Mike Bock

Mike Bock is a content writer for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where he focuses on animal care, conservation science and research.

Stories from this author

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National Zoo Celebrates Qing Bao’s 5th Birthday With a Groovy ‘Panda Party’

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How Smithsonian Science Is Helping the Scimitar-Horned Oryx Recover—and Thrive

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How X-Rays, Plastic Cups and Spools of String Help National Zoo Researchers Find Wild Box Turtle Nests

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11 Fascinating Facts About the Hellbender, North America's Largest Amphibian

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Practical Tips for Anyone Currently Raising Nine Flamingo Chicks at the Same Time

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We Can Freeze Human Reproductive Cells. Can We Do the Same for Red Wolves?

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How Well Do You Know America’s Bird? Nine Fascinating Facts About the Bald Eagle

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Meet the Striped Skunk, America's Misunderstood Neighbor

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Meet the Cute, Rare and Remarkable Babies Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo This Spring

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Eight Fascinating Facts About the Whooping Crane, the Tallest Bird in North America

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Why Firefighters Burned Down an Old Building on the National Zoo’s Science Campus

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Linh Mai Inspires a New Era for the Zoo’s Elephant Cam

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Inside a Komodo Dragon Vet Exam at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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9 Fascinating Facts About North America’s Master Builder, the Beaver

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To Help Save Wildlife, Ecologists Learn A.I. Skills at the National Zoo’s Science Campus

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See How the Animals Enjoyed a Snowy Week at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Welcomes Two Sloth Bear Cubs

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How Human Health Technology Is Improving Orangutan Welfare at the National Zoo

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Small Stories, Big Science: 2025 in Review at the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute

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The Animal Care Stories That Shaped 2025 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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7 Spooktacular Animal Facts for Halloween

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8 Fascinating Facts About the Cuban Crocodile, a Rare Caribbean Predator

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Bao Li, Qing Bao and the Secrets of Summer Panda Life at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

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The Hidden Architecture Behind a Wildlife-Friendly Garden at the Zoo

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How Do Snakes Move Without Legs?

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'Little Critters' Drop-In Program Lets the Smallest National Zoo Visitors Play Hands-On With Nature

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Black-Footed Ferret Webcam Launches on National Zoo Website

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Meet the Bat-Eared Fox, an Unusual Animal That Can Hear Insects Burrowing Underground

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Leaf-Tailed Gecko Treated With Chemotherapy Regimen at National Zoo

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

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Why Do Shorebirds Stand on One Leg?

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Maned Wolf Program at the National Zoo's Research Campus Welcomes Three Pups

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How Are Animals Paired at the National Zoo?

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Meet Vostok, the National Zoo's New Amur Tiger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Love Lives of Ducks Make for Great Drama

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Aspen and Juniper: A Beaver Love Story

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How Genomic Science Solved a Cheetah Cub Paternity Mystery

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A Celebration of Life: 50 Years Under the Endangered Species Act

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4 Animals That Are Not as Creepy as You Think (And 4 That Are Creepier)

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How Do Birds Handle the Heat?

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Oh, Baby! Meet Some of the Zoo's Newest Arrivals