With a seal of passion for pinnipeds, American Trail keeper Diana Vogel dives into how she cares for harbor seals!
Many guests are surprised to learn that seals have fur.
Now more than ever, raising awareness about the plight of migratory birds is key to their survival. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, we are in the midst of completely transforming our beloved Bird House from its humble foundation (circa 1928) into a celebration of birds and their amazing annual journeys.
House closed to visitors in 2018, our animal keepers, nutritionists and scientists have
For Asian elephant keepers, working among the giants of the animal kingdom entails training, enriching and caring for the Zoo’s multi-generational herd, as well as contributing to research and educating visitors about the conservation of this endangered species.
Once we have completed our assessment, we provide them with hay and head outside
It’s not easy to be low on the food chain. But white-bearded wildebeests face a threat even greater than lions and leopards. Habitat loss and fragmentation are causing an alarming collapse in their numbers, says Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Jared Stabach. In March, he traveled to Kenya to join University of Glasgow and Kenya Wildlife Service colleagues track how these fantastic ‘beests’ are faring when food is scarce.
What most folks don’t realize is that many wildebeest populations have experienced
A cousin of the mockingbird, these medium-sized gray songbirds are common across the warmer parts of North America, where they are frequently heard (but less often seen) in backyards and parks. They often return to the same summer territory year after year.
They can have a repertoire of up to 100 different syllables and their songs can last
It was a busy week for Rosalie and her five cubs, as they moved back inside an artificial den and are back on the Cheetah Cub Cam. Animal care staff were finally able weigh each cub!
It has been a busy week for Rosalie and her cubs, as they have moved back inside
Eight-week-old Allen’s swamp monkey Zawadi is on the move. Over the past few weeks, biologist Becky Malinsky has watched the baby—whose name means „gift“ in Swahili—become more independent.
At the Zoo, the monkeys don’t have to worry about predators, but we put water in
While Sumatra doesn’t have the cold weather that we have here, our Sumatran tigers
Tall birds with strong legs, wild turkeys are fast fliers and residents of the eastern United States. Wild turkeys were domesticated in Mexico more than 2,000 years ago, although many members of the species remain wild. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., visitors can see a breed of domestic turkey (which is the same species as the wild turkey) called the standard bronze turkey.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Wild turkeys have long, strong
An unseasonably strong storm in fall 2022 stirred up some romance between two Panamanian golden frogs. Now, Reptile Discovery Center keepers are caring for more than 400 of the couple’s golden-hued hatchlings!
Panamanian golden frogs have very smooth skin, similar to dart frogs.
