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.
we ask an elephant to present their trunk to our hand
Behind the scenes at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the sweet tweets of chirping chicks are music to the Bird House team’s ears. While their homestead exhibit is under renovation, the team has been busy researching, perfecting and literally writing the book of North American songbird and shorebird husbandry. The result? A bird baby boom—34 chicks among 11 species, and counting! Hear from curator Sara Hallager and keepers Heather Anderson, Stacy Hill, Kathy Brader and Shelby Burns why summer 2020 truly is for the birds.
Our female was hand raised by keepers; she was thrown
January 24 and March 2 mark our African lion cubs first birthdays! Animal keepers Kristen Clark and Rebecca Stites reveal what’s new with the cubs in the latest Q&A!
also helps us determine who is likely to tolerate a hand-injected
By Stephen Schulze, Keeper at the National Zoo’s Small Mammal House
26, 2015 Bird House curator Sara Hallager has hand-raised
Dr. Suzan Murray, director of the Smithsonian Global Health Program, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on zoonotic diseases and outbreak investigations.
public health leaders among others, who must work hand
In honor of National Zookeeper Week, we’re recognizing some of the dedicated professionals who go above and beyond for the animals in our care!
when Howie would be offered his diet for the day and hand-fed
Lemur leaf frogs, also called lemur tree frogs, are small, critically endangered frogs native to Central America. Their bright, yellow-green skin helps them camouflage among leaves during the day. At night, when these nocturnal frogs are most active, their skin turns brown.
They move slowly, walking hand over hand, and rarely
Two-year-old Stanley crane Alice seems to enjoy participating in daily demonstrations with keepers and Zoo visitors. But how does she really feel about these interactions?
would reject her if we put her in their enclosure, so hand-raising
The new gal in town is inquisitive, a foodie and has a knack for shredding paper. Meet Acadia, a 2-year-old female bald eagle in this Q+A with American trail keepers Ashley Graham and Sam Milne!
After cleaning Acadia’s enclosure, we typically hand
Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals and the most socially solitary of the great apes. All three orangutan species — Bornean, Sumatran and the newly discovered Tapanuli — are critically endangered, primarily due to habitat loss.
Orangutans can brachiate—swing hand over hand—but they
