The annual inventory at ZSL London Zoo is currently underway as zookeepers and animals endure the cold weather conditions.
As the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) commemorates its 200th year as a charity, zookeepers have readied their tools to count every mammal, bird, reptile, and invertebrate residing in the zoo. Housing over 8,000 animals, ranging from tiny leafcutter ants to massive silverback gorillas, the task at hand is to ensure every creature is accurately tallied.
This yearly inventory is a mandated procedure that aids in global conservation breeding initiatives. Despite snowfall and subzero temperatures in the capital, zoo employees diligently began the counting process, documenting Humboldt penguins, Asiatic lions, corals, Seychelles millipedes, and capybaras on Tuesday.
Dan Simmonds, the head keeper at the zoo, emphasized the significance of this year’s stocktake, especially as ZSL celebrates its bicentennial milestone. “We’ve been conducting animal counts at London Zoo for two centuries. It’s a pivotal day, and visitors have the opportunity to witness the process,” he remarked.
“With over 8,000 animals here, there’s a lot to tally. Some are straightforward, like the two capybara behind me. Despite the -4°C weather and recent snowfall, the capybara are fortunate to be enjoying their heated shelter, unlike the keepers enduring the cold,” Simmonds added.
The counting commenced early on Tuesday at 7 a.m., with the goal of tallying every animal by day’s end. Among the notable counts were 75 Humboldt penguins, including 16 chicks born in 2025, a positive development for the species’ conservation efforts. Additionally, eight Socorro dove chicks hatched in 2025, marking progress in saving the species from extinction.
London Zoo also saw an increase of eight critically endangered Darwin’s frogs in 2025, a significant achievement in the conservation of this EDGE species threatened by a deadly chytrid fungus.
The annual stocktake at London Zoo captured striking moments, including a capybara being fed, meticulous counting of lions, examination of a millipede, underwater counting of penguins, lions seeking warmth in freezing temperatures, penguins being fed fish during the count, and the introduction of two capybara to a new exhibit at the zoo, along with the presence of four impressive Asiatic lions, a species with only a few hundred left in the wild.
