Happy birthday, Kibibi! Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s "little lady" celebrated her 14th birthday yesterday, January 10^th, 2023. We’re turning back the clock with some archival footage highlights from herpast. First to 2009, the year of Kibibi’s birth. Then 2011, when 2-year-old- Kibibi received her first medical exam. And finally to 2020, when the staff dropped in on Kibibi’s husbandry training.

Look how far she’s come!

We can help western lowland gorillas like Kibibi by recycling. One of the metals inside electronic devices—tantalum—is mined from areas where gorillas live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We can protect their home—and reduce the need for more expansive coltan mining—by recycling our old electronics. Every small action has the potential to make a huge difference!

Video credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

After an eight-year hiatus, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington, D.C., is celebrating the birth of two Andean bears. The cubs were born Nov. 15 to first-time parents, 3-year-old mother Brienne and 9-year-old father Quito. The first cub was born around 4 p.m. and the second around 8:30 p.m. Animal care staff is closely monitoring the mother and cubs via the Andean Bear Cub Cam on the Zoo’s website, allowing Brienne to care for her offspring without interference. Virtual visitors can also observe the Andean bear family on this temporary platform until the cubs leave the den.

Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, welcomed a litter of two cheetah cubs. First-time mother, 4-year-old female Amani, birthed the cubs Oct. 3 around 9:17 p.m. and 11:05 p.m. ET. This is also the first litter sired by 7-year-old father Asante. As the first offspring of both parents, the cubs are genetically valuable. They appear to be strong, active, vocalizing and nursing well. Animal care staff are closely monitoring Amani and her cubs’ behaviors via the Cheetah Cub Cam on the Zoo’s website. Virtual visitors can also observe Amani and her cubs on this temporary platform until the cubs leave the dens.

For the first time, Bird House keepers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., are celebrating the hatching of two critically endangered blue-billed curassows. The two female chicks are being cared for off-exhibit. The first chick, named Aluna, hatched Aug. 5. Her sister Lulo hatched Aug. 28. Aluna is the first offspring for 6-year-old mother, Jackie; the 16-year-old father, JB, previously sired chicks at another institution. Keepers report that the sisters are thriving and describe them as confident and curious.

For the first time, Bird House keepers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are celebrating the hatching of two critically endangered blue-billed curassows. The two female chicks are being cared for off-exhibit. The first chick, named Aluna, hatched Aug. 5. Her sister Lulo hatched Aug. 28. Aluna is the first offspring for 6-year-old mother, Jackie; the 16-year-old father, JB, previously sired chicks at another institution. Keepers report that the sisters are thriving and describe them as confident and curious.

If you tune into the National Zoo's Cheetah Cub Cam, you might see one or two cubs playing in the den. The cubs are starting to play independently. When cheetah biologist, Adrienne Crosier, tuned into the cam in mid-January, she witnessed this female cub rolling around and having a ball in the den all on her own.

Watch veterinarians and animal care at Smithsonian's National Zoo staff give Rosalie's five cubs their 9-week-old checkup.

Sherman, The Smithsonian National Zoo’s screaming hairy armadillo, goes *wild* for enrichment toys! Magical moments like these happen here every day, inspiring awe and “aww.” Donate today, and your gift will be matched up to $20,000—that’s twice the support to care for National Zoo’s amazing animal ambassadors, like Sherman. ❤️🎁 GIVE A GIFT TO THE ANIMALS: https://s.si.edu/3kVqKSJ.
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A 2-week-old male cheetah cub from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, was transferred to a new cheetah foster mother at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon, Sunday, Oct. 3. SCBI staff were hand-raising the cub, born Sept. 16, who had been abandoned by his mother. It is important for cheetah cubs to learn species-appropriate behaviors and skills from their mothers and siblings. The SCBI cub was successfully introduced to Wildlife Safari’s cheetah foster mother, Jezebel, and integrated into her litter of four cubs.

SCBI is part of the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition—a group of 10 cheetah breeding centers across the United States that aim to create and maintain a sustainable North American cheetah population under human care. Wildlife Safari was the next institution in the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition to have cubs. The male cub will remain at Wildlife Safari with his new family until he is at least 2 years old.

Last Thursday, Oct. 21, Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah mom Rosalie picked a new "den" for her cubs. She moved them, one by one, to a large clump of tall grasses in her yard. The area was well-protected, and it is not uncommon for cheetah moms to move dens. Animal care staff monitored Rosalie and the cubs but did not intervene, as Rosalie has been a very attentive mother. Unfortunately, was no webcam in the grass so the Cubs’ adoring fans had stayed tuned for updates!

Why did Rosalie move her cubs? Was she scared or spooked?

It is not known why Rosalie moved her cubs. It’s completely natural for cheetah moms to move their litters. In fact, every single one of the Zoo’s females has moved cubs during the first month of life except for one. The grasses are also a very popular spot for cheetah moms to move their cubs within the first month – five have in recent memory: Amani (2011), Sanurra (2015), Hope (2017), Erin (2018), and Echo (2020).

Weather can also play a factor. This time of the year is hard. It’s warm during the day and moms get very warm inside the dens. But it’s also still chilly to be outside at night. So, it is a hard time of year to be in one place or the other 100% of the time. The warm days could have encouraged Rosalie to move her cubs out. She was observed panting in the den during the day. She had also been in that den for almost two weeks straight! It was likely pretty gross and stinky in there. In the wild, they wouldn’t stay in one place too long because the smell would attract predators.

On Sunday, Oct. 24, cheetah mom Rosalie moved her five cubs back into the den with a webcam.  It took her about 30 minutes total to move all the cubs, as you can see in this video.

Cheetah Cub Cam: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/cheetah-cub-cam