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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

It's easy to spot the difference between Karl and Karoline (even without Karl’s beak). Karoline is smaller and has a blue and black throat sack. Like other male Abyssinian ground hornbills, Karl has a red and blue throat sack.

When Karl Met Karoline

Meet Karl. He’s an Abyssinian ground hornbill, a bird native to the grasslands of north-central Africa and listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Scimitar Horned Oryx

Goats and Gazelles and Oryx, Oh My! How Wildlife Veterinarians Treat (Almost) All Species

Goats and Gazelles and Oryx, Oh My! How Wildlife Veterinarians Treat (Almost) All Species

As two orangutan infants tussled in the trees, curator of primates Meredith Bastian and primate keeper Alex Reddy looked on in awe. Over the summer, they traveled to Central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo to follow these great apes in their native habitat.

Primate Diary: Observing Orangutans in the Wild

Curator of primates Meredith Bastian and primate keeper Alex Reddy traveled to Central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo to follow great apes in their native habitat. They tell of their research trip in the interview below.

A bison crosses a coulee (a landform shaped by water drainage) during a freezing spring morning.

Studying Animals in Extreme Landscapes

We know that animals select where to live based on their needs — such as food, shelter or safe passage — and their preferences change throughout the year. I want to understand why large mammals choose some areas over others, and how human interaction affects their activity and distribution.

A tapir (Tapirus terrestris) caught on camera in Peru's Amazonian rainforest.

Eyes and Ears on the Amazon Rainforest

Camera traps and acoustic recorders allow researchers to covertly monitor wildlife

When animals are anesthetized, veterinarians cover their eyes to minimize visual stimulation. In this picture, veterinary technician Lisa Ware is administering fluids to help ensure a smooth recovery from anesthesia.

Tracking Tapirs: An Expedition in Ecuador

Tapirs are very charismatic, yet not many people know much about these species. Evolutionarily, tapirs represent a unique taxonomic group; they have retained most of their prehistoric anatomical traits. They are well adapted to climbing steep slopes efficiently, since they live at such high altitudes — between 3,200 meters and 4,300 meters above sea level. Their babies are absolutely cute and sport a brown and white watermelon-like pattern when they are young.

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