Editing London Zoo

{{short description|World's oldest scientific zoo, in London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox zoo
|zoo_name       = London Zoo
|logo           = London Zoo logo.svg
|logo_caption   = Logo as it appears on 2021 online map
|logo_upright   = 0.7
|date_opened    = {{start date and age|1828|04|27|df=yes}}
|location       = [[Regent's Park]]<br />[[London]], [[NW postcode area|NW1]]<br />United Kingdom
|area           = {{Convert|36|acre}}<ref name="corporate-events"/>
|coordinates    = {{Coord|51|32|08|N|00|09|21|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|display=it}}
|num_animals    = 19,289 (2018)<ref>{{cite web|title=Animal inventory|url=https://www.zsl.org/about-us/animal-inventory|website=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|language=en}}</ref>
|num_species    = 673 (2018)
|members        = [[British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums|BIAZA]],<ref name="biaza_list"/> [[European Association of Zoos and Aquaria|EAZA]],<ref name="eaza_list"/> [[World Association of Zoos and Aquariums|WAZA]]<ref name="waza_list"/>
|exhibits       = Gorilla Kingdom, Animal Adventure, Blackburn Pavilion, Clore Rainforest Lookout, Into Africa, Tiger territory, Land of the Lions and Penguin Beach.
|annual_visitors = 1,078,519 (2019)<ref name="ALVA 2019 visitor numbers">{{cite web |title=ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. |url=https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423 |website=www.alva.org.uk |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref>
|website = {{url|https://www.londonzoo.org/}}
| embedded        ={{Infobox mapframe
  | stroke-color  = #C60C30
  | marker        = zoo
  | marker-color  = #1F2F57
  | zoom          = 9
}} {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=18 |marker = zoo |coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
}}

'''London Zoo''', previously known as '''ZSL London Zoo''' or '''London Zoological Gardens''' and sometimes called  '''Regent's Park Zoo''', is the world's oldest scientific [[zoo]].<ref name="ZSL-history">{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/info/about-us/zsls-history,129,AR.html |title=ZSL's History |publisher=[[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] |access-date=5 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228235326/http://www.zsl.org/info/about-us/zsls-history%2C129%2CAR.html |archive-date=28 February 2008 }}</ref><ref name=urbanbook>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y2-mCwAAQBAJ&dq=world's%20oldest%20scientific%20zoo&pg=PA150|page=150|title=Urban Horticulture|author=Waliczek, Tina Marie|publisher=[[CRC Press]]|date=6 January 2016|isbn=9781482261004|oclc=1002261405|doi=
10.1201/b19618|access-date=8 September 2023}}</ref> It was opened in [[London]] on 27 April 1828,<ref name="science-history">{{cite web | url = http://www.todayinsci.com/4/4_27.htm | title = April 27 | publisher = Today in Science History | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref> and was originally intended to be used as a collection for [[science|scientific study]]. In 1831 or 1832, the animals of the [[Tower of London#Royal Menagerie|Tower of London menagerie]] were transferred to the zoo's collection. It was opened to the public in 1847.<ref name="ZSL-history" /> As of December 2022, it houses a collection of 14,926 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom.<ref name="inventory">{{cite web|url=https://cms.londonzoo.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/ZSL%20London%20Zoo%20-%20Stocklist%202022.pdf?_gl=1*yos8of*_ga*MTM2NTk0MDg4NC4xNjc5MTA3NDIw*_ga_MWZNHV9X89*MTY3OTEwNzQyMC4xLjEuMTY3OTEwNzQzMC41MC4wLjA. |title=ZSL Animal Inventory |publisher=[[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] |date=31 December 2022 |access-date=18 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cms.londonzoo.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/ZSL%20London%20Zoo%20-%20Stocklist%202022.pdf?_gl=1*yos8of*_ga*MTM2NTk0MDg4NC4xNjc5MTA3NDIw*_ga_MWZNHV9X89*MTY3OTEwNzQyMC4xLjEuMTY3OTEwNzQzMC41MC4wLjA.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318024902/https://cms.londonzoo.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/ZSL%20London%20Zoo%20-%20Stocklist%202022.pdf?_gl=1%2Ayos8of%2A_ga%2AMTM2NTk0MDg4NC4xNjc5MTA3NDIw%2A_ga_MWZNHV9X89%2AMTY3OTEwNzQyMC4xLjEuMTY3OTEwNzQzMC41MC4wLjA.|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 March 2023|title=Archive}}</ref>

It is managed under the aegis of the [[Zoological Society of London]] (established in 1826),<ref name="ZSL-history" /> and is situated at the northern edge of [[Regent's Park]], on the boundary line between the [[City of Westminster]] and the borough of [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]] (the [[Regent's Canal]] runs through it).<ref name="location">{{cite web | url = http://local.google.co.uk/local?f=q&hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=16&ll=51.534844,-0.15353&spn=0.008502,0.020127&t=k | title = Google Maps | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref> The Society also has a more spacious site at [[Whipsnade Zoo]] in [[Bedfordshire]] to which the larger animals such as elephants and rhinos have been moved.<ref name="elephants-move">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/info/media/press-releases/796,796,PR.html | title = London elephants to join friends at Whipsnade | date = 30 October 2001 | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date = 5 March 2008 | archive-date = 5 December 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081205202141/http://www.zsl.org/info/media/press-releases/796,796,PR.html | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="elephants-leave">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1631128.stm | title = Elephants leave London | work = [[BBC News]] | date =1 November 2001| access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref>
As well as being the first scientific zoo, London Zoo also opened the first reptile house (1849), the first [[public aquarium]] (1853),<ref name = "aquarium-history"/> first insect house (1881) and the first [[children's zoo]] (1938).

