London Zoo Annual Census: Counting Thousands of Animals One by One

On Friday, January 3rd, London Zoo kicked off the new year with its annual animal inventory event. Every animal in the zoo, from insects and frogs to tigers and camels, must undergo a strict inventory check according to regulations.

London Zoo, spanning 36 acres, is the world’s oldest zoo, opened in 1828 initially as a research site for scientists and later opened to the public in 1847. Managed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the zoo currently houses over 10,000 animals, including the curious Humboldt penguins, critically endangered Sumatran tigers, and Asian lions.

According to the zoo, 2024 was a “bountiful year” as it welcomed many new members, such as two western lowland gorilla babies, three Asian lion cubs, 11 penguin chicks, some leeches, and 53 endangered Darwin’s frogs from Chile.

The inventory event started on Friday morning, where staff meticulously counted and weighed each individual animal in the zoo, from tigers to monkeys, and even insects like bamboo caterpillars. The process includes evaluating their health and screening for pregnancies. It is expected to take nearly a week to complete the inventory of the thousands of animals in the zoo.

After the inventory is completed, London Zoo plans to share the animal count with zoos around the world to assist in breeding programs for endangered species.

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