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Witches and wizards, creatures of the night and spooky animal tales; read our pick of the best places to visit to keep your little horrors entertained this Halloween and half-term holiday … Head to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo for hairy, but not too scary, Halloween fun at Boo at the Zoo this October half-term from Saturday 19th to Thursday … Read more
In 2018, scientists at conservation charity ZSL conducted the first-ever count of seal pups born in the Thames. The results have just been published and show an incredible 138 arrived in one season, proving that harbour seals are breeding in London’s river. To carry out the research, hundreds of photos were taken from a light … Read more
With the school holidays almost over, why not head over to ZSL London Zoo where kids of all ages can enjoy a Summer Family Festival which runs from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September. At no extra cost to a standard Zoo ticket, experience fantastical storytelling sessions, creative arts and crafts and a chance to … Read more
Four aptly named big-headed turtles have been given a new home at ZSL London Zoo after smugglers tried to illegally import them into Canada labelled as toys. Since arriving late last year, the endangered armour-plated turtles have been cared for by the Zoo’s expert herpetology team. The unusual reptiles, which are native to mountainous regions in … Read more
A brand new Aquarium dedicated to conserving threatened and extinct-in-the-wild freshwater fish opened at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo this week. Ahead of the launch, award-winning wildlife photographer and BBC Countryfile expert Jack Perks captured some stunning shots of the Zoo’s newest residents. The new Aquarium – the first of its kind in the UK – includes … Read more
An emotive new animation has been created by International conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) to help raise the profile of a deadly virus threatening UK common frogs. ‘Ranavirus – Where did the frogs go (and why)?’ – voiced by comedian, author, writer and frog enthusiast Stephen Fry – underlines a decade of research from … Read more
ZSL London Zoo has released a series of fascinating thermal images showing the nocturnal goings-on of some of its animal inhabitants after dark. Using a specialist FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) camera, ZSL’s photographer was able to reveal the unique heat radiation patterns of the animals during the ‘ZSL London Zoo Lodges’ overnight experience. Famous for their … Read more
Keepers at ZSL London Zoo welcomed the arrival of a two-toed sloth into the world on Tuesday 30 April. Born to mum Marilyn after an almost year-long pregnancy, the new-born has been named Elio, a Spanish name which derives from ‘Helios the sun-god’ following the youngster’s sunset arrival. ZSL sloth keeper Steve Goodwin said: “After … Read more
The UK’s first aquarium dedicated to conserving the world’s most endangered freshwater fish is due to open at ZSL Whipsnade this summer. Visitors will be able to explore ten of the planet’s most extreme and fascinating aquatic habitats, as they come face-to-face with some of the rarest and most unique fish species in existence. The … Read more
Four Critically Endangered Chinese giant salamanders were rescued by officials after an attempt was made by smugglers to illegally import them recently. Border Force asked ZSL wildlife experts to identify the amphibians before inviting keepers at London Zoo to home the salamanders as they have previous experience looking after the aquatic giants. Now, one of … Read more
Visitors to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo will come face to face with a collection of huge, animal LEGO brick creations this Easter. The Great Brick Safari opens to the public on Saturday 6th April and features some unbelievably realistic LEGO brick beasts including a silverback gorilla, hyena, meerkats, penguins and a lion with two playful cubs. … Read more
A group of endangered northern bald ibis made a special trip from ZSL London Zoo to Spain last week as part of an international conservation project to reintroduce them to the wild. The juvenile ibis – nicknamed Iris, Indigo, Igor and Ivan by ZSL keepers – travelled to a holding aviary in Jerez Zoo ahead of … Read more
Keepers at ZSL London Zoo welcomed a new arrival earlier this week – a critically endangered Sumatran tiger named Asim. The seven year old male was moved from Ree Park Safari in Denmark as a new mate for resident female, ten-year-old Melati, as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for Sumatran tigers. ZSL … Read more
A new game created by scientists at international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) aims to educate children on how seabed trawling is damaging to marine wildlife off the Greenland coast. Casting their nets far and wide, players of ‘Tricky Trawling’ must attempt to catch fish out in the open ocean, while avoiding vulnerable seabed-dwelling creatures like … Read more
Next time you visit ZSL London Zoo or ZSL Whipsnade Zoo you may notice some rather colourful new safety signs have replaced the more traditional versions. Creative studios at ZSL London Zoo have revamped the old signage and produced eight new light-hearted and engaging designs that it hopes will capture the attention of its 1.2 million … Read more
Children visiting ZSL London Zoo are in for a treat this February half-term as they get the chance to go behind the scenes and find out what it takes to be a zoo vet for the day. Running from Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th February, Vets in Action allows children to step into the role of … Read more
ZSL London Zoo cares for more than 700 different species of mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate, while sister site ZSL Whipsnade is home to over 3,500 animals and is the UK’s biggest zoo. At the start of every year, ZSL zookeepers take on the mammoth task of recording every animal for its annual stocktake, counting everything … Read more
Keepers at ZSL London Zoo have been busy on the count down to Christmas preparing some seasonal surprises for the animals to enjoy. A giant advent calendar was created for the Zoo’s troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas – each door filled with festive veg, including Brussels sprouts. Elsewhere, Asiatic lionesses Heidi, Indi and … Read more
ZSL London Zoo’s tamandua family doubled this year after female Ria welcomed the arrival of two new babies. Firstborn Poco arrived seven months ago, followed last month by baby Paco. However, far from finding the pair a handful, mum Ria has had plenty of help with her latest offspring. Proud big brother Poco has been … Read more
International conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) has today announced that analysis of bones from an extinct monkey species found in Jamaica reveal it experienced an extraordinary evolution. The mysterious monkey – named Xenothrix – was discovered by teams from ZSL, London’s Natural History Museum and the American Museum of Natural History in New York … Read more
Conservationists at international wildlife charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) have been celebrating the discovery of two new frog species who were found on Vietnam’s highest mountain. Discovered 3,143 meters above sea level, the new frog species have been named by conservationists as the Mount Fansipan horned frog (Megophrys fansipanesis) and the Hoang Lien horned frog (Megophrys hoangliensis) … Read more
ZSL (Zoological Society of London) launched a new conservation and research project this week to halt the decline of the Philippine pangolin. One of eight species of pangolin currently threatened with extinction, the Philippine pangolin is hunted for their scales to use in traditional Chinese medicine and their meat as a luxury food item. It … Read more
If your kids love the more stomach-churning side of the animal kingdom take them along to ZSL London Zoo this October half-term for Gruesome Nature Live! This interactive musical event features frightful facts about some about some of the weirdest and most impressive creatures on the planet. Find out who has the largest, slimiest eyeball … Read more
Boo at the Zoo returns to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo this half-term holiday with a special family friendly Halloween event celebrating all things spooky. Running from Saturday 20 to Wednesday 31 October, fearless visitors can step into the Super Natural Neighbours experience to discover more about the weird and wonderful creatures that live on our doorsteps. Kids … Read more
The first ever survey of seal pups in the Thames Estuary has been carried out by marine biologists. Positive findings will now be used to provide evidence of the estuary’s ecological importance. The inaugural harbour seal breeding survey was conducted via sea, land and air over a four day period (1-4 July), led by international conservation … Read more
The birth of a baby tamadua is being celebrated at ZSL London Zoo, although the new arrival came as a complete surprise to keepers. After Tobi the male tamandua moved to the zoo last October as a companion for female Ria, keepers hoped the pair would go on to produce young one day. However, just five months … Read more
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