ZSL receives no state funding and relies on 'Fellows' and 'Friends' memberships, entrance fees, venue hire, and sponsorship to generate income.<ref name="income">{{cite web |url=http://static.zsl.org/files/volunteering-at-london-zoo-and-whipsnade-wild-animal-park-116.pdf |title=Volunteering at London Zoo and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park |publisher=[[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] |access-date=5 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411152620/http://static.zsl.org/files/volunteering-at-london-zoo-and-whipsnade-wild-animal-park-116.pdf |archive-date=11 April 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref name="goodzoos">{{cite web | url = http://www.goodzoos.com/UK%20Zoos/london.htm | title = London Zoo | publisher = Good Zoos | access-date = 5 March 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120508183647/http://www.goodzoos.com/UK%20Zoos/london.htm | archive-date = 8 May 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==History==
===1828–1938===
[[File:George Francis Joseph - Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles.jpg|thumb|''[[Portrait of Stamford Raffles]]'' by [[George Francis Joseph]], 1817. Raffles was a driving force behind the creation of the zoo before his death in 1826]]
[[File:Gardens of the Zoological Society Regent's Park 1828 - Project Gutenberg eText 11389.png|thumb|right|Bird's eye view drawing of the gardens of the Zoological Society, circa 1828]]
[[File:View of the Zoological Gardens1835.jpg|right|thumb|1835 painting of the camel house.]]
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) was established by [[Stamford Raffles|Sir Stamford Raffles]] and [[Humphry Davy|Sir Humphry Davy]] in 1826,<ref name="ZSL-history" /> who obtained the land for the zoo and saw the plans before Raffles died of [[apoplexy]] (a [[stroke]]) later that year on 5 July, his birthday.<ref name="goodzoos" /> After his death, [[Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne]] took over the project and supervised the building of the first animal houses.<ref name="goodzoos" /> The zoo opened in April 1828 to fellows of the Society,<ref name="ZSL-history" /> providing access to species such as [[Arabian oryx]], [[greater kudu]]s, [[orangutan]] and the now extinct [[quagga]] and [[thylacine]].<ref name="goodzoos" /> The Society was granted a [[royal charter]] in 1829 by [[George IV of the United Kingdom|King George IV]], and in 1847 the zoo opened to the public to aid funding.<ref name="ZSL-history" /><ref name="placestogo">{{cite web | url = http://www.places-to-go.org.uk/London_Zoo.htm | title = London Zoo | publisher = Places to Go | access-date =11 March 2008}}</ref>

It was believed that [[tropics|tropical]] animals could not survive outside in London's cold weather, so they were all kept indoors until 1902, when [[Peter Chalmers Mitchell]] was appointed secretary of the Society.<ref name="goodzoos" /> He set about a major reorganisation of the buildings and enclosures of the zoo, bringing many of the animals out into the open, where many thrived. This was an idea inspired by [[Zoological Garden of Hamburg|Hamburg Zoo]], and led to newer designs for many of the buildings.<ref name="goodzoos" /> Mitchell also envisaged a new {{convert|600|acre|adj=on}} park to the north of London, and in 1926 Hall Farm, near to [[Whipsnade|Whipsnade village]], was bought. In 1931, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, the world's first open zoological park, opened.<ref name="ZSL-history" /> The first woman to be a curator at London Zoo was [[Evelyn Cheesman]], in 1920.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Shaw|first1=Heather|title=Amazing Women from ZSL's History|url=http://www.zsl.org/blogs/zsl-london-zoo/amazing-women-from-zsls-history|website=ZSL London Zoo|date=2 March 2015}}</ref>

===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>

===Since 1946===

In 1962, 'Caroline', an Arabian oryx, was lent to [[Phoenix Zoo]], [[Arizona]], US, in the world's first international co-operative breeding programme.<ref name="ZSL-history" /> Today, the zoo participates in breeding programmes for over 130 species.<ref name="ZSL-history" />

In the 1980s, London Zoo housed 8,000 animals of more than 900 species, and in the 1990s, the zoo possessed 7,000 animals of 850 species; the next biggest collection in Britain was [[Chester Zoo]], with just under 3,500 animals. Many of the species in London Zoo could not be seen anywhere else in the country, such as the [[wombat]], [[Tasmanian devil]] or [[long-nosed potoroo]].<ref name="goodzoos" /> Although this vast collection was part of the zoo's appeal, it may also have been one of the main causes of its financial problems.<ref name="goodzoos" /> This contributed to the zoo being faced with closure in the 1980s. Due to the public change of attitude to animals kept in captivity and unsuitably cramped space, the zoo also suffered dwindling visitor numbers. However, when it was announced that London Zoo would close in 1991, a swell of public support in visitors and donations allowed the zoo to continue its work, attempt to balance its books and take on the huge task of restoring its buildings and creating environments more suitable for animal behaviour in the late 20th century.<ref name="goodzoos" /><ref name="could-be-zoo">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/info/media/press-releases/null,1867,PR.html | title = It could be Zoo... | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | date =4 October 2007| access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref> The BAFTA winning 1993 documentary series ''The Ark'' by [[Molly Dineen]] chronicled this period of time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 February 1993 |title=TELEVISION / An original of the species: Mark Lawson praises Molly |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/television-an-original-of-the-species-mark-lawson-praises-molly-dineen-s-documentary-series-the-ark-and-appeals-on-behalf-of-an-endangered-species-1472093.html |access-date=18 June 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

