JOAN PROCTER, DRAGON DOCTOR
HEADS OR TAILS
Three species, one mission. Royal Mint celebrates 200 years of ZSL uniting science, zoos and global conservation with bicentenary coin.
PROTECTING THE LOST DOVE
The Extinct-in-the-Wild Socorro dove disappeared from their wild home (the island of Socorro, in Mexico) in the 1970s, and the species survives today only thanks to the dedication of zoos, including London and Whipsnade. ZSL’s scientists and keepers have played a key role in understanding the Socorro dove and its needs, maintaining a genetically healthy population and preparing the species for reintroduction to its native Mexico – a major step towards restoring this lost bird to the wild.
We’re very excited to announce that The Royal Mint has released a commemorative £2 coin to mark our birthday – one penny for every year of ZSL’s existence. The coin features three special animals: the Sumatran tiger, Socorro dove and Partula snail. Each one is a symbol of both our history and our ongoing mission to save species.
Purchase your coin at RoyalMint.com
RESTORING AN ICON CAT
The Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger is a ZSL icon. At London Zoo you’ll find pair Gaysha and Asim; we manage the global zoo breeding programme of Sumatran tigers; and we’re also working to conserve tigers around the world. Today, there are an estimated 5,500 tigers around the world, and their numbers are slowly growing. One of our longest running tiger programmes, in Nepal, recently celebrated the tripling of the country’s Bengal tiger population – from just 121 tigers in 2009 to 355 today.
SAVING A SPECIES, INCH BY INCH
Once widespread across the islands of French Polynesia, Partula snails (a group of species that once numbered over 100) were wiped out by invasive predators. After leading a rescue mission to locate some of the last few individuals 30 years ago, our Zoos have led their global breeding programme, raising multiple species of Partula at our conservation Zoos and reintroducing thousands to their native valleys.
Watch our short film Guardians of the Small to learn more about the dedicated team restoring these lost wonders at zsl.org/ partula-snail-film
Image © Luke Capeling
Wild About is the magazine for Gold Members, Fellows and Patrons of London and Whipsnade Zoos
London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY
Tel: 020 7722 3333 zsl.org
Registered Charity No. 208728
For more information about Membership, please contact our supporter contact team on 0344 225 1826.
Editor: Jonathan Kemeys
Design: Suzie Black and Emma Atkinson, Alliance Creative wildabout@zsl.org
With thanks this issue to:
Rebecca Blanchard, Kim Burton, Tina Campanella, Lucy Colomb, Gemma Dipple, Emma Edwards, Hannah Fisk, Celine Gamble, Edwina Garchitorena, Charlotte Gurden, Mark Holden, Dominic Lipinski, Mary Rose Lopez, Juliana Martins, Anna McConachie, Kate McDonough, Emma Milnes, Carolin Pockrandt, Vickie Sage, Claire Scott, Cris Storey, Paul Stoker, Ann Sylph, Ben Tapley, Adrian Taylor, Alastair Wilkinson, Megan Winfield.
Wild About is printed on material from well-managed, Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)-certified forests and other controlled sources.
Your copy of the magazine is sent to you in a recyclable envelope. Wild About is published three times a year and distributed to Gold Members and supporters. No part of Wild About may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without prior written permission from ZSL. ZSL cannot guarantee the return of unsolicited articles, photographs, etc. ZSL reserves the right to refuse an advertisement without explanation. ZSL does not necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised. When you have finished with this issue please recycle it or share it!
A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY
Dear Members, Fellows and Patrons – you’re invited to a very special birthday!
This spring, we’re kicking off celebrations for ZSL’s 200th birthday, and we’d love you to join us at one of the special events we’ll be running throughout the year (read more on page 16). We’ll be marking 200 years of wildlife by looking back at the legendary animals, pioneering scientists and famous faces who have shaped our story.
When Sir Stamford Raffles created ZSL in 1826, his vision was for a scientific Zoo in the capital where scientists could study and learn about animals. Zoology wasn’t the established profession it is today, animals were poorly understood, and his urgent mission was to improve humanity’s understanding of wildlife.
He wouldn’t live to see his creation in action – dying just a few months later, before London Zoo even opened – but it’s fair to say that we’ve run with it! Today, we have not one but two Zoos; we’re home to over 500 species; we welcome over two million visitors a year to be inspired wildlife; and we employ hundreds of scientists and conservationists working to understand and protect wildlife.
Over our 200 years we’ve been home to people and innovations that have shaped how we know the world. From the likes of Charles Darwin, who developed his famous theories as a
ZSL Fellow (page 7), or Curator Joan Procter who challenged stereotypes and revolutionised reptile care (page 12), to conservationists today like Mary Rose Lopez, working to protect coral reefs (page 22).
While conservation wasn’t a term that he would have used at the time, Raffles’ commitment to learning about the natural world was the first step towards future conservationists understanding it needs protection. Who would have imagined in Raffles’ time that the changes sweeping the planet during that period – the industrial revolution – would have such an impact on wildlife and their habitats today. Which only makes our founding mission more important than ever.
This year is also my first leading ZSL, as our first female CEO, and I couldn’t be prouder to be doing it during such a special year. I’ve been part of ZSL for over a decade now and it’s the passion of our people (like Adrian Taylor, page 15) and our incredible supporters (like you!) makes my job of leading us into our 200th year an absolute privilege.
Thank you for making it all possible, and I hope you enjoy this special year with us.
Kathryn England CEO ZSL
NEWS FROM THE ZOOS AND BEYOND
WHIPSNADE
BABY
NEW ZSL PODCAST WITH BEN FOGLE
We’ve been bringing people closer to wildlife for 200 years. ZSL’s Wildest Moments, presented by Ben Fogle, and in partnership with Mountain Warehouse, is a new podcast series celebrating the surprising, emotional and transformative encounters people have had with wildlife. Each episode, released monthly from March 2026, will feature Ben in conversation with a guest, who will share a personal story about a remarkable wildlife experience and how it shaped their life. Guests include Bruce Fogle, Ben’s dad (who was once a trainee vet at London Zoo), TV presenter Megan McCubbin, broadcaster Dr Chris Van Tulleken and ornithologist Dr Mya-Rose Craig. Listen to Wildest Moments on all major podcast platforms.
Over the winter, our delighted keepers welcomed a baby rhino and not one but two giraffe calves –and they really put the BOOM in baby boom.
Rhinos calves weigh around 50kg at birth (that’s at least 10 times more than human babies), while giraffes are born six feet tall! Look out for our young male rhino Mick charging around his paddock this spring, learning what it means to be a miniature tank, while our young male and female giraffes figure out how to walk on the world’s longest legs!
Mick is Whipsnade’s 60th white rhino calf, named in honour of long-serving staff-member Mick Shillingford, now retired. His birth makes us one of the most successful places for breeding their species outside of Africa! Read more about ZSL’s history with white rhinos on page 11.
WILD WORDSMITH
We’re honoured to share ZSL’s bicentenary poem, written by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for our 200th birthday.
Simon used the moon as a metaphor for ZSL’s enduring, often unseen role in caring for wildlife – not only in our Zoos, but around the world – and inspiring its visitors.
“I wanted to convey tenderness, welfare, respect and deep knowledge, the staff at ZSL represented by the moon as their presiding spirit,” said Simon. “The second stanza is about the wonder of the natural world, and creating that wonder in the mind of humans – exciting us about how the richness of the natural world and how the richness of nature can enrich our own imaginations.”
THE MOON AND THE ZOO
by Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate
It slides in under the turnstile after dark, moves in a silent arc at an ancient pace, dabs its ointment on the gibbon’s paw, nitpicks its way through the troop of gorillas, smooths the silverback’s fur.
The moon puts a crystalline glint in the tiger’s eye, makes a zebra flicker like old film, shushes the two-toed sloth when it stirs.
On it goes, incognito keeper and carer wheeling through tunnels, passing through fences, casting the black kite in a platinum glow, mending cracked hide with its soft flux and welding the armadillo’s chainmail coat.
A restless otter slips out of its holt and rolls the ball of the moon in its feet; the full moon smears its milky smile on the lips of pups and kittens and cubs. It crowns the giraffe in its standing sleep, draws out the aye aye’s ET fingers for a midnight manicure, blesses a tortoise, lifts up its lamp to check on the lions, sharpens the warthog’s tusks, brushes the strings of the cupboard spider’s jittery web without sounding a note, then makes a final sweep of the nests and dens.
But there’s still work to do before dawn, spreading out through the city, leafleting streets, leaving animal dreams under pillows and conjuring tundra, rainforest, swamp or savannah from gardens and parks, lighting up waking minds with wild thoughts. Then morning breaks; the moon hands over the keys of the world and trusts them to us.
WRITTEN TO CELEBRATE
ZSL’S 200TH ANNIVERSARY
MYTH BUSTERS
A diet of zoo visits, animal characters and wildlife documentaries has created a nation of animal lovers – but 200 years ago, knowledge of the natural world was patchy, rife with myth and misconception. Enter ZSL, the myth busters of the animal kingdom…
Londoners today might associate Regent’s Park with central London (it is in Zone 1 on the Underground, after all). However, in the 1820s, it was anything but. Converted from farmland and opened in 1811, the Park sat on the very edge of the city, straddling the countryside of hedgerows and cattle fields, and the growing metropolis.
It was here that ZSL (Zoological Society of London) began in 1826. Little was known about many animals in the early 1800s, particularly species from overseas, and the scientists and naturalists who made Regents Park their home set out to build the world’s first scientific Zoo – a place to care for, study and learn all they could about animals.
London Zoo was opened two years later, first just to ZSL Fellows (and then to the wider public in 1847), and it was a turning point in zoology. Not only would it capture the imagination of the British public with animals from around the world, but it also helped to turn zoology from an amateur interest – a hobby for wealthy gentlemen who enjoyed collecting animals – into a professional science alongside fields like medicine and chemistry.
Zoos are part of a network of hundreds of zoos that share information about their animals’ behaviour,
REGENT’S PARK
ZSL’s greatest myth buster
When 27-year-old Charles Darwin stepped off the ship HMS Beagle at Falmouth Harbour, Cornwall, in 1837 it was the end of a five-year journey but the beginning of a scientific career that would change the way we understand the world. He brought with him hundreds of plant and animal specimens from the places he visited, like South America and the Pacific Islands, as well as drawings and notes.
MYTHS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
As European empires and their navies expanded around the globe, Europeans came into contact with weird and wonderful animals they had never seen before – often recording what they saw or even bringing back specimens. However, zoology wasn’t a profession like it is today, and animal sightings and samples were often misinterpreted or sensationalised.
The tropical big foot
Today, gorillas and orangutans are cherished as gentle giants, with great intelligence and complex social relationships. However, European explorers in the 1700s and 1800s popularised the idea of great apes as bloodthirsty beast-men, capable of killing and kidnapping humans. The arrival of famous apes like Jenny the orangutan and Guy the gorilla at London Zoo helped to change this misconception.
A lifetime in flight
Returning to London, Darwin worked through the fossils and specimens he had collected in his time away, alongside ZSL’s scientists, and started to form his theory of evolution: that species evolve over time to suit their environments. This was a major challenge to religious thinking, which believed that all animals were created by God.
The feathers of birds-ofparadise have long been used in southeast Asian and Australasian traditions. However, when indigenous hunters first sold birds-of-paradise skins that had the legs already removed to European traders (who hadn’t seen a living bird-of-paradise) it started the myth that these beautiful birds were celestial beings, born without legs, and spend their entire lives in flight.
Darwin, who became a ZSL Fellow himself in 1839 and served on ZSL’s board of trustees, also took regular trips to London Zoo. Whilst there, he was captivated by one creature in particular – Jenny the orangutan. Sensing that Jenny might hold the key to understanding humans, Darwin spent many months with her – observing how she could recognise herself in a mirror, make use of tools and even feel complex emotions. Inspired by Jenny the orangutan, Darwin would go on to declare another oncedaring, now commonly accepted theory: that humans evolved from apes! some of the species that Darwin met on his journey around the world at London Zoo. Look out for our giant Galapagos tortoises and Darwin’s frogs!
Know your narwhal from your unicorn
From the medieval period well into the 1800s, Arctic traders would collect and sell narwhal tusks, passing them off as unicorn horns. Not only were these tusks seen as proof of the mythical unicorn, but unicorn horn was also thought to have healing powers and was used to treat sickness.
Finding the African unicorn
Okapi are so secretive that they managed to avoid being photographed in the wild until 2008, when they were finally photographed by camera traps set up by ZSL and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation.
In the dense rainforest of central Africa, lived a secret. Coined ‘the African unicorn’ for its near mythical status, it was known to local people but elusive to European Reports claimed it was a four-legged animal, about the size of a horse, with stripes like a zebra and a dark body like a buffalo. In fact, the animal in question was related to neither. The okapi, as it turned out to be, is a type of forest giraffe. It has a long tongue, pointed face and tufty horns just like a giraffe (known as ossicones), but their shorter bodies, dark coat and striped legs are much better for moving quietly through thick, shadowy rainforest and staying hidden from predators.
ZSL Fellow Sir Harry Johnston, an explorer and administrator involved in the running of Britain’s colony in Uganda, set out to find the okapi in 1900, but failed to find anything
Hippomania grips London
a complete okapi skin and two skulls, hunted by local people and sent to Johnston, proved the okapi’s existence. Johnston sent the discoveries onto London, where they were examined by ZSL and declared a new species to science, putting the myth of an African unicorn to bed. The new species was given the scientific name Okapia johnstoni, in recognition of the okapi’s local name (“o’api”, in the Mbuti language) and Johnston’s efforts.
In 1850, Obaysch the hippo made a splash at London Zoo. Arriving from Egypt alongside Egyptian hippo expert Hamet Safi Cannana, Obaysch was the first common hippo seen in Europe since the time of the Ancient Romans (when they Hippos had long been a source of myth and rumour among Europeans. Known for their long teeth, huge size and territorial nature, common hippos were seen by many as savage and terrifying animals. Obaysch quickly helped to change those opinions, becoming a national sensation in Britain. Around 10,000 visitors flocked to the Zoo every day to see him – even Queen Victoria was charmed by him during a visit, comparing his swimming to a porpoise. He featured in newspapers and magazines, memorabilia, and a dance called the Hippopotamus Polka was even composed in his honour.
Just as importantly, the arrival of Obaysch and Hamet was the first opportunity for zookeepers to learn how to care for hippos. Knowledge of animals’ needs was limited during the 1800s, and early zookeeping was far different to the standards we know and expect today. Obaysch himself was initially fed a diet of milk and ground corn, mixed into a kind of mush. But, as zookeeping improved, so did the understanding that animals need food that matched their wild diet.
to change negative perceptions about reptiles when they opened the world’s first reptile house! Turn to page 12 to read more.
A VERY BRITISH ADVENTURE
It’s 1926. London Zoo, the world’s most famous Zoo, is bursting at the seams with animals. It needs space to grow, somewhere outside the city that the British public (with their new-fangled motor cars) can visit. This is the story of Whipsnade Zoo.
In the early 1900s, ZSL’s secretary Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell
hatched a plan. ZSL needed more space to care for and study large animals. ZSL needed a place in the country.
In 1926 the ideal site was found – the Hall Farm estate, perched on the top of the Chiltern Downs and near Whipsnade village. The farm covered around 500 acres (that’s about 15 times the size of London Zoo, or 8,000 tennis courts, to you and me). Just 30 miles from London Zoo, it would be perfect for day-tripping Londoners and staff going between the two Zoos.
ZSL purchased the farm for £13,480 (don’t forget the 12 shillings and 10 pence) the next year, but Whipsnade Zoo would take another four years of hard work before it was ready to open to visitors. It wasn’t just animal habitats that needed building –the Zoo needed roads, restaurants for visitors and a boundary fence to keep its animals safe. Even a reservoir was built so that animals, staff and visitors would have fresh water.
DID KNOW?YOU
Welsh miners helped build the Zoo! During the Great Depression, ZSL and the Ministry of Labour arranged for out-of- work Welsh miners to come and help build Whipsnade Zoo, for pay and lodging.
A BUMPER OPENING WEEKEND
Opening day – Saturday 23 May 1931 – was typically British (wet and windy) but 1,080 visitors came to see the new Zoo. Whipsnade was the first of its kind in Europe – an ‘open zoo’ that could accommodate visitors on foot and in their cars.
The following day, Whit Sunday, ten times that number turned up at the Zoo, but nobody was prepared for what happened the next day. Bank Holiday Monday was fine and sunny, and the Zoo’s adverts in newspapers and on local radio had obviously worked, because almost 30,000 visitors turned up. The roads around Whipsnade ground to a halt with traffic jams, and Bedfordshire police even suspended trains coming from London. Worst of all, food and beer at the Zoo ran out by midday.
The Morning Post the next day led with the headline “Whipsnade Besieged”, and work began the same day on a second, larger carpark and a bigger restaurant. The Zoo’s business plan had been based on an estimated annual income of just £2,500, smashed in just the first three days. Clearly Mitchell and his team had work on their hands to meet popular demand.
A WALK IN THE COUNTRY
Car breakdowns were common in the 1930s, so Whipsnade employed a mechanic in the carpark. Visitors could come by horse-drawn carriage, but they had to be left in the carpark (with someone to supervise the horses).
Zoo soon welcomed tigers, polar bears, porcupines, dingos and alligators into its care.
When Whipsnade Zoo opened, the first animals cared for by the Zoo included elephants, lions, three species of bear (brown bears, Himalayan black bears and sloth bears), American bison, Bactrian camels, kangaroos, flamingos and ostriches. As well as these, visitors could meet several species of free-roaming animals, including muntjac deer, wild turkeys and peacocks.
This was just the beginning, as Mitchell was always on the lookout for opportunities to add to the Zoo’s
In 1932, Whipsnade Zoo bought several animals from Glasgow’s Bostock Menagerie, a type of travelling zoo very popular during the late 19th and early 20th century. Two elephants and two camels travelled down from Scotland by train, where they departed at Luton station and walked through Dunstable on their way to Whipsnade – causing quite a stir with locals.
The special delivery also included lions, tigers and
A WORLD FIRST
In 1970, southern white rhinos were in crisis. Rhino poaching was rampant, fuelled by the trade in rhino horn, and less than 500 rhinos survived in two parks in South Africa. With the species on the verge of extinction, the South African government decided that a breeding population needed to be set up in Europe.
They picked Whipsnade both for its huge size and the Zoo’s successes in breeding other rare species, like European bison and Pere David’s deer. Later that year, a herd of 20 rhinos –seven males and 13 females – were shipped from South Africa, accompanied by the Zoo’s Head Zookeeper Harry Stevens. It wasn’t long before the move proved a success; on 23 June 1971, Whipsnade welcomed a baby rhino called Mazinda, becoming the first European zoo to do so. It wasn’t a fluke, either. More baby rhinos quickly followed, and Whipsnade’s herd has since helped to establish herds at other zoos, creating an insurance population for the species. In fact, Whipsnade Zoo is the most successful place for breeding white rhinos outside of Africa. Mick, the most recent calf born on 31 December last year, become the 60 a record of just over one a year!
A BRITISH NATURE RESERVE
One of the biggest challenges of bringing 20 rhinos to England was what to do with the poo during the sea voyage (one rhino produces a wheelbarrow of poo every day)! In the end, the poo was swept straight into the
Whipsnade was designed to be a home not just for exotic animals, but for British wildlife too. first British national parks had even been created, Mitchell was ahead of his time. He wrote that he wanted Whipsnade to be a nature reserve for native wildlife, envisaging a zoo where animals from around the world could live and raise their young in a near-wild habitats, alongside British nature. “It is hoped every wild plant, tree, shrub or flower will flourish, and every British wild bird will find itself a sanctuary,” he said, in his introduction to the very first Whipsnade Zoo guidebook.
Today, Whipsnade has stayed true to Mitchell’s vision. The Zoo is a home for rare British orchids, bluebellcarpeted woodlands and animals like red kites, slow worms and hummingbird hawkmoths.
And not just that – our vets and conservation scientists are also involved in the reintroductions of several British species, such as beavers, dormice, pine martens, pool frogs and corncrakes. Plans are now underway to establish a new Centre for British Species Recovery at Whipsnade Zoo, where we’ll be able to breed animals for reintroduction projects across the British Isles.
CREATING A NATIONAL ICON
One of Whipsnade’s most enduring legends lies in its chalky hillside: the Whipsnade White Lion. First carved in 1933, this enormous figure was the vision of R.B. Brook-Greaves, a ZSL Council member who wanted to create a bold emblem to mark the presence of the newly established Zoo.
Inspired by England’s tradition of chalk hill figures and ZSL’s lion logo at the time, the White Lion was painstakingly cut into the downs by a team of workers using hand tools. Stretching over 147 metres in length, it quickly became a symbol of the zoo, visible for miles around.
Today, it’s maintained by local volunteers, who cut back vegetation and refresh the chalk, keeping the figure bright and bold against the hillside.
London Zoo’s first female Curator of Reptiles was a game changer, for both female zoologists and the animals she cared for.
The year is 1931. It’s the middle of the night, and Dr Joan Procter, ZSL’s Curator of Reptiles, is asleep in one of the staff lodgings at Whipsnade Zoo. Suddenly, she wakes to a clatter from downstairs. Tiptoeing down to the customer restaurant below, she finds a strange sight – a sun bear, covered in paint and rummaging around the cupboards.
Teresa the sun bear had a reputation for two things: being a highly skilled escape artist, and a lover of honey. Having climbed out of her home and first found her way into the Zoo’s paint shed, Teresa was now hunting for a midnight snack in the visitor restaurant.
The frog and toad illustrations you see here were drawn by Joan herself!
Without hesitation or fear, Joan grabbed a pot of honey from the storeroom and lured Teresa into the ladies’ toilet. Joan then called the head keeper, with the message “I’ve got a bear in the lavatory!” Teresa was returned, after a thorough clean, to her home. However, tragically, Joan would not survive the year – struck down by an illness that had dogged her entire life. Nevertheless, her short time at ZSL would revolutionise animal care forever.
A lifelong love of reptiles begins
Born on 5 August 1897, Joan quickly developed an interest in science and nature – encouraged by her grandfather William Procter, an amateur botanist and geologist. She had an array of snakes and lizards as a child and, at 16, she even took a pet baby crocodile to school with her (much to the surprise of her maths teacher)!
