Conservation

A drawing of the West Indian or Caribbean monk seal based on a specimen collected in Matanzas, Cuba.

For the First Time in More Than 100 Years, Scientists Discover New Seal Genus

The now extinct Caribbean monk seal shares an evolutionary connection with the endangered Hawaiian monk seal--one more reason to save the species

One of the National Zoo's new lion cubs, born this spring.

Meet the Babies of the National Zoo

The National Zoo is home to babies of all species this Spring. You can just smell the cuteness in the air

France Is Spending 3 Million Euros to Save the Great Hamster of Alsace

There are only a few hundred left!

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Decades of Political Strife Have Left Myanmar's Jungles Unexplored and Unchartered

Now as the country opens up, what will happen to its endangered species? A new three-part series on the Smithsonian Channel explores the issue

A Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.

This Song (And This Tiger) Will Go Extinct Unless We Save It

Smithsonian magazine editor Michael Caruso is among the 400 influencers asked to protect and save the "Endangered Song"

Discovery Hut

Preserving Antarctic History Means Chipping Out Tons of Ice From Between Floorboards

Built by Robert Falcon Scott, Discovery Hut is one of several historic structures being preserved in Antarctica

National Park of American Samoa

This Week Is National Park Week

It's spring, and the National Park Service wants you to visit

A West Indian manatee calf nurses from its mother.

14 Fun Facts About Manatees

These roly-poly herbivores just may be the teddy bears of the sea. But keep an eye out when boating; they don’t move so fast.

An albino redwood in Humboldt Country.

One of World’s Ten Albino Redwoods Might Be Cut Down

Preservationists in California, however, are fighting to save the tree

A Falcon UAV unpiloted aircraft is bungee launched in a midday demonstration flight.

The One Use of Drones Everyone Can Agree on, Except for Poachers

Conservationists are looking to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for help in keeping an eye on endangered species

Restoring Cut Rainforests Might Not Work Well If There’s Light Pollution Nearby

Fruit-eating bats can't do their job distributing seeds around the new jungle patch if they're blinded by lights

White rhinos help shape the ecosystem by increasing plant diversity and providing grazing patches for other animals.

Here’s What Might Happen to Local Ecosystems If All the Rhinos Disappear

African landscapes may become very different places if rhinos aren't there to diversify plant life and create prime grazing spots for other animals

A mother right whale and her calf.

Satellites Spot Whales From Space

This new method could help researchers remotely count and keep track of whale populations

This Little Minnow Will Be the First Fish Ever Taken Off the Endangered Species List

Thanks to successful conservation efforts, the Oregon chub has successfully rebounded from near-extinction

A curious, rare snow leopard checks out the researchers' camera trap.

The Elusive Snow Leopard, Caught in a Camera Trap

Researchers managed to capture images of notoriously elusive snow leopards in Pakistan

A grey wolf in Yellowstone National Park.

Top Carnivores Help Shape Nearly Every Aspect of Their Environment

From controlling other animals' numbers to affecting carbon storage, the predators' vital roles in ecosystems justify their conservation, scientists say

A new species of tapir, a herbivorous mammal, was discovered in the Amazon earlier this month.

A Recap of Our Five Favorite New Species of 2013

An owl, a cat, a dolphin, and of course the olinguito, are among this year's biggest new species finds

The London Zoo’s Brian Zimmerman looks for a cichlid in Madagascar.

Doomed Species May Be Saved—A Global Search Locates a Female

With this little fish facing down extinction, a global hunt turned up a few remaining wild individuals

There Is a Way to Make Lion Hunting Good for Lions

A contentious issue may have a bright side

The new tapir, Tapirus kabomani.

Scientists Discover a New Species of Tapir; Locals Say, “We Told You!”

The new tapir is the smallest of the world's five known species but it still counts as one of the largest mammals found in South America

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