One benefit of the 'swell of public support' was the development of volunteer staff. Volunteers who give one day a week to assist the running of London Zoo, wearing red pullovers, are employed by both Education and Animal care.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|covid epidemic]], which started in 2020, the zoo was closed from 21 March to 15 June 2020. This closure resulted in a "perilous financial position" for the zoo due to the loss of revenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=ZSL London Zoo will open its gates to visitors on Monday 15th June for the first time since its historic closure on Saturday 21st March - after months of lost revenue put the oldest scientific zoo in the world in a perilous position| publisher=London Zoo | date=10 June 2020 | url=https://www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/news/zsl-london-zoo-ready-reopen}}</ref>

The Snowdon Aviary was redeveloped as [[#Monkey Valley|Monkey Valley]], opening in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=London Zoo |title=History of London Zoo |url=https://www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/history-of-london-zoo/snowdon-aviary#}}</ref>

==Areas and attractions==
[[File:Pelecanus onocrotalus -London Zoo, England-8a.jpg|right|thumb|Three [[great white pelican]]s in their enclosure]]

The Zoo has many named areas and attractions. Several of them are available for hire outside the zoo's opening hours, including The Terrace, Penguin Beach, Ninos cove, Tiny Giants, Land of the Lions, Tiger Territory, and Attenborough Komodo Dragon House.<ref>{{cite web | title=Venues | publisher=London Zoo | url=https://www.londonzoo.org/about-us/venue-hire/london-zoo-venues-for-hire | access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Group
! Number of species
! Number of individuals
|-
| [[Mammal]]s || 70 || 561
|-
| [[Bird]]s || 99 || 671
|-
| [[Reptile]]s || 49 || 167
|-
| [[Amphibian]]s || 20 || 726
|-
| [[Fish]] || 207 || 5818
|-
| [[Invertebrate]]s || 228 || 11346
|- class="sortbottom"
| Total || 673 || 19289<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/about-us/animal-inventory,649,AR.html|title=Animal inventory|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)}}</ref>
|}

===Monkey Valley===
[[File:Snowdon Aviary at London Zoo, England-16Aug2009.jpg|right|thumb|The Snowdon Aviary]]
The Snowdon Aviary was designed by [[Cedric Price]], [[Frank Newby]] and [[Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon]], built between 1962 and 1964, and opened in 1965.<ref name="ZSL-architecture">{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/info/about-us/zoo-architecture,103,AR.html |title=ZSL Architecture |publisher=[[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] |access-date=6 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228070202/http://www.zsl.org/info/about-us/zoo-architecture%2C103%2CAR.html |archive-date=28 February 2008  }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=London Zoo History |url=https://www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/history-of-london-zoo/snowdon-aviary |access-date=28 February 2023 |website=ZSL London Zoo}}</ref> It was Britain's first public, walk-through aviary, and primarily housed shorebirds such as gulls and ibis. It is constructed with a pyramidal aluminium framework reaching 21m high. In 2021, the aviary was re-developed into a walkthrough [[primatarium]] called "Monkey Valley", which opened to the public in August 2022 and houses a troop of [[Mantled guereza|eastern black and white colobus monkey]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/zsl-london-zoo-unwraps-snowdon-aviary|title=ZSL London Zoo 'unwraps' Snowdon Aviary|publisher=London Zoo|date=30 July 2021}}</ref> The structure has been a Grade II* [[listed building]] since 1998.<ref>{{NHLE | num=1323695 | desc=Snowdon Aviary}}</ref>

===Land of the Lions===
Land of the Lions is London Zoo's [[Asiatic lion]] enclosure, opened in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Land of the Lions |url=https://www.londonzoo.org/whats-here/habitats/land-of-the-lions |access-date=23 February 2023 |website=ZSL London Zoo}}</ref> It covers 2,500 square metres, and is designed to resemble an Indian town on the edge of the [[Gir Forest National Park]], intended to demonstrate how the lion's natural habitat overlaps with local urban environments. [[Gray langur|Hanuman langur]]s, [[small Indian mongoose]]s, [[black kite]]s, and [[Rüppell's vulture]]s are also displayed in this area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/land-of-the-lions|title=Land of the Lions|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)}}</ref>

===Tiger Territory===
Tiger Territory is London Zoo's [[Sumatran tiger]] enclosure, designed by architect Michael Kozdon<ref name="tiger-territory-architecture">{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2013/mar/20/london-zoo-new-tiger-territory | last = Wainwright | first = Oliver | title = London Zoo's new Tiger Territory: built for the animals first, and visitors second | newspaper = [[The Guardian]] | date = 20 March 2013 | access-date = 20 March 2013}}</ref> and officially opened by the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] in March 2013. The zoo currently houses four tigers: a male named Asim, a female named Gaysha, and their two cubs, Zac and Crispin, born in June 2022. The enclosure is 2,500 square metres (27,000 square feet) in size and features authentic Indonesian plant life,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/tigers-mark-their-territory-at-the-zoo,996,NS.html |title= Tigers mark their Territory at the Zoo - News - ZSL London Zoo - ZSL|website=www.zsl.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114194158/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/tigers-mark-their-territory-at-the-zoo%2C996%2CNS.html |archive-date=14 November 2012}}</ref> as well as a net canopy of 3mm steel cable supported by four metal poles.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pig ugly|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/pig-ugly|access-date=4 October 2020|website=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|language=en}}</ref>

