Welcome to the London Zoo…

What is a scientific zoo?

Also called zoological gardens, scientific zoos are park-like areas housing animals primarily for the purpose of scientific study, conservation, and public education. Research and conservation efforts are often a priority for such scientific zoos, and they play a pivotal role in studying animal behaviour and genetics, and nurturing breeding programmes. Such zoos are also at the forefront of initiatives when it comes to educating the public about wildlife and conservation efforts. In addition to research, conservation efforts, and educational initiatives, welfare of the animals residing in the zoo is also of utmost importance.

The London Zoo is considered the world’s oldest scientific zoo. When it opened its doors on April 27, 1828, it was exclusively for the members of the Zoological Society of London – a society founded in 1826 to enable scientists to study animals kept in comparative freedom. It stayed that way for nearly two decades, before eventually opening its doors to the public in 1847 to help funding.

The London Zoo prides itself at being change-makers from its inception, often breaking new ground in conservation science while always passionately advocating for wildlife. With a focus on great architecture, they’ve constantly been able to spark a love of animals among its visitors. The animals’ enclosures are created with their interests in mind, while also creating spaces that foster wonder and learning among its visitors.

The man behind the London Zoo

The London Zoo was the brainchild of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Born in July 1781, Raffles had a short but adventurous life. His many accomplishments include founding modern Singapore and serving as the Lieutenant-Governor of Java. He also set up the oldest school in Singapore, which still bears his name – Raffles Institution.

A naturalist, Raffles built a huge collection of plants, animals, birds, and fish during his time in south-east Asia, in addition to thousands of drawings and paintings pertaining to natural history. This priceless collection, however, was lost as the ship carrying it back to England caught fire.

Not one to lose heart, Raffles set up the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) along with Sir Humphry Davy in 1826, following his return to England. Bringing together scientists and collectors in addition to other gentlemen (women were admitted from 1827 onwards), the Society’s objective was to form a collection of animals that could be studied by its members for the advancement of zoological knowledge. A lease on an area of Regent’s Park was obtained for this purpose in 1826 and Decimus Burton, a young architect, was roped in and tasked with planning the grounds of the zoo, which included designing accommodation for animals and laying out the gardens.

Shortly after setting up the ZSL and becoming its first president, Raffles unexpectedly died in July 1826, aged 45. Despite this setback, the members of ZSL ensured that Raffles’ dream came true and the London Zoo was set up and opened to its members on April 27, 1828.

What’s a stocktake?

Nearly 200 years on since its establishment, the London Zoo continues to thrive and is a place that more than 10,000 individual animals can now call home. The annual stocktake, which is now a requirement for the London Zoo to retain its zoological license, is when zookeepers tally up each and every mammal, bird, reptile, and invertebrate in the zoo.

Think again if you were under the impression that this is an easy task and all it takes is a stroll through the zoo. Even though counting large mammals might be easy, the same can’t be said of the zoo’s various other species, especially the diverse collection of invertebrates.

The annual stocktake at the London Zoo typically lasts a week. The information thus gathered is then shared with many other zoos throughout the world through a database called ZIMS Species360. This data is employed to help manage the worldwide conservation breeding programmes for endangered animals.

The latest London Zoo annual stocktake started on January 3, 2025 and turned out to be a busy and successful undertaking.

Famous residents

There have been a number of animals that have been crowd pullers in their own right and have gone down in history for the role they’ve played. Here are some of them:

Guy the gorilla

A western lowland gorilla, Guy the gorilla was almost a celebrity at the zoo during his time there from 1947 to 1978. He gets his name from the fact that he arrived at the zoo on November 5, the day when Guy Fawkes Night is observed, mainly in Great Britain.

Even though western lowland gorillas are the world’s largest primates, Guy was considered a gentle giant. What’s more, Guy even cradled birds in his bucket-sized hands when they flew into his enclosure, before setting them free again.

Guy attracted thousands of visitors to the zoo in the three decades when he called it home. 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 home to an African bull elephant that went by the name Jumbo. Reaching a grand height of 11 feet (African bull elephants grow 10-11 feet on average, with the largest recorded so far being 13 feet!), Jumbo towered over the hundreds of visitors who came to the zoo to catch a sight of this magnificent creature.

This elephant, captured as a baby 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 bought Jumbo in the midst of huge excitement in the U.S. and a large outcry in England, with Barnum being largely responsible for both. Jumbo, however, had a sad ending as he was accidentally killed in Ontario on September 15, 1885 when a freight train struck him while the circus was loading up to travel elsewhere.

Jumbo is part of the way we speak now as he has gone down into our vocabulary. He served as the inspiration for the word “jumbo” that we now use to refer to something “very large, unusually large for its type.”

The elephant’s name is probably from slang jumbo meaning “clumsy, unwieldy fellow” (recorded usage in 1823), which in itself is likely derived from the word for elephant in a West African language. The Oxford English Dictionary also suggests it could be the second element of the phrase “mumbo jumbo.”

Winnie the bear

Did you know that the children’s story Winnie-the-Pooh was in fact inspired by a resident of the London Zoo? Winnie was a female black bear that lived at the zoo for two decades from 1914 until she died in 1934.

Author Alan Alexander Milne encountered Winnie during a visit to the zoo with his son Christopher Robin. Inspired by the bear, Milne changed the name of his now iconic character from Pooh to Winnie-the-Pooh.