Editing London Zoo (section)

===Second World War 1939–1945===
After the start of the [[Second World War]], the London Zoo was closed multiple times for over a week, the first time being at 11:00 am on 3 September 1939, when all zoological places were closed by government order. Valuable animals were transferred to Whipsnade Zoo during the war for safety. On 27 September 1940, high explosive bombs damaged the Rodent house, the Civet house, the gardener's office, the propagating sheds, the North Gate and the Zebra house. In January 1941, the Camel House was also hit, and the aquarium could not open until May 1943 due to extensive bombing. No animals were harmed during the incidents, although a zebra, a female ass, and her foal escaped from the zoo during the bombings. For safety reasons, all venomous animals were killed at London Zoo. Throughout the war, members of the armed forces paid half price for entry, and the wounded entered free of charge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zsl.org/blogs/artefact-of-the-month/zsl-london-zoo-during-world-war-two|title=ZSL London Zoo during World War Two|publisher=London Zoo|access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref>