Press Release Archive

Thirty years after the scimitar-horned oryx were driven to extinction, the desert antelope will return to the last-known place it existed: Chad's Sahelian grasslands. The reintroduction--the culmination of decades of work--is being led by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), the government of...

WHAT: A traditional Zhuazhou ceremony for giant panda cub Bei Bei. ( Media opportunity only. Not open to the public. Public celebration for Bei Bei, Bao Bao and Tian Tian's birthday begins at 11 a.m.) WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 20 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Zhuazhou ceremony 1 p.m.: Giant pandas receive frozen...

Two red pandas died at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute on consecutive days, July 24 and 25. The initial necropsy results and investigation do not reveal an obvious cause of death nor do the results link the deaths. The two male red pandas, along with the rest of the collection, were...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) hatched its first hooded crane chick June 14. The chick was born as the result of artificial insemination. The chick is being raised by its parents and appears to be doing well. This is the first chick for Tempest (female) and Mr. Crane (male)...

For the first time in more than 15 years, zebras will graze the fields at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Va. Three Hartmann's mountain zebras—two females (Yvonne and Xolani) and one male (Raylan)—came out of quarantine last week at SCBI. The Association of Zoos...

Bird House keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are celebrating the arrival of a Stanley crane chick, hatched July 10 to the Zoo's 27-year-old female and 17-year-old male. Animal care staff are monitoring the chick closely and report that it appears to be alert and strong, and the parents are...

For the first time in 32 years, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's American Trail team celebrated the arrival of a sea lion pup, born June 26 to 11-year-old mother Calli. Keepers watched the birth in an off-exhibit area and continue to closely monitor the pup, which appears to be nursing, moving and...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo recently welcomed two new residents to its Cheetah Conservation Station: maned wolves.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) humanely euthanized a 1-year-old female scimitar-horned oryx, after sustaining a severe spinal injury on June 25. The yearling inadvertently separated herself from her herd as they were moving from one pasture to another through a chute. In an...

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...

Not even pioneering assisted-reproduction techniques can bolster the odds of successful reproduction in bleached coral reefs, according to a new study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and the University of Hawaii. The findings, which were published June 17, in Reproduction...

The National Zoo's senior male sloth bear, 25-year-old Francois, was humanely euthanized yesterday. In human care, sloth bears typically have a median life expectancy of early-to-mid 20s. A final pathology report will provide more information in the coming weeks. Animal care staff had kept a close...

For the first time in 25 years, staff at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are making preparations for the highly anticipated birth of an endangered Bornean orangutan. With a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan (SSP), the 19-year-old parents to be...

Virtual visitors to the Smithsonian's National Zoo will now be able to see its herd of six Asian elephants up-close. The Zoo's high-definition elephant cam was previously stationary and only showed the elephants when they walked in view of the cameras in the Elephant Community Center. The upgraded...

A Japanese giant salamander at the Smithsonian's National Zoo died June 6. Keepers had noticed May 25 that the 25-year-old female had been lethargic and was having difficulty maintaining buoyancy, which prompted keepers to notify the Zoo's veterinarians. Despite treatment with antifungal and...

For the first time, an egg laid by a female brown kiwi at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute hatched on May 10, 2016.

On exhibit for the first time in the Washington, D.C. region, the Smithsonian's National Zoo presents Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea from May 27 through Sept. 5. Made completely of plastic debris collected from beaches, the colorful and dramatic sculptures of marine animals represent the more...

What: A free public event, "World Oceans Day," will feature ocean-themed animal demonstrations, games, crafts, and "Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea" exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. When: Saturday, June 11, 2016 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Smithsonian's National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Ave. N...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's red panda habitat on Asia Trail reopened to the public Tuesday, May 10. Tusa (male) and Asa (female) explored their new home which has a brand new "retreat." The retreat includes four indoor enclosures complete with air-conditioning and heating. The retreat has a...

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is mourning the loss of a 6-year-old female maned wolf named Uno, who died May 7. A final pathology report will provide more information, but her health had been in decline for several months due to liver and bowel disease. Despite treatment, Uno...

WHAT: Media preview of red pandas Tusa and Asa in their newly refurbished habitat on Asia Trail WHEN: Tuesday, May 10 at 10 a.m. WHERE: Smithsonian's National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Park in the bus parking lot in the left lane perpendicular to the bushes. Entering the Zoo from the...

Small Mammal House keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are celebrating the birth of three critically endangered red-ruffed lemurs born April 5 to 6-year-old mother Molly. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan recommended that Molly breed with the Zoo's 7-year-old red...

The Smithsonian's National Zoo lifted its temporary quarantine on the Kids' Farm exhibit that has been in effect since Feb. 26 after E. coli stx 1 gene bacteria was discovered in a few of the animals. After seven weeks of quarantine, no animals showed any sign of disease associated with the E. coli...