Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center (CRC), is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is located on 13 km² just outside of Old Town Front Royal , Virginia. A subsidiary of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC , the SCBI has played a leading role in veterinary medicine , reproductive medicine , and conservation biology since its inception in 1974 .

The site

The history of the SCBI site began in 1909 when the US Army rented the land. In the years before the First World War , the site provided space for a number of cavalry horse stations that supplied the military with horses and mules. In 1911, the American government finally bought the property and began building the Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot . After completion in 1916, the depot consisted of 11 barns and sturdy buildings, hundreds of kilometers of wooden willow fences, many kilometers of road and a train station for the transport of animals to and from. The Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot remained in operation during both World Wars and was eventually expanded to include a dog training facility and a prison camp for 600 German and Italian prisoners of war.

In 1948, Congress passed property rights by law to the US Department of Agriculture ( USDA ), which converted the site into a cattle research facility. In conjunction with the Virginia Polytechnic Institution and State University (also known as Virginia Tech ), the USDA experimented with various environmental and housing conditions to produce qualitative and quantitative improvements for the breeding of different breeds of cattle. The US Department of State rented parts of the property as emergency storage and communication points to support the Secretary of State and 700 other state employees. The USDA closed its facility in 1973 and the space was temporarily unused. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute itself was founded in 1974 when the director of the National Zoo , Dr. Theodore Reed, recognized the need for his own breeding business and started negotiations to take over the site. Ownership was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1975 and work began on converting it into a zoological research facility.

Programs

Among the best-known research programs of the SCBI are the programs for rearing in captivity and the release of endangered animals, e.g. B. Black-footed turtles ( Mustela nigripes ), the clouded leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa ) and the Matschie tree kangaroo ( Dendrolagus matechiei ). Despite its success, the SCBI has never been undisputed. More recently, former Smithsonian director Lawrence M. Small, assisted by former zoo director Dr. Lucy Spellman, to close the facility to save costs. Opposition from the public as well as from science and nature conservation circles forced Small to withdraw this idea.

The collection

The SCBI's animal collection currently consists of over 400 specimens, including 17 mammals and 15 species of birds . This diverse menagerie is run by Dr. Mitch Bush, Head of Veterinary Services, and his staff. In addition to maintaining healthy livestock at the SCBI, Dr. Bush also traveled extensively to Kenya , South Africa and other African countries, where he did research on stunning techniques for large wild animals such as the giraffe and rhinoceros .

The institute holds an open day every autumn . The "Autumn Conservation Festival" is supported by the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) and offers the public the opportunity to visit the grounds and the veterinary facilities, to exchange ideas with employees and to learn more about research at the SCBI.

Web links

• The National Zoological Park
• The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal Campus
• The SCBI's Research Initiatives

Coordinates: 38 ° 53 '12.5 "  N , 78 ° 9' 52.6"  W.