Joan dreamed of going to Cambridge University, but her plans were interrupted by a chronic illness. Instead, in 1917, she went to work at the British Museum, under the tutelage of the Museum’s Keeper of Reptiles and Fishes – studying and cataloguing the many specimens held there. In 1918 she submitted her first scientific paper to ZSL for review (a study on highly venomous pit vipers) and, by 1920, she was in charge of the Museum’s reptile department.
A national sensation
Joan’s meteoric rise didn’t halt there. In 1923, at just 26 years old, Joan caused a national stir when she was recruited by ZSL as London Zoo’s first female Curator of Reptiles. Up to this point, the field of zoology was dominated by men.
In her new role, Joan led the creation of a new Reptile House – hailed at the time as the most sophisticated building of its type in the world. She introduced several revolutionary techniques into the design, including the use of heated pipes to generate heat for warmth-
FUTUREGENER
Joan revolutionaryProcter’sReptile House is
now
London Zoo’s ZooTown, where we hope to inspire and empower generationsfuture of conservationists.
loving species, and the installation of ‘vita glass’, a special type of glass developed in the 1920s that allowed UV light from the sun (beneficial to reptiles and amphibians) to pass through it, into the animal’s habitats. Her changes would revolutionise reptile care around the world. The reptiles in the new house were more active, healthier, had greater appetites and lived longer. Her methods were quickly adopted in other zoos around the world.
An extraordinary life, cut short Terribly, Joan’s life would end far too soon. In 1928, the chronic illness that had plagued her life became too much.
ZSL’s President Herbrand Russell (the 11th Duke of Bedford) offered her the opportunity to recover in the countryside at Hall Farm, the recently purchased land that ZSL was in the process of turning into Whipsnade Zoo.
It was here that Joan assisted in the creation of the Zoo, often issuing instructions from her sick bed, and met Teresa the sun bear. However,
Throughout the 1800s, zoology had been one of the many pursuits and professions closed off to women. Women were largely restricted to domestic jobs judged appropriate by Victorian society; dealing with exotic, potentially dangerous animals and unpicking the mysteries of science was not one of them.
However, the turn of the century marked a shift. Thanks to the advances of women like Joan, who refused to fit social norms – and accelerated by World War I (when many men went off to war) – women were finally able to take on the jobs that had long been denied them.
A once-male-dominated profession is now increasingly led by female scientists, conservationists and zoologists.
time that saw them as dangerous and stupid. Famously, she befriended two Komodo dragons, Sumba and Sumbawa, who arrived at London Zoo in 1927. Sumbawa and Joan developed a particularly strong bond, and the lizard joined Joan on walks around the Zoo, even attending children’s birthday parties.
We’ll be unveiling a new artwork at London Zoo in May, celebrating Joan’s life and work. Watch out for more in our magazine.summer
GRAND DESIGNS
In a UK-first, eco-engineers at ZSL have been busy building a new reef for oysters in the North Sea, one block at a time
How do you build a home for a colony of oysters? That’s the challenge set to ZSL’s conservationists, who are working to restore near-extinct native oysters to UK waters.
Earlier this spring, marine conservationists from ZSL and Groundwork North East and Cumbria deployed 20 six-tonne oyster reef cubes to an area of the North Sea, in a bid to create a new reef for oysters
to call home. Alongside them were 4,000 adult oysters and 35,000 juvenile oysters. It’s hoped that the heavy structures will protect the oysters from storms and tide surges, giving them to a safe haven to grow, breed and start to repopulate other areas of the North Sea.
The cubes are made from a carbon neutral alternative to concrete, known as Marine Crete®. Each cube is engraved with ridges and textures designed to mimic rocks found on the seabed, and the large holes in the centre of each cube will create hiding spots for other animals like lobsters and fish. The project was funded by the Stronger Shores Partnership.
GOING WITH THE FLOW
Adult oysters spawn their eggs straight in the water, and the eggs are at the mercy of the currents –floating for miles and miles. The eggs transition into larvae and, over several weeks, they start to develop a ‘foot’ to help them latch onto a hard surface. Once they’ve found a nice place to settle down, they start to develop a shell and grow into adults (who can breed and spawn their own eggs).
RESTORING AN OCEAN SUPERHERO
Oysters are ecosystem engineers, building huge reefs that provide habitat and food for other animals like fish, crabs and shrimp. Each oyster can also filter around 200 litres of water few day – equivalent to a bath full of water – helping to boost coastal water quality. Sadly, native oyster reefs disappeared from the region over a century ago, and they’re declined by a massive 95% across UK waters since the 1800s.
Learn about more of ZSL’s grand designs and other major moments in ZSL’s 200 years at our exhibition,bicentenary on show at both Zoos from April.
I was a typical teenager – I wanted to avoid work whenever I could. But as the years went by, I became more and more invested in the animals and the people. It got under my skin.
When an 18-year-old Adrian Taylor joined London Zoo, it was just another job. Fifty two years later, Adrian is the longest current serving member of staff at ZSL, and can’t imagine his life without it.
WILD LIFE
“Ihad dropped out of school at 16 and two years later, when my dad saw the advert in the Evening Standard newspaper, he insisted I go for it,” says Adrian, with a wry smile.
Adrian’s starting salary as a trainee engraver in 1974 was £26 per week. It was his job to engrave the animal labels for enclosures around the Zoo, help out with other jobs in the Zoo’s print room and (as the youngest employee) make the tea for the rest of the office.
“London Zoo was a ‘job for life’ type of place,” says Adrian. “It still is, but even more so back then. The head keepers and the overseers would walk around, proudly displaying their gold watches – a reward for 25 years’ service.”
The Zoo was a family affair too. “A lot of people came to the Zoo because it was what their father had done, and sometimes you’d meet whole families working here.” Adrian is proud his family has carried on that tradition – his daughter Eve, who “practically grew up at the Zoo,” now manages the team who deliver the talks and demonstrations across the Zoo every day.
GETTING UNDER THE SKIN
“Working at London Zoo was a great conversation starter, but I was a typical teenager – I wanted to avoid work whenever I could,” says Adrian. “But as the years went by, I became more and more invested in the animals and the people. It got under my skin.”
The turning point came in 1982, when the Head Keeper of Apes and Monkeys invited Adrian to meet one of the Zoo’s orangutans. “I had a female orangutan, holding her baby, eating raisins out of my hand.
“I had always been interested in orangutans. I mean, who wouldn’t be – they’re so fascinating. So, when I met her – her name was Suka – it was such an immense thrill.”
Adrian was hooked on the Zoo. By 1991, he was putting himself forward for the role of secretary on the Zoo’s staff union (he is now chairman) and would go on to be part of the group that put together a survival plan for the Zoo in 1992, when low visitor numbers threatened it with closure.
Today, the typewriters and engraving machines are all gone. Instead, Adrian does most of his printing on vinyl – producing the
animal labels, posters and signs that you see across the Zoo. “You suddenly find yourself using a mouse, and learning how to use software,” says Adrian. “It was a challenge, but the important thing (as I saw it) was to adapt and stay relevant to new technology. In fact, never more so!”
And his highlight after all these years (besides meeting an orangutan)? “When I reached my 25 years, in 1999, I was invited to a special lunch with the ZSL Fellows. I sat next to an elderly chap who told me he had seen a thylacine on a visit to the Zoo in the 1930s,” says Adrian.
“Thylacines had gone extinct in 1936 – it was like meeting someone who had seen a dodo. I couldn’t believe it! You don’t get that anywhere else.”