===The Casson Pavilion ===
The Casson Pavilion is one of the zoo's Grade II listed buildings and was designed by architect Sir Hugh Casson between 1962 and 1965. The building was originally built to house [[rhino]]s and [[elephant]]s. However, after an accident in which a keeper was killed in 2001, the animals were relocated to Whipsnade Zoo, and since then, the building has housed [[camels]] and [[porcupines]]. At one point, it was also part of Tiger Territory when it housed [[Bornean bearded pig|bearded pigs]] and [[Malayan tapir]]s. It is now its own exhibit, known as The Cassons, and it houses a family of [[red river hog]]s and [[babirusa]]s.

===Gorilla Kingdom===
Opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in March 2007, Gorilla Kingdom consists of a moated island, home to a group of [[western lowland gorilla]]s. The zoo currently holds seven gorillas: an adult male named Kiburi, two adult females named Mjukuu and Effie, a juvenile female named Alika (the daughter of Mjukuu and former silverback Kumbuka) born in December 2014, a juvenile male named Gernot (the son of Effie and former silverback Kumbuka) born in November 2015, a female infant named Juno born to mother Mjukuu on 17 January 2024<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gorilla Kingdom|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/gorilla-kingdom|access-date=4 October 2020|website=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|language=en}}</ref> and a second female infant named Venus was born to mother Effie on 8 February 2024, just three and a half weeks after the first.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Zoo welcomes another endangered baby gorilla – DW – 02/14/2024 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/london-zoo-welcomes-another-endangered-baby-gorilla/a-68249447 |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref> The Gorilla Kingdom area also features smaller enclosures housing [[Sooty mangabey|white-naped mangabey]]s and [[Diana monkey]]s. The exhibit also features a walk-through aviary housing African [[bird]]s.

===Into Africa===
Into Africa is an [[Africa]]-themed area that opened in April 2006.<ref name="fitzpatrick">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/discovery-learning/meet-the-team/meet-the-keeper-malcolm-fitzpatrick-curator-of-mammals,371,AR.html | title = Malcolm Fitzpatrick, Curator of Mammals | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =7 March 2008}}</ref> Animals on display in this area include [[Chapman's zebra]]s, [[common warthog]]s, [[okapi]]s, [[common ostrich]]es, [[giraffe]]s, [[pygmy hippopotamus|pygmy hippos]], and [[African wild dog]]s. The Giraffe House at London Zoo, built in 1837, is the world's oldest zoo building still used for its original purpose. The Giraffe House has been designated as a Grade II listed building because of its historical and architectural significance.<ref>{{NHLE | num=1357403 | desc=Giraffe House and Hippopotamus House on the Cotton Terraces}}</ref>

===Rainforest Life and Night Life===
Rainforest Life is a walk-through indoor exhibit that houses many species of South American [[rainforest]] animals. Among the species in the main forest walk-through are [[Linnaeus's two-toed sloth]]s, [[golden lion tamarin]]s, [[Coppery titi|red titi monkeys]], [[Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur]]s, [[big hairy armadillo]]s, [[Goeldi's marmoset]]s, [[southern tamandua]], [[golden-headed lion tamarin]]s, [[red-footed tortoise]]s, [[narrow-striped mongoose]]s and [[Rodrigues flying fox]]es. The building also has a darkened area called "Nightlife", which houses these nocturnal animals: [[Mohol bushbaby]], [[Senegal bushbaby]], [[grey slender loris]]es, [[West African potto]]s, [[Malagasy giant rat]]s, [[naked mole-rats]], [[pygmy slow loris]]es, [[harvest mice]], [[lesser hedgehog tenrec]]s and a [[northern tree shrew]]. 

Night Life is located below Rainforest Life, with the bottom of the latter exhibit being viewable from a point in the former.

===The Outback===
The Mappin Terraces opened in 1913,<ref name="ZSL-architecture" /> and features an artificial rocky cliff made of concrete blocks for animal enrichment. This was the zoo's first major attempt at recreating natural environments without bars, influenced by European zoos such as Tierpark Hagenbeck, and many different species have been kept in this enclosure during its lifetime, including [[bear]]s, [[penguin]]s, [[sheep]], [[goat]]s, [[kangaroo]]s, [[leopards]], and [[wild boar]]. The Mappin Terraces is currently an Australia-themed exhibit called "The Outback", housing [[emu]]s, [[red kangaroo]]s and [[red-necked wallaby|red-necked wallabies]].

