Welcome to the website of the Smithonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

How do you monitor disease in Asian elephants? By building their trust and teaching them to voluntarily participate in medical exams! Get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into caring for our herd.

A recently published study sheds light on the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders in the northeastern United States. The article, published in the journal Biology Letters, revealed the amphibians’ densities...

It’s no trick, only the sweetest treat: Boo at the Zoo, sponsored by Mars Wrigley Confectionery, and the Zoo’s 21+ spooktacular cocktail party, Night of the Living Zoo, are back...

On the wings of last year’s award-winning baby boom, our Bird House team recently welcomed 27 chicks among seven duck and songbird species! Meet them in this update.

The ferret kits at our breeding facility in Front Royal, Va., just passed their 90-day health check with flying colors.

With their warm golden-hued eyes, coats that camouflage them in the tree canopy and cheery “chuff” greetings—there’s no denying clouded leopards’ charisma. Get to know our cats!

August is Asian Elephant Awareness Month, and we’re celebrating with stories and fun facts about this endearing—and critically endangered—species.

Smithsonian scientists are exploring a radical effort to preserve and safeguard biological samples from important and at-risk species inside the cold craters of the Moon.