THINGS TO DO THIS SEASON
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HOP ALONG FOR EASTER
LONDON AND WHIPSNADE ZOOS 28 MARCH – 12 APRIL
Families can hop along to the Zoos for an egg-citing adventure this holiday with our Zoonormous Egg Hunt. Solve clues at each location to reveal the codeword and claim your tasty treat! Gold members, Fellows and Patrons also have the exclusive chance to find our hidden egg and win a special prize! But there’s only one per day, so ready, set… hop to it! And don’t forget, for Gold Members, Fellows and Patrons we have our regular early opening on 22 March. Enjoy the Zoo for an extra hour, before any other visitors arrive!
BANK HOLIDAY BIRTHDAY BASH
LONDON AND WHIPSNADE ZOOS 2–4 MAY
Spend your May Bank Holiday surrounded by wildlife and wonder as both Zoos host a jampacked weekend of anniversary festivities. Enjoy special talks, hands-on activities, games, treats and plenty of surprises as we celebrate 200 extraordinary years of connecting people with wildlife. Whether you’re joining us in London or Whipsnade, come make memories with family and friends as we mark this incredible milestone together. Gold members, Fellows and Patrons also have the opportunity to collect a special, commemorative pin badge.
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JOIN A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TITLE ATTEMPT
LONDON AND WHIPSNADE ZOOS 23–31 MAY
Join us for a spectacular GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title attempt, as we set out to get the most people ever recorded involved in a paint-by-numbers! You’ll help us to create one giant artwork inspired by nature, wildlife and the remarkable people who shaped our story. Whether you’re an experienced artist or complete beginner, everyone is welcome. Come celebrate our 200th birthday in the most colourful way possible.
It’s ZSL’s 200th birthday, and we’re celebrating in style. From history buffs to family days out, we’ve got you covered. Pop our dates in the diary so you don’t miss out and keep an eye on member emails for updates and timings.
DISNEY’S THE LION KING EXHIBITION
LONDON ZOO 6 JUNE – 31 AUGUST
5
ZOO NIGHTS
LONDON ZOO FRIDAYS, 5 JUNE – 24 JULY
SAVE THE DATES
Tear me out and stick me next to your calendar or on the fridge
TOURS, TRAILS AND EXHIBITIONS
LONDON AND WHIPSNADE ZOOS ALL YEAR
The iconic West End musical is roaring into London Zoo with a showcase of masks, puppets and costumes in a fabulous popup exhibition. Included in the Zoo entry price, the exhibition allows fans to immerse themselves in the magic that has captivated audiences worldwide for over two decades. Marvel at the intricate designs of beloved characters like Rafiki and Zazu, as well as the awe-inspiring masks of Mufasa, Simba and Nala. It’s a rare opportunity to see these masterpiece costumes and props away from the West End stage. 4 6
Join us for our annual, adultsonly celebration. Explore the Zoo after hours and bathe in the glow of festoon lighting as you enjoy fascinating talks, chilled music, delicious street food and the chance to see our amazing animals in the evening sunshine. For an additional fee, add a touch of luxury to your visit with a champagne experience for two on our penguin decking or take part in a pop culture tour. Plus, the spectacular Lion King Exhibition will be staying open late into the evening.
Join one of our monthly heritage tours to uncover how ZSL influenced everything from iconic logos to groundbreaking architecture and meet the fascinating people behind our past. Explore pop-up exhibitions at both Zoos from Easter onwards, bringing our history to life for all ages. In June, discover the Zoo Plaque Trail at London Zoo, spotlighting the people and animals who shaped our story. Then in July, the Lights, Camera, London Zoo! Trail will reveal scenes from some of cinema’s biggest blockbusters filmed right here at the Zoo.
SOUTH AMERICAN SENSATIONS
We’re celebrating three recent arrivals at London and Whipsnade Zoos, hailing from South America’s Amazon Rainforest –Whipsnade Zoo’s Brazilian tapir, Anna, and London Zoo’s capybaras, Gizmo and Kiwi
What do capybaras and tapirs have in common, besides both coming from South America’s Amazon Rainforest? First of all, they know how to chill, agree zookeepers Megan Winfield and Kim Burton.
“She’s a very gentle, slow-going soul,” says Kim, from Whipsnade Zoo, about the Zoo’s recent arrival – Anna the Brazilian tapir. “I spent a lot of my early career working with predators, and caring for such a friendly, calm animal (that doesn’t want to eat you) is quite refreshing!”
Capybaras Gizmo and Kiwi are just as relaxed, says Megan from London Zoo. “They just have an aura about them. It says, ‘life is great, we’re not in a rush.’
“They will happily sit or wallow in the water for hours, chewing on some food, soaking up the sun if it’s sunny enough –seemingly without a care in the world.”
LIKE FISH IN WATER
It’s not all just about relaxing by the pool though. The Amazon Rainforest has over 1,000 rivers (including the mighty Amazon River), so water is a part of life – and being confident swimmers is an important skill for navigating the rainforest.
And with predators like jaguars, black caimans and anacondas on the prowl for their dinner, staying near water gives strong swimmers like capybaras and tapirs a ready-made escape route if they encounter a predator. Staying alive is a serious business, and that’s why both species have also developed what might seem like an unusual bathroom habit. Tapirs and capybaras are stealth poopers – they will only go to the toilet in the water.
“It’s a way of masking their presence from predators,” explains Megan. “Pooing in the water disperses the smell, making it harder for predators like jaguars or anacondas to track their scent.”
Capybaras live in large groups (known as capybara herds), so it’s particularly important that they wash away their poo – a big pile near the herd would be a dead giveaway for hungry predators!
Despite not having any predators at London and Whipsnade Zoos, these instincts (developed over millions of years) mean that capybaras and tapirs feel much more comfortable near and around water, so you’ll usually see Gizmo and Kiwi at London, or Anna at Whipsnade, relaxing near or in one of the several pools they access to.
UNUSUAL LOOKS AND UNLIKELY ANCESTORS
Another trait capybaras and tapirs share is their unusual looks.
“Capybaras are related to guinea pigs, so they have a feeling of familiarity, but they’re just so big – they’re not like any type of rodent as we understand them in the UK,” says Megan. “They don’t behave like rodents either – the way they sit up, and their calm confidence, is more dog-like than mouse.”
FACT FILE
Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris)
VULNERABLE
Their ears can rotate independently, like satellite dishes. This helps them pinpoint sounds in the jungle, from approaching predators to falling fruit.
Tapirs have a short, prehensile trunk. Their lengthy schnoz comes in very handy, acting like an extra limb. They use it to strip leaves from branches and pluck juicy fruit. They can even use it like a snorkel when swimming underwater.
They have an extra toe on their front feet. The fourth toe at the front helps them swim more powerfully and gives them extra grip when walking on slippery forest floors.
It’s this behaviour that might explain why some people think they’d make good pets. “They definitely make a poor choice for a pet,” says Megan, “there’s just too much poo!”
Perhaps even odder looking is the tapir. “If I had to describe a Brazilian tapir to someone who hadn’t seen one, I’d say that they look a bit like a pygmy hippo with a mohawk and a trunk,” says Kim.
“They’re a very peculiar looking animal – many people haven’t even seen a tapir before – and that’s part of Anna’s charm I think.”
The tapir’s origins are also unusual: their closest living relatives are rhinos and horses. Its thought that the shared ancestor of tapirs, rhinos and horses evolved in India around 50 million years ago, when India wasn’t attached to the Asian continent but was in fact an island. India eventually floated towards southern Asia, attaching itself to the larger continent, and these prehistoric creatures spread westward, to Africa, and eastwards to Asia and the Americas –evolving over millions of years into the various species of rhinos, tapirs and wild horses that we know today.