===The former Aquarium===
[[File:London Zoo, England -aquarium-24Oct2010.jpg|right|thumb|Aquarium]]
[[File:London Zoo 00936.jpg|thumb|right|A copperband butterflyfish in the coral reef hall]]
There was an [[aquarium]] at the zoo from 1853 until 2019. The zoo's first aquarium was also the world's first public aquarium,<ref name="aquarium-history">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/aquarium/the-history-of-the-aquarium,656,AR.html | title = The History of the Aquarium | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date = 6 March 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120902231727/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/aquarium/the-history-of-the-aquarium,656,AR.html | archive-date = 2 September 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and was created and stocked by [[Philip Henry Gosse]] who coined the word "aquarium", as a portmanteau of aquatic vivarium.<ref name="aquarium-history" /> In 1853 opened a building known as Fish House, while the most recent aquarium was built in 1921 next to and beneath the Mappin Terraces and was officially opened by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] and his wife [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] in April 1924. The collection in 1853 included 58 fish species and 200 invertebrate species.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of London Zoo |url=https://www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/history-of-london-zoo/worlds-first-aquarium |access-date=28 February 2023 |website=ZSL London Zoo}}</ref>

The aquarium was separated into three halls, each home to different types of fish and other aquatic wildlife. The first hall primarily contained freshwater species such as [[rudd]] and [[European eel]]s, as well as some saltwater species involved in various conservation projects and captive-breeding programmes, such as [[broad sea fan]]s, [[uaru]]s and [[seahorse]]s. The second hall displayed various species of [[coral reef]] fish from around the world, such as [[clownfish]], [[copperband butterflyfish]] and [[regal tang]]s, as well as real coral. The third hall housed species native to the [[Amazon River]], including [[red-bellied piranha]]s, [[Pterophyllum|angelfish]], [[arapaima]]s and [[ocellate river stingray]]s. In addition to the three halls, the aquarium also featured the "Big Fish Tank". This tank housed large fish species that were all former pets. They had to be rescued because their owners did not have the proper equipment or understanding to care for them.

The dedicated [[London Aquarium]], unconnected with ZSL, opened in 1997. The Zoo's smaller aquarium closed on 22 October 2019; some of the aquatic creatures were moved to a new aquarium at Whipsnade Zoo, while others were set to be housed in a new corals exhibit in the [[#Tiny Giants|Tiny Giants]] building in 2020.<ref name="ZSL-22Oct2019">{{cite web |title=It's all change at the London Zoo aquarium |url=https://www.zsl.org/blogs/zsl-london-zoo/it%E2%80%99s-all-change-at-the-london-zoo-aquarium |website=ZSL London Zoo |publisher=ZSL |access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref>

===Animal Adventure===
Animal Adventure, formerly known as the Ambika Paul Children's Zoo, was established in 2009. It is a dedicated area for children, featuring playgrounds and a water fountain. It was built after a child who loved visiting the zoo with her family, Ambika Paul, died from cancer. Her parents donated £1,000,000 to the zoo to build a children's zoo in her honour. Many of the animals in Animal Adventure are domestic animals, such as  [[llama]]s, [[alpaca]]s, and [[goat]]s, as well as [[Kunekune|kunekune pigs]]. Exotic species on display include [[Cape porcupine]]s, [[South American coati]]s, and [[yellow mongoose]]s.

At approximately 6 am on Saturday, 23 December 2017, a large fire broke out at Animal Adventure. The fire was brought under control by 9:30 am after spreading to the cafe and shop on the premises. It is estimated that three-quarters of the cafe/shop suffered severe damage. A nine-year-old [[aardvark]] named Misha was pronounced dead, and four [[meerkat]]s were declared unaccounted for and presumed dead. The zoo reopened on Christmas Eve.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-42465094|title=London Zoo shuts as fire hits buildings|date=23 December 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=23 December 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/zsl-london-zoo-statement-23-december-2017|title=ZSL London Zoo statement - 23 December 2017|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|access-date=23 December 2017|language=en}}</ref>

=== The former Reptile House ===
One of London Zoo's most well-known buildings, the Reptile House opened in 1927 and was designed by [[Joan Beauchamp Procter]] and [[Sir Edward Guy Dawber]].<ref name="ZSL-architecture" /> It housed several species of reptile, including [[Jamaican boa]], [[Philippine crocodile]]s,  [[Annam leaf turtle]]s, [[Brachylophus fasciatus|Fiji banded iguana]]s, [[northern caiman lizard]]s, [[puff adder]]s, [[king cobra]]s and [[emerald tree boa]]s. In December 2012, a refurbished amphibian section was opened to the public, displaying amphibians such as  [[Chinese giant salamander]]s, [[axolotl]]s, [[African bullfrog]]s, [[Lake Oku clawed frog]]s, [[White's tree frog]]s and various types of [[poison dart frog]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/reptile-house/amphibians/ |title=Amphibian Wing |access-date=22 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117222818/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/reptile-house/amphibians/ |archive-date=17 January 2013 }}</ref> A new Reptile House, titled "The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians",<ref name="ZSL-reptile-amphibins">[https://www.londonzoo.org/whats-here/habitats/reptile-amphibians The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians]</ref> opened in Easter 2024.<ref name="ZSL-close-ups">[https://www.londonzoo.org/zoo-stories/news/breathtaking-close-ups-reveal-secret-life-reptiles-and-amphibians Revealing the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians]</ref>

===Giants of the Galápagos===
Giants of the Galápagos was opened in 2009 to coincide with the 200th birthday of [[Charles Darwin]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/giants-of-the-galapagos/|title=Galapagos Tortoises|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)}}</ref> and is home to three female [[Galápagos giant tortoise]]s named Dolly, Polly and Priscilla. It includes a large indoor area with a heated pond and [[underfloor heating]], while the outdoor paddock has been designed to mimic the tortoise's natural environment and features two heated pools, one of which is a naturalistic clay wallow.

