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Jennifer Zoon

Jennifer Zoon is a communications specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. She grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and visited the Smithsonian museums often. None captivated her more than the Zoo, which instilled a lifelong love of animals, science and conservation. Jennifer shares that passion for wildlife by telling the Zoo’s stories, introducing others to the Smithsonian’s animals and efforts to save species around the world. She earned a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in creative writing from Dickinson College.

Stories from this author

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Get to Know the Zoo's Meerkat Pups

From sweet snuggles to sassy vocalization and snatching snacks, it’s been a busy June for the Smithsonian National Zoo's growing meerkat pups!

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After An Insect Detox, Can Once-Poisonous Frogs Get Their Spice Back?

Poison frogs living in human care aren’t poisonous, thanks to a “detox” diet of mild insects, like crickets and fruit flies. Can adding alkaloids to a frog’s diet help it regain its toxins and get its “spice” back?

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in a tree with his tongue sticking out

A Decade of Adorable Giant Panda Cam Moments

From newborn cubs to belly slides in the snow

A male Guam kingfisher bird wearing a transmitter on its back is held gently in an animal keeper's gloved hand

Scientists Are Using 3-D-Printing Technology to Ready Guam Kingfishers for Reintroduction to the Wild

'Test flights' using replica transmitters will help scientists select the best option for siheks

Close-up of giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in a tree with his tongue sticking out

Watch Giant Panda Xiao Qi Ji’s Best Moments of 2021

How do you measure a year of giant panda cub cuteness?

Panamanian golden frog standing among dirt and leaves

Is a 'Living Pharmacy' the Key to Curing Chytrid in Frogs?

Scientists test a new approach to protecting frogs from the deadly fungal pathogen

As we prepare to celebrate giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s first birthday Aug. 21, take a look back at his top 12 milestones that left panda fans around the world in awe and

Watch Our Favorite Videos from Giant Panda Cub Xiao Qi Ji's First Year

Celebrate Xiao Qi Ji's Birthday With a Look Back at His First Year

Western lowland gorilla Moke eating a snack

The Science Behind Animal Snacks

Meals to please the palates of giant pandas, flamingos and fishing cats

The cassowary's helmet-like casque is made of keratin, the same material that makes up our hair and fingernails.

Meet Cassowary Brothers Irwin and Dundee, Descendants of Dinosaurs

Cassowaries are considered to be the dinosaurs’ closest living relative

A 17-year Brood X cicada.

Will 17-year Cicadas Be a Buffet or Big Disturbance for Birds?

Brood X is here. Will birds get a bug buffet or struggle to sing over the chorus of cicadas?

This 17-year Brood X cicada nymph is one step away from adulthood. After emerging from the dirt, cicadas typically crawl up the base of a tree to complete their final molt, expand their wings and fly away.

Cicada Snacks: The Wild (and Tasty) Side of Brood X at the Zoo

What will animals think of the impending bug buffet?

The first cheetah cub born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute celebrated his 10th birthday last year, marking a decade of the facility's successful cheetah breeding program.

5 Milestones from a Decade of Cheetah Breeding and Conservation

Take a look back at some of the milestones the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah team has celebrated since the breeding and conservation program began.

January was a month full of firsts for giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with enrichment toys, took his first bites of sweet potato and bamboo, and had his first encounter with snow!

January's Best Giant Panda Moments—In Video

January was a month full of firsts for giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with enrichment toys, took his first bites of sweet potato and bamboo, and had his first encounter with snow!

This young Hartmann's mountain zebra colt, born in July 2020, was a first for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Our 3-month-old Zebra Colt is Earning His Stripes, One Butterfly and Biscuit at a Time

Our playful Hartmann's mountain zebra colt is a bundle of energy! Find out how the young colt spent his summer in this update from ungulate keeper Tara Buk.

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The Unexpected Arrival of a Teeny, Tiny (and Critically Endangered) Spider Tortoise

A "surprise" spider tortoise hatchling arrived July 5 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Reptile Discovery Center. Get the scoop from assistant curator Matt Evans.

The Zoo's 1-month-old giant panda cub had its first veterinary exam over the weekend. Get the scoop from Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas.

Giant Panda Cub's First Veterinary Exam

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda cub reached a big milestone over the weekend. The 1-month-old cub had its first veterinary exam, and all signs point to a healthy, strong cub. Get the scoop from Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas.

Lemur leaf frogs, best known for their big, striking eyes, are critically endangered.

Meet the Lemur Leaf Frog

Meet the lemur leaf frog! These attractive amphibians — best known for their big, beautiful eyes — are critically endangered. The good news? Reptile Discovery Center keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are working to save them from extinction. Get the scoop on how they cracked the code on breeding this species from assistant curator Matt Evans.

Clouded leopard cubs Jilian and Paitoon made their debut at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in September 2019.

School is in Session for Clouded Leopard Cubs

Get a sneak peek into one very important aspect of clouded leopard cubs' daily care at the Zoo: training.

Head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Scott Sillett.

Birds Connect Our World

As the sounds of traffic and crowds have hushed, you may have noticed more birdsong than usual. Stay-at-home measures keeping most of us indoors are likely emboldening our feathered friends, and many more humans are stopping to listen.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's

Preparing for Cheetah Cubs

At the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, the carnivore team is gearing up for a very special arrival: cheetah cubs! As one of 10 facilities in the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, SCBI researchers study the behavior, biology, health and reproduction of these rare cats.

Orangutan mother Batang and infant Redd at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Under (Blood) Pressure: Monitoring Heart Rates in Zoo Primates

How do you get an orangutan to sit still for an electrocardiogram? All it takes is a little patience and a lot of ingenuity! The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s positive reinforcement training program enables primates to voluntarily participate in their own medical care without the need for anesthesia.

Forty years ago, the distinctive call of the bobwhite quail could be heard throughout Virginia’s grasslands. Today, their calls are fading.

Answering the Call for Bobwhite Quail

Forty years ago, the distinctive call of the bobwhite quail could be heard throughout Virginia’s grasslands. Today, their calls are fading — silenced by changing farm practices and land development that have led to the quail’s steep population declines. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes program has joined a nationwide effort to save this charismatic species and its habitat.

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Mike Henley dives at a coral nursery where brown rice coral and blue rice coral grow.

Testing the Waters: Coral Nurseries and Climate Change

What makes (or breaks) a coral’s ability to survive rising sea temperatures? It’s a puzzling predicament, and scientists are hoping coral nurseries can help crack the code. To test the waters, they grow brown rice coral and blue rice coral in various temperatures and conditions, then reintroduce fragments into the ocean. Suspended from a “tree” above the sea floor, these corals are teaching Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Mike Henley whether corals grown in warmer waters fare better than their cold-water counterparts.

As far as predators go, coyotes are one of the most resourceful and resilient.

Connecting with Coyotes on the Prowl

In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, eastern coyotes join the ranks of top predators, along with black bears and foxes. Still, these clever canines face threats in their native habitat. Their daily migrations take them over roads and private lands, where the likelihood of human-animal conflict is high. Using GPS collars, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists, led by biologist Joe Guthrie, are about to embark on a study to piece together the movements of coyotes on the prowl.

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.

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.