Their babies are born with stripes. It makes them one of the world’s most adorable babies but, more importantly, helps to camouflage them from predators in the dappled rainforest.
Tapirs are built for moving through dense jungle. Their thin, pointed heads and wide, powerful behinds allow them to push through the forest in search of food.
BUILDING BONDS OF TRUST
Building trust with animals is an important part of a being a zookeeper, not only because it helps the animal feel calm in their home, but because it helps zookeepers care for their animals. For Kim and Megan, one of the best ways to bond with their animals is using tactile reinforcement – in other words, a good scratch!
GREEN GUARDIANS AND GOLD STUFF
The final thing that capybaras and tapirs have in common? They’re both ecosystem engineers!
Tapirs are South America’s largest land animal and, though they are much smaller, they play a similar role to rhinos and elephants in Africa and Asia. Their large, strong bodies push through the rainforest, creating gaps where new plants can grow and trails that smaller animals can use.
“Both capybaras love being scratched – Gizmo especially,” says Megan. “He’d sit there for an hour if you had the time, and he gets all droopy lipped and closes his eyes.
“Building that bond of trust with them means we can give them health checks without stressing them out. Kiwi recently needed some dental work, and she was happy to let us give her a general anaesthetic by hand. Without that bond, we’d have to use a dart gun, which is so much more stressful for her.”
For tapir, it’s all about the feet, says Kim. “Tapirs have miniature hooves on each toe. It’s like 14 miniature horse’s hooves. And just like horses they need regular check-ups to make sure the hooves are healthy. Since arriving at Whipsnade, she’s grown to trust us, and now we give her a bit of fuss and she’s happy to lay down and let us measure her toes and check each hoof is healthy.”
FACT FILE
Capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris)
Like all rodents, their teeth are always growing. To prevent them growing too long, capybara graze regularly on aquatic grass and other plants along the shore.
They might look fluffy, but capybara fur is hard and wiry. This makes it much better for drying off quickly after a dip.
Their eyes, ears and nose are set high on their head, so they can keep an eye out for predators when they’re swimming.
Meanwhile, capybaras gather in large herds to graze on plants – like wildebeest in Africa. This grazing creates clearings for other animals to use as nesting sites and helps to prevent monocultures – where one plant dominates over others. Maintaining a diverse ecosystem with lots of different plant species means lots of food and habitats for other animals. And did we mention their poo?
Tapirs and capybaras act as nature’s recycling machines, producing liquid gold which, sprinkled throughout the forest and in the rivers, helps to spread seeds far and wide, and provides the nutrients that plants, insects, fish and a range of small animals need to thrive. You might never look at poo the same way again!
Capybaras are a communicative bunch. They use barks, whistles, purrs and grunts to talk to each other, and also communicate by scent-marking their territory (a bit like a cat).
Capybara are the biggest rodent on earth. They can grow to 1.4 metres long and weigh 65 kilograms. That’s about 15 times heavier than the average pet cat!
They have webbed feet and strong, stocky bodies, making them powerful swimmers.
GUARDIANS OF THE FOREST
ZSL’S SOUTH AMERICAN RESIDENTS
Can you spot these other South American animals on your next visit to London or Whipsnade Zoo?
LONDON ZOO
In the heart of Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest, ZSL’s PhD Researcher Juliana Martins is working with the Waimiri-Atroari indigenous people to understand how a simple measure like closing a road at night is helping to save wildlife.
Since the 1980s, the Waimiri-Atroari have closed the BR-174 highway at night. The road slices through the indigenous community’s land in the heart of the rainforest, and they believe that stopping drivers using it between 6pm and 6am (in the hours of darkness) is helping to protect local wildlife from being hit by cars and trucks.
However, there is increasing pressure on the community to open the road and allow night-time travel. “The impact of roads on tropical forests is the subject of heated debate in Brazil. There is huge political pressure to open new roads through the rainforest and make existing ones bigger, to drive economic development,” explains Juliana.
Using camera traps, audio recorders and interviews with the local community, Juliana is now gathering the evidence to show how this small and simple intervention is saving wildlife. And the early signs are promising: inside the Waimiri-Atroari territory, where traffic is restricted, Juliana’s research shows a greater number of animals and species, and less animals killed by traffic.
Juliana hopes to use her research to help strengthen the Waimiri-Atroari’s case for keeping the road closed at night and empower other communities in the Amazon to take similar approaches to protect their wildlife.
“The Waimiri-Atroari don’t have a word for nature,” says Juliana. “For them, it’s not something separate, it’s part of who they are. Working with them has been life-changing, it’s a privilege to support them.”
White-nosed coati
Found in Animal Adventure and widespread across South America, this member of the racoon family, has a famously powerful nose for sniffing out tasty grubs.
Squirrel monkey
Encounter these acrobatic primates in our monkey walkthrough.
Two-toed sloth
Head to Rainforest Life to meet the iconic sloth. They do pretty much everything (sleeping, eating, giving birth) hanging upside down from tree branches.
WHIPSNADE ZOO
Blue morpho butterfly
Found in our Butterfly House is one of South America’s largest butterflies. Like many butterflies, they have special sensors that enable them to taste food through their feet.
Ripsaw catfish
Head over to the Aquarium to meet a native of the Amazon River, a catfish that can grow up to a meter long! They use their moustache-like barbels to detect food on the riverbed.
Guinea
pig
At Hullabazoo Farm is the capybara’s smaller cousin. First domesticated over 7,000 years ago and kept as a food source, it wasn’t until they were sent to Europe that they became popular pets.
Philippine Rise: PROTECTING THE PLANET’S CORAL REFUGE
Mary Rose Lopez, ZSL’s Project Coordinator in the Philippines, reveals why the Philippine Rise is the Goldilocks of coral reefs for species fleeing climate change, and why ZSL is working to protect it.
Under the waves, 250km off the Philippine’s eastern coastline, lies a hidden behemoth.
Formed by volcanic lava over millions of years, the Philippine Rise is an underwater mountain ridge, stretching for hundreds of kilometres. Its highest point sits just 50 metres from the ocean’s surface, and its base is hidden on the murky seafloor five kilometres below. To put that into perspective, the Philippine Rise is nearly four times taller than the UK’s biggest mountain, Ben Nevis.
And why does all that matter? Well, unlike the deep ocean around it, the Philippine Rise is close enough to the ocean’s surface that corals, who need sunlight to grow, can live there. But, the Rise is just far enough from the sea’s surface that the corals are less affected by rising seasurface temperatures. Not too close, and not too far – the Goldilocks of coral habitats.
Climate change is causing surface sea temperatures to rise, which is destroying much of the world’s shallow-water coral reefs. ZSL’s conservationists think that the Philippine Rise could be one of the world’s last refuges for corals and the animals that call them home. We are now working with the Philippine Government to turn the Philippine Rise and the ocean around it into a marine protected area.
The Philippine Rise Ocean Conservation Area will be a whopping150,000km2 – that’s bigger England!than
Coral reef residents
Due to its remoteness and its depth, scientists have only recently started to explore the Philippine Rise. The area could hold countless new species, still to be discovered. These are just some the species that we know like to live there.