===The Attenborough Komodo Dragon House===
[[File:London Zoo 01050.jpg|upright|thumb|right|Raja, the male Komodo dragon]]
London Zoo's [[Komodo dragon]] enclosure was opened by [[David Attenborough|Sir David Attenborough]] in July 2004.<ref name="dragons-arrive">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/komodo-dragons-arrive,41,NS.html | title = Komodo Dragons Arrive | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | date =2 August 2004 | access-date =7 March 2008}}</ref> The zoo used to own two Komodo dragons, a female named Rinka and a male named Raja. Raja was filmed in his exhibit for an action sequence in the 2012 [[James Bond]] film ''[[Skyfall]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 August 2015|title=London Zoo: New Komodo dragon unveiled for Land of the Giants exhibition [video]|url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-zoo-new-komodo-dragon-unveiled-land-giants-exhibition-video-1514420|access-date=4 October 2020|website=International Business Times UK|language=en}}</ref> A new male dragon called Ganas (one of the [[parthenogenic]] hatchlings from [[Chester Zoo]]) moved to London in 2015 after the previous dragons died. Their enclosure is designed to resemble the dragon's natural habitat of a dry river bed, and sounds of Indonesian birds are regularly played into the enclosure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/komodo-dragons/|title=Komodo Dragon|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)}}</ref> The house also displays a [[yellow-headed water monitor]] in a separate enclosure.

===Tiny Giants===
Tiny Giants, formerly called B.U.G.S., is an exhibit featuring invertebrates and fish. It is held in a building called The Millennium Conservation Centre, and the building displays over 160 species, including [[western honey bee]]s, [[leafcutter ant]]s, [[emperor scorpion]]s, [[Trichonephila edulis|golden orb weavers]], [[Trichonephila inaurata|Madagascar orb weavers]], [[Brachypelma smithi|Mexican redknee tarantulas]], [[bird-eating spider]]s, [[desert locust]]s, [[Aurelia aurita|moon jellyfish]], [[Partula (gastropod)|partula snails]] and many others. 

It also features a large coral reef aquarium with corals and over 200 reef fish. The Millennium Conservation Centre aims to be environmentally friendly, constructed from materials requiring little energy to produce, and generating its heating from the body heat of both the animals and visitors. In May 2015, an exhibit called "In With the Spiders" opened in the exhibit as Europe's first and only spider walkthrough exhibit. It houses many different types of spiders, including one of the United Kingdom's most endangered animals, the [[Great raft spider|fen raft spider]],<ref name="bugs">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/whats-on/catch-up-with-the-b-u-g-s,122,EV.html | title = Catch up with the B.U.G.S! | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =6 March 2008}}</ref> as well as [[golden orb weaver]]s.

===Penguin Beach===
Penguin Beach opened on 26 May 2011  and houses [[Humboldt penguin]]s. A single male [[northern rockhopper penguin]] named Ricky also lived there until he was moved to [[Whipsnade Zoo]] in March 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/bachelor-penguin-ricky-moving-to-zsl-whipsnade-zoo-for-love/|title=Bachelor penguin Ricky moving to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo for love|publisher=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|date=15 March 2017}}</ref> The pool itself is the largest penguin pool containing penguins in an English zoo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/penguins/|title=Penguin Beach|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref>

===In with the Lemurs===
Opened in March 2015, In with the Lemurs is a walk-through exhibit housing a group of [[ring-tailed lemur]]s, [[narrow-striped mongoose]]s, [[aye-aye]]s and [[grey mouse lemur]]s, with the latter two species living in a nocturnal section. <ref>{{Cite web|title=ZootierlisteHomepage|url=https://www.zootierliste.de/en/?klasse=1&ordnung=113&familie=11344&art=55007856|access-date=5 October 2020|website=www.zootierliste.de}}</ref> The exhibit is designed to resemble a shrub forest in [[Madagascar]], featuring plant life such as [[loquat]] and [[Chusan palm]] trees.

===Meet the Monkeys===
Opened by comedians [[Noel Fielding]] and [[Julian Barratt]] of [[The Mighty Boosh]] in 2005,<ref name="monkey-walkthrough">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/meet-the-monkeys-walkthrough,792,AR.html | title = Meet the Monkeys Walkthrough |  publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =7 March 2008}}</ref> Meet the Monkeys is a walk-through enclosure that houses a troop of [[black-capped squirrel monkey]]s. The exhibit has no roof, and there are no boundaries between the monkeys and the visitors. It is the southernmost enclosure in the zoo.<ref name="revolutionary-monkey">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/a-revolutionary-new-monkey-walk-through-at-london-zoo,113,NS.html | title = A revolutionary new monkey walkthrough at London Zoo |  publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =7 March 2008}}</ref>

===Butterfly Paradise===
[[File:London Zoo Atlas Moth.jpg|right|thumb|An atlas moth in Butterfly Paradise]]
Opened in May 2006, Butterfly Paradise houses several species of butterfly and moth from around the world, as well as plant species specially selected to provide nectar and breeding areas for the insects.<ref name="butterfly-paradise">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/butterfly-paradise/butterfly-paradise,744,AR.html | title = Butterfly Paradise | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref> Species on display include the [[Parthenos sylvia|clipper butterfly]], [[Morpho peleides|blue morpho butterfly]], [[atlas moth]], [[Heliconius charithonia|zebra longwing]], [[glasswing butterfly]] and [[Heliconius melpomene|postman butterfly]].<ref name="inventory" /> The exhibit also features a [[caterpillar]] hatchery and a pupa display cabinet, where visitors can witness different types of pupae and the development of new butterflies.<ref name="pupae">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/butterfly-paradise/pupae-and-breeding-room,746,AR.html | title = Pupae Breeding Room | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =6 March 2008}}</ref>

