, giant panda Bao Bao spent much of the morning playing in it for the very first time. The sixteen month-old panda cub tumbled down the hill in her outdoor enclosure, climbed trees and pounced on her mother Mei Xiang. Our...

We are sad to announce that our 17-year-old female ring-tailed lemur, Andromeda, was humanely euthanized Jan. 5. Keepers observed bleeding in Andromeda’s mouth Jan. 2, and she was transported to the vet hospital. Zoo veterinarians discovered lesions on her gums and an ulcer on the tip of her tongue...

Researchers have learned that despite strong global support for tiger conservation, the survival of the species continues to be threatened. Habitat loss, poaching and isolation are all factors leading to population decline, but a team of scientists, including Robert Fleischer and Jesus Maldonado...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is celebrating the birth of two Andean bear cubs born to 8-year-old Billie Jean Nov. 10 and 11. The Zoo announced Nov. 6 on its website, Facebook and Twitter that animal care staff observed two cubs on Billie Jean's ultrasound. Twenty-one-year-old male Cisco is the...

Dr. Donald Neiffer has been named chief veterinarian of the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., effective Oct. 20. Neiffer most recently worked as head veterinarian at The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio. Previous to that, he was the veterinary operations manager for Walt Disney World's Animal...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo recently welcomed the newest member of its zoological family: the North American Porcupine. Two adult porcupines named Quillby and Maude are now on exhibit adjacent to the prairie dog exhibit. Both porcupines came from a breeding facility in Pennsylvania and are...

The rusty-patched bumble bee ( Bombus affinis), which has not been seen in the eastern United States in five years, has been found by a Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute research team at Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane, Virginia.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., is opening its doors—usually closed to the public—for special opportunities in October. The month kicks off with the Autumn Conservation Festival Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5. Visitors to SCBI can see endangered species and...

The membership of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has elected Dennis Kelly, Director of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, to the position of Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. The AZA community recognizes Dennis's strong leadership abilities, said AZA President and CEO Jim...

One hundred years after the extinction of the passenger pigeon, the nation's top bird science and conservation groups have come together to publish The State of the Birds 2014—the most comprehensive review of long-term trend data for U.S. birds ever conducted.

In honor of its 125th anniversary, the Smithsonian's National Zoo is once again home to American bison, the animal that began the Zoo's living collection in 1889 and sparked the conservation movement. The American Bison exhibit, sponsored by Continental Building Products, opens to the public...

WHAT: Media preview and name reveal of the National Zoo's two female American bison. The American Bison Exhibit opens to the public Aug. 30. WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 27 9:30 a.m. WHERE: Smithsonian's National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W. Park in the Bus Parking Lot, in the left lane perpendicular to...

The National Zoo and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China celebrated giant panda cub Bao Bao's first birthday this morning with a Zhuazhou (dra-JO) ceremony. During a traditional Zhuazhou ceremony, symbolic objects are placed in front of a baby. The item that the baby reaches for first...

WHAT:A traditional Zhuazhou (dra-JO) ceremony for giant panda cub Bao Bao ( Media opportunity only. Not open to the public. Public celebration begins at 11 a.m.) WHEN:Saturday, Aug. 23 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. WHERE:Giant Panda Habitat Smithsonian's National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W. ( Please note...

A female red panda, Shama, was euthanized at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., Saturday, Aug. 16. A necropsy performed later that evening revealed severe cerebral edema (swelling of the brain). Based on preliminary cytology, the swelling is attributed to...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the SVF Foundation announced July 23 the launch of the Smithsonian & SVF Biodiversity Preservation Project to strengthen rare and endangered livestock breed conservation through the preservation and study of frozen germplasm (semen and embryos)...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo humanely euthanized its last Sulawesi macaque, a 27-year-old male named Spock, this morning. The median lifespan for this species is about 18 years. Like many elderly animals, Spock had arthritis in his knee and ankle joints. In 2003 and 2004, Zoo veterinarians...

All four red panda pairs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., successfully bred and had cubs this year. Of the 10 cubs, more born at SCBI than any other year, seven have survived. The latest pair to have cubs was Shama and Rusty, who are best known to the public...

The National Zoo's three new female Asian elephants—Kamala (39), Swarna (39) and Maharani (23) — made their public debut in one of the outdoor yards on Elephant Trails for the first time Monday, June 23. After arriving at the Zoo May 23, the elephants spent 30 days in quarantine per standard...