The research and patience has paid off. The sisters, Nababiep and Shera, have spent short periods of time with the male, Luke, individually and simultaneously. This happened only after they each had spent more than a year sniffing Luke through a mesh door (called a “howdy door”).

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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo recently welcomed two litters of lion cubs over a three-week period – bringing the total number of cubs to seven during the summer of 2010.

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For safety’s sake, the four eight-week-old cubs born to  National Zoo lioness Shera were given a swim test on Oct. 26  in the moat of […]

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National Zoo lion keeper Rebecca Stites, at right in photo, was joined by Georgie Henley, at left in photo, and Skandar Keynes, actors in the […]

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Sita (SEE-ta), a 2-year-old female clouded leopard at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., gave birth to these two cubs on Monday, […]

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Five cheetah cubs were born May 28 to 6-year-old Amani at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. Amani is a dedicated mother according to keepers, who have observed her nursing and grooming the cubs.

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A new genetic study by a team of Cuban and American researchers confirms that American crocodiles are hybridizing with wild populations of critically endangered Cuban crocodiles, which may cause a population decline of this species found only in the Cuban Archipelago.

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Two Cuban crocodiles were born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on July 6 and 14 and they are among the most genetically valuable in the […]

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Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), the National Zoo’s female giant panda, gave birth to a cub Sunday, Sept. 16, at 10:46 p.m.

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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo community mourns the loss of the giant panda cub born Sunday, Sept. 16.

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Two Andean bear cubs born at the National Zoo in the early morning of Dec. 13 to 6-year-old Billie Jean.

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Scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics have confirmed that the giant panda cub born at the National Zoo […]

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The giant panda cub born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Aug. 23 received her first veterinary exam late yesterday afternoon and was given a clean […]

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A one-cubic-foot approach to studying biodiversity as showcased in the new Biocube exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History has led to the […]

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Great Cats keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are celebrating the birth of a Sumatran tiger, a critically endangered species. The cub’s mother, 8-year-old Damai, […]

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As you read here
In a 24-hour-period between July 9 and 10, 2009 a clouded leopard cub, a Przewalski's horse, and a red panda cub were all born at Smithsonian's National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia.

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When animal care staff at the Smithsonian's National Zoo need to know when to breed their pandas or when to expect a cub they turn to the Endocrine (Hormones) Research Lab at the Zoo's Front Royal, Va. facility.

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Keeper Tracey Barnes talks about Billie Jean, an Andean bear, and her two new cubs at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

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What does it take to care for a pride of lions? Go behind the scenes with Great Cats Curator Craig Saffoe as he works with animal keepers and veterinarians to prepare the National Zoo's frisky lion cubs for their public debut. For more about the Zoo's growing pride and to watch them on live webcams: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GreatCats/default.cfm?cam=LC4

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The post Many years of research are celebrated in the December 2010 birth of two cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Animal care staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, are hand-rearing the pair of clouded leopard cubs born on March 28, increasing the chances that the cubs will be more successful at breeding later in their life.

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School's nearly back in session, but the seven young lions at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have been working hard through the summer months!

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The post With the recent hatching of two Cuban crocodiles, the National Zoo just got a little snappier! appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The gates at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo re-opened to the public Friday, October 18! The live animal cams that were turned off during the government […]

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The giant panda cub at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo has started taking her first unsteady steps.

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The National Zoo’s Great Cats team celebrated the arrival of its first litter of African lion cubs in four years. On Jan. 24, the Zoo’s […]

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Seven red panda cubs were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute! The cubs were born to mothers Nutmeg, Regan and Leo Mei. Keepers are […]

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Five critically endangered Cuban crocodiles hatched at the National Zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center between July 29 and Aug. 7. The eggs were laid by Dorothy, […]

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Around 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2015 veterinarians examined the cub Mei Xiang gave birth to at 5:35 p.m. Aug. 22, 2015 at the Smithsonian’s […]

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Now eight months old, Giant Panda Cub Bei Bei is learning to come when called and undergoing ‘target’ training to teach him to respond to […]

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The start of spring brought a cheetah cub boom to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Va., where two large litters were […]

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As the world prepares to celebrate Global Tiger Day this Saturday, July 29, Great Cats keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo have some big news […]

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What can we discover in just a cubic foot of Earth? As it turns out, a whole lot! Biocubes—the life in a cubic foot of […]

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Profound ideas don’t need to be complicated. A simple cube made of aluminum tubing, a centerpiece of a new exhibit “Life in One Cubic Foot,” […]

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Hunting has obvious impacts on wild populations. However, new research concludes that for Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos), it also contributes to the killing of cubs by adult males to increase the male's chances of mating with the cubs' mother. The researchers say that this indirect effect of hunting should be considered when developing sustainable hunting quotas and management plans.

The 2-month-old cub at the Toronto Zoo hasn't quite nailed walking, but he's definitely got being cute figured out.

Far from the frosty climate of the Arctic Circle, this adorable family is making do in the summer heat with a brand new swimming pool.

Video: Searching below the surface of Antarctica for the mysterious neutrino.

Researcher Lindsey Swierk discovered that when water anoles flee underwater to escape predators, they stay underwater for a long time.

Study reveals that open-water swims have a dramatic effect on young cubs, which are forced to follow their mothers in search of food and solid ground.

This grizzly bear cub thought he was just enjoying a day at the river's edge before a scallop shell ruined it.

An eye-catching community sauna is a symbol of rebirth for the arctic mining town of Kiruna, which is being forced to move 2 miles to the east.

A leopard cub left paralyzed by a car is pulling off a 'miraculous' recovery, thanks to the efforts of Wildlife SOS in Maharashtra, India.

The bizarre, unexplained sounds that harmed American diplomats working in Cuba may have come from the Indies short-tailed cricket.

These 9 edible flowers will boost your cold beverage game.

Trade embargoes have kept Cuba's cars stuck in the '60s, complete with pitch-black diesel and nasty hydrocarbons.

Israel’s largest international green energy conference takes place this weekend in Eilat.

Watch what happens when an eager young lion cub gets in too deep (literally) while dining on a freshly killed buffalo.

These cubicle-dwellers aren't afraid to show how much they like the season.