===Bird Safari===
The Bird Safari opened in 2005 as a redevelopment of the old stork and ostrich house, replacing enclosures that were outdated by modern zoo-keeping standards.<ref name="african-bird-safari">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo//whats-on/african-bird-safari,285,AR.html | title = African Bird Sarafi | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref> It is a walk-through exhibit housing various species of birds including [[Northern bald ibis|waldrapp ibis]]es, [[Abdim's stork]]s, [[great argus]]es, [[emerald dove]]s, and [[scarlet ibis]]es.<ref name="african-bird-safari" /><ref name="pitter-patter">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/pitter-patter-of-webbed-feet-at-london-zoo,259,NS.html | title = Pitter Patter of Webbed Feet at ZSL London Zoo | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =6 March 2008}}</ref>

===Blackburn Pavilion===
The Blackburn Pavilion is a rainforest-themed tropical bird aviary that opened in March 2008 as a refurbishment of the zoo's outdated birdhouse.<ref name="blackburn-pavilion">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/blackburn-pavilion/blackburn-pavilion,850,AR.html | title = Blackburn Pavilion | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =3 March 2008}}</ref> It rejuvenated the birdhouse by adding a walk-through element. The building was originally constructed in 1883 as a reptile house. The pavilion houses roughly 50 different species of exotic rainforest birds, including [[blue-crowned laughingthrush]]es, [[collared trogon]]s, [[Socorro dove]]s, [[red-crested turaco]]s, [[splendid sunbird]]s and [[red-and-yellow barbet]]s. Outside the entrance is one of the pavilion's prominent features, a large elaborate clock by [[Tim Hunkin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timhunkin.com/a136_zoo-clock.htm|title=London Zoo Clock 2008|work=Tim Hunkin}}</ref> It gives a bird-themed display every thirty minutes throughout the day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/blackburn-pavilion/blackburn-pavilion,850,AR.html|title=Blackburn Pavilion|work=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)}}</ref>

===Gibbon Habitat===
The Gibbon Habitat is a new enclosure for the zoo's two gibbons. It has two viewing points: one at ground level near the camel paddock and one at a higher level from Tiger Territory. One male pair is a [[northern white-cheeked gibbon]], and the other is a hybrid species. They were initially housed in the Gorilla Kingdom.

===Meerkats and Otters===
The Meerkats and Otters exhibit, previously known as "Happy Families", consists of two enclosures. One enclosure is home to [[Asian small-clawed otter]]s, while the other enclosure houses [[meerkat]]s. The meerkats have since moved to another part of the zoo, with them being replaced by [[dwarf mongoose]]s. There is also a third enclosure, housing [[Kirk's dik-dik]]s. The exhibit was initially designed to accommodate [[meerkat]]s, [[otter]]s, [[European forest reindeer]] and [[Goeldi's monkey]]s. However, the reindeer (who lived in the dik-dik paddock) were relocated to [[Whipsnade Zoo]], and the monkeys were transferred to the zoo's Rainforest Life building.

===Three Island Pond===
Three Island Pond was only granted exhibit status in 2021. This artificially shaped pond is named after the three islands within it. It is separated into two enclosures: one houses [[greater flamingo]]es, and the other is home to [[Eastern white pelican]]s.

===Others===
Other notable animals in London Zoo's collection include [[Bactrian camel]]s, [[military macaw]]s, [[hyacinth macaw]]s, [[blue-throated macaw]]s and [[Darwin's frog]]s.

The zoo's north bank, north of the canal, formerly housed the bird incubation and rearing unit. The area is currently undeveloped.

==Subsidised entry==
London Zoo established a Community Access Scheme in 2019 to provide 100,000 subsidised tickets to charities and groups assisting low-income families, older individuals, and people with disabilities. The scheme is intended to run until 2023.<ref>{{cite news| last=Wren | first=James | title=Community access scheme hands out subsidised tickets to London Zoo to charities in Camden and Westminster | newspaper=Ham & High | date=28 November 2019 | url=https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/things-to-do/21351459.community-access-scheme-hands-subsidised-tickets-london-zoo-charities-camden-westminster/ }}</ref> This started with a grant from the [[National Lottery Heritage Fund]] to convert the [[#Monkey Valley|Snowdon Aviary]] to a [[colobus monkey]] enclosure.<ref name=gould>{{cite news |title=Letting thousands of poorer families into London Zoo for £3 has changed us for ever|last=Gould | first=Matthew|newspaper=The Guardian | date=3 March 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/03/poorer-families-london-zoo-children-conservationists}}</ref> The scheme was successful and was later extended to allow anyone who received certain [[Benefit (social welfare)|benefits]] to buy tickets for £3,<ref>{{cite web | title=Community Access Scheme | publisher=London Zoo | date=16 February 2023 | url=https://www.londonzoo.org/plan-your-visit/community-access-scheme|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220135550/https://www.londonzoo.org/plan-your-visit/community-access-scheme|archive-date=20 February 2023}}</ref> about a tenth of the full price, leading to visits by thousands of families, and long queues which were controlled by requiring pre-booking and capping numbers. Some visitors who were not receiving benefits complained about the crowds.<ref name=gould/> 

{{As of|2023|2}} the Zoo was trying to ensure that the £3 tickets were not cannibalising demand for full-price tickets. However, they intended to maintain the £3 scheme if further funding became available. The director general of the Zoological Society of London described the result of the scheme as a "brilliant development", despite the queues and challenges.<ref name=gould/>

==Notable past animals==
[[File:Quagga London Zoo.jpg|thumb|left|The only photographs taken of a living [[quagga]] were taken of a [[mare]] at London Zoo between 1864 and 1870.]]
Throughout its history, the zoo has had many well-known residents. Those individuals could have been scientifically important or simply beloved by the public.