Clark’s anemonefish
Clownfish might be the most well-known of coral reef residents, but not many people know about their secret weapon – mucus! Clownfish make their homes in sea anemones, a relative of the jellyfish that, instead of floating around the ocean, attaches itself to a hard surface (like a coral reef) and uses their stinging tentacles to stun and eat passing fish. The clownfish avoids becoming lunch because of a thick layer of mucus on their skin, which makes them immune to the anemone’s sting. The clownfish use this superpower to their advantage, sleeping and laying their eggs in the anemone, where they are safe from most predators. It’s not all take, take, take though – the clownfish keeps the anemone clean by eating any dead tentacles or bacteria. And most precious of all is the clownfish’s nitrogen-rich poo, which feeds the anemone. Pixar didn’t mention that bit!
Whitetip reef shark
One of the most common sharks in the Pacific Ocean, whitetip reef sharks are named for the white splash on the end of their dorsal and tail fins. By shark standards they are quite small –most are less than two metres long – and they live almost exclusively on coral reefs (preferring the relatively shallow water to the open ocean). They spend much of their day resting on the seabed or in caves and, unlike most sharks, can pump seawater over their gills – meaning they don’t have to keep swimming to breathe. At night they come out to hunt fish, crabs and other crustaceans, and octopus. Their long, thin bodies mean they can
Bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna are built for two things –speed and power. They can reach three metres long, weigh half a tonne and swim at 40mph – making them faster than almost anything in the ocean. They are formidable hunters, feeding on smaller fish, squid and eels. These powerhouses of the ocean use their strong, streamlined bodies to power themselves on huge migrations between America and Southeast Asia when they reach adulthood, a trip of over 8,000km. However, even big fish have to start somewhere, and coral reefs
of the last coral reefs before the journey across the Pacific, making it a vital rest stop for travelling tuna.
OF THE ZOOS
ZSL is a goldmine for history buffs, with 200 years of discoveries, encounters and developments to delve into – with many of those stories revealing lots about British society at the time. Here are some of our favourites that you can still see evidence of today.
DOUBLE-O ELEVENSES
Next time you’re in the Whipsnade Zoo restaurant, getting your coffee and a cake or a fish-and-chip supper, consider that you are in a prime location for some Cold War espionage. In 2005, MI5 released secret documents under the 50-year declassification rule. These showed that, in 1943, a top KGB agent had been arrested – and in his possession was an operations manual for Russian spies in Western Europe. The manual recommended Whipsnade Zoo’s restaurant for open-air meetings, especially in the summer, because of its location only 30 miles from London.
London Zoo’s west tunnel (the one with the cave paintings) was built in the 1920s so that elephants could walk from their home across to the Zoo’s north bank area. The east tunnel, built in the 1830s, was too small!
In the early days, Whipsnade’s restaurant was run by a Swiss chef, and French snails were a popular dish on the menu. The Zoo even set up a snail farm with French snails, to cater to demand!
Many of ZSL’s animals have inspired great works of literature, film and television, perhaps none more famous than Winnipeg the American black bear – AKA Winnie-the-Pooh.
Winnipeg the bear arrived in London as the unofficial mascot of the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade. Cared for by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, a British-born vet enlisted in the Canadian army, Harry and Winnipeg travelled to London during World War One. When Harry deployed to France, he left Winnipeg in the care of London Zoo.
It was here that Winnipeg (or Winnie, for short) would make a very special acquaintance – A.A. Milne, and his son Christopher Robin. Christopher was so taken with Winnipeg that he named his teddy bear Winnie, and his father immortalised Winnie in his famous children’s books. Look out for the statue commemorating Winnipeg the bear near our flamingos and the nearby war memorial, built to remember the 12 London Zoo employees killed during WWI.
BUILT TO LAST
Many of the free roamers you see today at Whipsnade Zoo are descendants of the wallabies, muntjac and Chinese water deer that the Duke of Bedford, ZSL’s President during the 1930s, donated to the Zoo.
You can still see some of the original buildings from when London Zoo first opened – like the giraffe house, home to giraffes for 190 years.
Ever heard your grandparents mutter “they don’t build things like they used to”? Well, they might have a point. London Zoo’s giraffe house was built in 1836 and, apart from a brief period in the 1880s, it has housed them ever since (with some additions and developments along the way).
The building is Grade 2 Listed, and was designed by the Zoo’s original architect, Decimus Burton. When it first opened, the giraffe house was one of the first buildings at the Zoo with heating, so was used to house many tropical species, including Jenny the orangutan (read more about her on page 7). The first giraffes arrived at London’s dockyards via ship from Sudan and were walked to the Zoo through the city.
London Zoo’s Night Life is the world’s first, large-scale nocturnal house, built to care for nocturnal species like the pygmy loris. The reverse lighting system simulates night-time during the daytime and then comes on at night.
HIDDEN DEPTHS
During late summer and autumn 1940, when the battle for Britain’s skies raged, 41 bombs fell on Whipsnade Zoo from German planes – and one of the bomb craters became the lake you can see in our Passage through Asia drive-through today.
The bomb in question was likely one of the 25 that fell on the Zoo at 4:27pm on 30 August 1940. At the time, the space that is now Passage through Asia had been turned over to the war effort, growing food and raising
GOING ON A SUMMER HOLIDAY
When Whipsnade Zoo first opened, not all of the animals stayed year-round. Some animals, like the pygmy hippos, would only visit for the summer holidays.
One of the original motives for creating Whipsnade Zoo was to provide a ‘summer holiday home’ for some of London Zoo’s exotic animals. Whipsnade didn’t have a hippo house at first, so pygmy hippos Percy and Diana became regular summer visitors. For several years they would spend June to September in ponds near to where the white rhinos live today.
Lucy Pendar, whose father worked as the Zoo’s resident engineer in the 1930s, wrote in her memoir Whipsnade: My Africa that she always knew summer had arrived when the pygmy hippos came through the main gate in their London Zoo lorry. “Once let loose, they stretched their short little legs and gambolled around the big field, swam in the pond and grew fat, cropping the luscious clover!”
livestock to feed not only our animals and Zoo visitors, but the UK public.
Luckily no people or animals were injured that day, but sadly a young giraffe and a spur-winged goose (a species from central and southern Africa) were killed in a separate bombing. Bomber crews targeting the factories around Luton and elsewhere in the UK would often drop unused bombs, to lighten their planes for the journey home.
When ZSL Volunteer Paul Stoker was given a 50-yearold London Zoo peanut bag by his mum, little did he suspect the story behind it.
Acouple of years ago, shortly before she died, Paul Stoker’s mum took him aside and presented him with something from her ‘treasure box’. “Mum had kept some items that meant a lot to her in what she called her treasure box,” says Paul. “Things like my first football boots, some of my most humorous school reports, or decorations from her wedding cake.”
Instead of any of these items, Pat presented her son with something he hadn’t seen before: an old peanut bag. “I knew it must be at least 50 years old because it still had pre-decimal pricing on it.” She then sat Paul down to tell him the story behind it.
“It was the summer of 1967, Mum and Dad were both 18 and quite excited because they had just made plans to get married in the autumn. To celebrate, they took a day trip to London to see the sights – the main attraction being a visit to Regent’s Park and London Zoo.
“They didn’t have a lot of money so they skimped on food for themselves, but they did buy a bag of peanuts to feed the monkeys, as visitors were allowed to do back in those days. On the way home, Mum was a little hungry and had a look in her handbag. She found the unfinished
bag of monkey nuts and ended up eating them.
“The next morning, she woke up feeling quite sick, and when she told her mum about the bag of nuts she’d eaten, her mum thought the nuts were the likely cause, because they weren’t meant for human consumption. However, the next morning she was sick again, so she went to see a doctor. After a check-up the doctor confirmed it was nothing to do with the nuts at all. She was in fact… pregnant! Six months later I was born.”
