National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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Leaf-Tailed Gecko Treated With Chemotherapy Regimen at National Zoo

Veterinarians performed the innovative treatment on a 4-year-old Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko, a species at the fringes of zoo medicine.

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Meet the Asian Small-Clawed Otter, an Adorable and Social Carnivore

There’s a lot to discover about the smallest species of otter — here are some fun facts about them.

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Why Do Shorebirds Stand on One Leg?

It's a question visitors ask staff all the time at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Bird House. The answer may surprise you!

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How Are Animals Paired at the National Zoo?

Get ready for Valentine’s Day by learning how zoo matchmakers use science to “swipe right” for conservation.

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Meet Vostok, the National Zoo's New Amur Tiger

The 2-year-old male tiger is now at home with the other residents of the Great Cats exhibit. Get the facts on how animal care teams helped this endangered animal adjust to his new surroundings.

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How Can You Tell the National Zoo's Giant Pandas Apart?

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's two giant pandas look quite similar to the untrained eye. Animal keeper Mariel Lally offers some tips you can use to spot the difference!

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See How the Pandas (And Other Animals) Enjoyed a Chilly Snow Day

Several inches of snowfall kept the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute closed to visitors this week. But the animals and their caretakers still had a good time!

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Read Some of the Most Exciting Stories From the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2024

Celebrate and look back at some of the groundbreaking achievements made by Smithsonian scientists this year.

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Read Some of the National Zoo’s Most Amazing Animal Stories of 2024

Enjoy a look back at some incredible and heartwarming stories about the Smithsonian National Zoo's animals and the people who care for them.

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To Keep the National Zoo’s Pandas Satisfied, Staff Prepare an Endless Supply of Bamboo

Take a look behind the scenes as animal care teams provide a daily bamboo buffet to the Zoo's new giant pandas.

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Meet the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, A Tiny Environmental Hero

Next time you’re walking through fallen leaves in a forest, keep an eye out for the Eastern red-backed salamander—a small woodland creature with a huge role to play.

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How Keepers at Smithsonian's National Zoo Help Giant Pandas Feel at Home

Get a behind the scenes look at how staff are helping giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao settle into their new home at the Zoo's Asia Trail exhibit.

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Ten Fascinating Facts About the Arapaima, the Largest Freshwater Fish in South America

This keystone species of the Amazon River ecosystem are a fearsome predator with many names.

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Inside the Zoo: A Rare and Life-Preserving Cheetah Surgery

With the help of 3D modeling technology, a team of veterinary experts successfully carried out a rare spinal surgery on an 11-month-old cheetah cub at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in August.

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How to Perform a Black-Footed Ferret Health Exam

The ferret kits at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's breeding facility in Front Royal, Va., just passed their 90-day health check with flying colors.

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Body by Bugs: Feeding the Zoo's Insect-Eating Animals

They're nutritious, affordable, and always in demand. Learn how staffers prepare and deliver thousands of bugs each week to the animals living at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

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Inside the Zoo: How Staff Rallied for an Abandoned Baby Monkey

When the Zoo's newest Allen's swamp monkey was rejected by his mother after birth, a team of staffers stepped up to care for the infant while he was young.

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As Climate Change and Pollution Imperil Coral Reefs, Scientists Are Deep-Freezing Corals to Repopulate Future Oceans

Just as the world’s zoos breed critically endangered animals in captivity to repopulate the wild, scientists are building a global effort to freeze corals for reef restoration.

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The Love Lives of Ducks Make for Great Drama

Breeding season at the National Zoo's Bird House can create some spectacular behavior

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