Welcome to the London Zoo…

What is a scientific zoo?

Also referred to as zoological gardens, scientific zoos are park-like areas housing animals primarily for the goal of scientific research, conservation, and public training. Research and conservation efforts are sometimes a precedence for such scientific zoos, and so they play a pivotal position in finding out animal behaviour and genetics, and nurturing breeding programmes. Such zoos are additionally at the forefront of initiatives when it comes to educating the public about wildlife and conservation efforts. In addition to analysis, conservation efforts, and academic initiatives, welfare of the animals residing in the zoo can be of utmost significance.

The London Zoo is taken into account the world’s oldest scientific zoo. When it opened its doorways on April 27, 1828, it was solely for the members of the Zoological Society of London – a society based in 1826 to allow scientists to research animals stored in comparative freedom. It stayed that approach for almost 20 years, earlier than finally opening its doorways to the public in 1847 to assist funding.

The London Zoo prides itself at being change-makers from its inception, typically breaking new floor in conservation science whereas all the time passionately advocating for wildlife. With a give attention to nice structure, they’ve continuously been in a position to spark a love of animals amongst its guests. The animals’ enclosures are created with their pursuits in thoughts, whereas additionally creating areas that foster surprise and studying amongst its guests.

The man behind the London Zoo

The London Zoo was the brainchild of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Born in July 1781, Raffles had a brief however adventurous life. His many accomplishments embrace founding fashionable Singapore and serving as the Lieutenant-Governor of Java. He additionally arrange the oldest college in Singapore, which nonetheless bears his identify – Raffles Institution.

A naturalist, Raffles constructed an enormous assortment of crops, animals, birds, and fish throughout his time in south-east Asia, as well as to 1000’s of drawings and work pertaining to pure historical past. This priceless assortment, nonetheless, was misplaced as the ship carrying it again to England caught hearth.

Portrait of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles by George Francis Joseph, oil on canvas, 1817.
| Photo Credit:
National Portrait Gallery London / Wikimedia Commons

Not one to lose coronary heart, Raffles arrange the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) together with Sir Humphry Davy in 1826, following his return to England. Bringing collectively scientists and collectors as well as to different gents (girls had been admitted from 1827 onwards), the Society’s goal was to type a group of animals that may very well be studied by its members for the development of zoological information. A lease on an space of Regent’s Park was obtained for this goal in 1826 and Decimus Burton, a younger architect, was roped in and tasked with planning the grounds of the zoo, which included designing lodging for animals and laying out the gardens.

Shortly after organising the ZSL and turning into its first president, Raffles unexpectedly died in July 1826, aged 45. Despite this setback, the members of ZSL ensured that Raffles’ dream got here true and the London Zoo was arrange and opened to its members on April 27, 1828.

What’s a stocktake?

Nearly 200 years on since its institution, the London Zoo continues to thrive and is a spot that greater than 10,000 particular person animals can now name dwelling. The annual stocktake, which is now a requirement for the London Zoo to retain its zoological license, is when zookeepers tally up each mammal, hen, reptile, and invertebrate in the zoo.

Think once more if you happen to had been beneath the impression that that is a simple process and all it takes is a stroll by means of the zoo. Even although counting giant mammals could be straightforward, the identical can’t be stated of the zoo’s varied different species, particularly the various assortment of invertebrates.

Kumbuka, a male gorilla, inspects the zookeeper’s chalk board in his enclosure at the London Zoo in 2014.
| Photo Credit:
AP

The annual stocktake at the London Zoo sometimes lasts per week. The data thus gathered is then shared with many different zoos all through the world by means of a database referred to as ZIMS Species360. This knowledge is employed to assist handle the worldwide conservation breeding programmes for endangered animals.

The newest London Zoo annual stocktake began on January 3, 2025 and turned out to be a busy and profitable endeavor.

Famous residents

There have been quite a lot of animals which were crowd pullers in their very own proper and have gone down in historical past for the position they’ve performed. Here are a few of them:

Sculpture of Guy the gorilla at the principal entrance of London Zoo.
| Photo Credit:
Katie Chan / Wikimedia Commons

Guy the gorilla

A western lowland gorilla, Guy the gorilla was nearly a star at the zoo throughout his time there from 1947 to 1978. He will get his identify from the undeniable fact that he arrived at the zoo on November 5, the day when Guy Fawkes Night is noticed, primarily in Great Britain.

Even although western lowland gorillas are the world’s largest primates, Guy was thought-about a mild big. What’s extra, Guy even cradled birds in his bucket-sized fingers after they flew into his enclosure, earlier than setting them free once more.

Guy attracted 1000’s of holiday makers to the zoo in the three many years when he referred to as it dwelling. There’s a gorilla statue now at the entrance to the London Zoo as a tribute to Guy.

Jumbo the elephant

For 17 years from 1865 to 1882, the London Zoo was dwelling to an African bull elephant that glided by the identify Jumbo. Reaching a grand peak of 11 ft (African bull elephants develop 10-11 ft on common, with the largest recorded to this point being 13 ft!), Jumbo towered over the a whole lot of holiday makers who got here to the zoo to catch a sight of this magnificent creature.

This elephant, captured as a child in Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in 1861, had been acquired by the London Zoo as a small male elephant from France. In February 1882, U.S. circus showman P. T. Barnum purchased Jumbo in the midst of big pleasure in the U.S. and a big outcry in England, with Barnum being largely chargeable for each. Jumbo, nonetheless, had a tragic ending as he was by accident killed in Ontario on September 15, 1885 when a freight practice struck him whereas the circus was loading up to journey elsewhere.

Jumbo is a part of the approach we communicate now as he has gone down into our vocabulary. He served as the inspiration for the phrase “jumbo” that we now use to refer to one thing “very large, unusually large for its type.”

The elephant’s identify might be from slang jumbo which means “clumsy, unwieldy fellow” (recorded utilization in 1823), which in itself is probably going derived from the phrase for elephant in a West African language. The Oxford English Dictionary additionally suggests it may very well be the second ingredient of the phrase “mumbo jumbo.”

Winnie the bear

Did you already know that the youngsters’s story Winnie-the-Pooh was in truth impressed by a resident of the London Zoo? Winnie was a feminine black bear that lived at the zoo for 20 years from 1914 till she died in 1934.

Author Alan Alexander Milne encountered Winnie throughout a go to to the zoo together with his son Christopher Robin. Inspired by the bear, Milne modified the identify of his now iconic character from Pooh to Winnie-the-Pooh.