Was it fate then, or just coincidence, that drew Paul to volunteer at ZSL as an adult? “When I saw an open position for someone with data management expertise to volunteer at ZSL, I saw it as a chance to use my experience to help animal conservation and education,” he explains.
Paul is part of ZSL’s Biobank team, working to modernise the data from ZSL’s archive of biological specimens from its Zoos. The Biobank is then used by scientists and vets to conduct research into topics like animal health.
“Mum always enjoyed updates from the Zoo. One of her first questions each weekend when I visited her would be what had been happening at ZSL in the week. There was always so much to share, from the
birth of baby animals to strange new objects in the Biobank.
“Sadly Mum passed away in March 2024.
And one of the last things she gave me was the empty London Zoo bag of nuts from 1967. It’ll always be a reminder of the many chats we had about London Zoo, and how my first visit came before I was even born.”
CELEBRATING VOICES: ZSL’S ORAL ARCHIVE
Listen to Paul share his story as part of our Oral Archive, marking 200 years of amazing memories and incredible people at ZSL!
The Archive is part of our History Hive, launched to explore, share and celebrate the stories that have shaped us over the past 200 years. It brings together personal memories, historical records, photographs and archive material. Find out more at zsl.org/200
WIND IN THE SAILS
It’s 1831, and a young Charles Darwin is preparing for his first journey around the world on HMS Beagle. It’ll take him five years, and he’ll collect hundreds of specimens of plants and animals. But he needs your help along the way.
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite spending years at sea, Darwin regularly suffered from seasickness.
In the coastal jungles of Chile, Darwin met a very special frog. He even drew a picture of the frog, saying in his notes how pretty it looked. Little did he realise, he was looking at very unique amphibian – the only frog species where the males carry their babies in their throats! The frog was later named Darwin’s frog, and a small group is being now being protected at London Zoo.
While Darwin was drawing the frog, it got dark in the jungle, and he can’t find the way back. Can you help him through the thick rainforest, back to the HMS Beagle?
FIELD EXPERT
A zoologist working in the wild during the 1800s required a very important set of skills.
Can you work out which four skills were most important for Darwin?
MIX AND MATCH
When Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands, he noticed that the finches on each island had uniquely shaped beaks to suit their diets (it even inspired his theory of evolution). Can you match the beak shape to the food?
IDEAL FOR
CRACKI N G NUTS
STRANGER THAN FICTION
In Australia, Darwin met a very strange animal – so strange that it made him question everything he knew about animals! The platypus has a furry body and a flat tail like a beaver, but webbed feet and a bill like a duck. And it lays eggs, like a bird!
Connect the dots to reveal this incredible creature.
LONG,PO I NTYBEAK
NIBBLIN G SEEDS
S ANDPOLLEN
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
In South America, Darwin met the guanaco – a wild relative of the llamas we care for at London and Whipsnade Zoos. Can you spot the five differences between the two guanaco pictures below?
DID YOU KNOW?
Darwin wasn’t just interested in living animals. He also collected hundreds of fossils, and several extinct species were named after him, including a giant sloth.
GENTLE GIANTS
Darwin also noticed that the Galapagos giant tortoises (like the ones at London Zoo) were different on each of the islands he visited. On islands with less plants at ground level, the tortoises had curved shells to help them stretch their necks higher to reach up into small trees and cactuses. On islands with lush vegetation at ground level, the tortoises didn’t need to stretch up, so they had flatter shells. These adaptations helped inspire Darwin’s theory of evolution – that animals evolve over thousands of years to suit their habitat.
Send us a picture of your own colourful creation to be in with the chance of winning a blue-footed booby, another species found in the Galapagos! Ask a grown up to take a picture of your entry and email it to us at wildabout@zsl.org with your name, age and postal address by 1 October.
Get the family together for a London Zoothemed movie marathon this Easter with films featuring our iconic locations and animals
SKYFALL, 2012
Staying with reptiles, it’s the turn of Britain’s most wellknown secret agent to encounter another of our scaly residents. Early in the film, James Bond is accosted by henchmen and falls into a pit, where he comes eye-to-eye with London Zoo’s Komodo dragon, Raja. The footage of Raja was filmed at the Zoo and cleverly spliced into the scene and adapted with CGI.
ABOUT A BOY, 2002
After all that action, it’s time to lower the heartrate and get cosy with feelgood coming-of-age tale About a Boy. The film stars a young Nicolas Holt alongside romcom royalty Hugh Grant. On a visit to London Zoo, Nicolas and Grant share a heartfelt moment beside our old Penguin Pool, which you can still see today (though our penguins have moved to Penguin Beach). 1 3 5 2 4
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE, 2001
There’s only one place to start a ZSL-themed movie marathon – with the world’s most famous wizard. Who hasn’t dreamed of realising they have magical powers? The incredible moment when Harry discovers he can talk to snakes was filmed with a Burmese python in London Zoo’s old Reptile House. The house was recently remodelled as ZooTown (pictured right), where children can roleplay magical roles in conservation!
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM, 2018
I know what you’re thinking – more reptiles?! Well yes, and no. This film is aptly about conservationists trying to save the dinosaurs from an erupting volcano, and the scene when the Tyrannosaurus Rex meets a roaring lion was filmed at Land of the Lions. It might not be a lengthy appearance, but this seconds-long clip took more than two days of filming.
WONKA, 2023
Timothy Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman… and Molly the giraffe? That’s right, this starstudded cast features our very own Molly, playing the part of Abigail the giraffe. Molly was filmed over several days in London Zoo’s Giraffe House, and the footage was used to make the CGI Abigail appear as giraffe-like as possible, from ear flicks to tail twitches.
SUPPORTER PERKS
Gold Members, Patrons and Fellows get 10% discount in our shops and on experiences using code WILDLIFE10
ZOOTOWN
WILD AT HEART
Kit out your animal-mad little one with the ultimate wardrobe and bedroom accessories with our new ranges of clothing, cuddly toys and wall prints. Every purchase helps us care for our animals and conserve wildlife around the world.
FRESH THREADS
This spring we’re launching our Frugi x ZSL range of clothing to kit our your kids in the coolest zoo gear around. From the adorable cheetahprint bucket hat and explorer’s gilet (pictured right), our zoologist dress and polo (centre), to our zookeeperinspired hoodies, polos, joggers and dungarees, your little one will be the envy of the playground. Made from organic cotton, hats start from £17 and apparel from £24.
Our zoo-within-a-zoo experience, ZooTown, is the ultimate activity for animal-mad little ones. They’ll be able to trial different jobs in the Zoo, from zebra poop scooping (pictured) to Zoo vet, to a barista in our Zoo café! Gold Members, Fellows and Patrons enjoy priority booking and free entry.
CUDDLE COMPANIONS
Our new brand licensed Zoo Crew range of animal soft toys across eight different zoo species are filled with recycled stuffing and designed to be the ultra-cuddly, huggable friend. The range also includes interactive soft puppet books, and notebooks with a super-soft plush cover (pictured bottom), to inspire your little one with a love of reading and writing at different stages of their development. From £10 per item.
INSPIRING WALL ART
Bring home a memento from your visit to London Zoo with one of our London Underground prints. Our giraffe herd (pictured centre) were the inspiration for our official bicentenary print, commissioned by TfL to celebrate our 200th birthday –you may even have spotted it on your tube journey to the Zoo. Meanwhile, ‘For the Zoo’ (top left) is a genuine design used by London Transport during the 1930s. From £14 per print.