[[Old Martin]] was a large [[grizzly bear]], the first in Britain, moved to the zoo with many other animals from the [[Royal Menagerie, Tower of London]] when it was closed in 1832.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spragg |first=Iain|title=London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces: Extraordinary but True Stories|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MzG_CAAAQBAJ&pg=PT113|access-date=24 March 2017|date=23 May 2014|publisher=Pavilion Books|isbn=978-1-84994-189-1|chapter=A Grizzly Sight, 1811}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Discover The Entertaining History & Timeline Of The Royal Menagerie|url=http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/royal-beasts/the-royal-menagerie/the-history-of-the-royal-menagerie/#gs.KrUNDiQ|website=www.hrp.org.uk|publisher=Historic Royal Palaces|access-date=24 March 2017|language=en-gb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325025613/http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/royal-beasts/the-royal-menagerie/the-history-of-the-royal-menagerie/#gs.KrUNDiQ|archive-date=25 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The zoo was home to the only living [[quagga]] ever to be photographed before the species became [[extinct in the wild]] due to hunting in [[southern Africa]] in about 1870. Other now extinct species the zoo once held were the [[thylacine]], the [[Falkland Islands Wolf]], a pair of [[pink headed duck]]s, some [[Passenger pigeon]]s, the [[Bubal hartebeest]], the [[Syrian wild ass]], the [[Northern Sumatran rhinoceros]], the [[Javan tiger]], the [[Schomburgk's deer]], the [[Pinta Island tortoise]], the [[Caspian tiger]], the [[Glaucous macaw]], as well as the [[endling]]s of the [[norfolk kaka]], the [[Partula turgida]] snail, and the [[Santa Lucian Pilorie]].<ref name="famous-animals">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/discovery-learning//zoo-world/famous-animals,98,AR.html | title = Famous animals | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date = 5 March 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110709140638/http://www.zsl.org/education//zoo-world/famous-animals,98,AR.html | archive-date = 9 July 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

[[File:Jumbo and Matthew Scott giving a ride to children about the Zoo.png|thumb|upright|[[Jumbo]] giving a ride to children at the zoo in ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'', 1882]]
[[Obaysch]] was the first [[hippopotamus]] to be seen in Europe since the Roman Empire and the first in England since prehistoric times. The hippo arrived at the London Zoo in May 1850 as a gift from the [[Khedive|Ottoman Viceroy]] of Egypt in exchange for some greyhounds and deerhounds. Obaysch led to a doubling of the zoo's visitors that year.<ref name="cusack">{{cite web|url=http://www.andrewcusack.com/blog/2007/12/obaysch_the_hippo.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070616085010/http://www.andrewcusack.com/blog/2007/12/obaysch_the_hippo.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 June 2007 |title=Obaysch the Hippo |first=Andrew |last=Cusack |date=24 December 2007 |access-date=5 March 2008 }}</ref>

In 1865, [[Jumbo]], the largest [[elephant]] known at the time, was transferred to the zoo from [[Jardin des Plantes]] in Paris. His name, possibly from ''Jambo'', [[Swahili language|Swahili]] for ''hello'', became an epithet for anything of large size, such as [[Boeing]]'s [[Boeing 747|747]] [[Wide-body aircraft|Jumbo jet]]. Jumbo became a crowd favourite due to his size, and would give rides to children on his back, including those of [[Queen Victoria]]. The sale of Jumbo sent the citizens of London into a panic, and 100,000 schoolchildren wrote to the Queen begging her to stop the sale.<ref>''The Elephant War'' (1960) by [[Gillian Avery]] is a historical novel featuring the protest movement based in Oxford.</ref> He was sold to [[P. T. Barnum|Phineas Barnum]]'s circus, the [[Barnum & Bailey Circus]], in 1882, where he was later crushed by a [[locomotive]] and killed.<ref name="victorian-london">{{cite web | url = http://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment/londonzoo.htm | title = London Zoo | publisher = Victorian London | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Winnie the Pooh sculpture at London Zoo.jpg|thumb|left|This sculpture at the zoo marks where [[A. A. Milne]] took his son to see the amiable bear [[Winnipeg (bear)|Winnipeg]] that inspired Milne to write ''[[Winnie-the-Pooh]]''.]]
[[Winnipeg (bear)|Winnipeg the Bear]] (or Winnie) was an [[American black bear]] given to the zoo in 1914 by a Canadian [[lieutenant]], [[Harry Colebourn]]. [[A. A. Milne]] visited with his son [[Christopher Robin Milne|Christopher Robin]], and the boy was so enamoured with the bear Milne wrote the famous series of books for him entitled ''[[Winnie-the-Pooh]]''.<ref name="famous-animals" /><ref>{{cite news |title=The bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh |url=https://www.zsl.org/videos/fun-animal-facts/the-bear-who-inspired-winnie-the-pooh |access-date=12 June 2022 |publisher=Zoological Society of London}}</ref> A 2004 film, ''[[A Bear Named Winnie]]'', is based on the story of Winnie the bear, with [[Michael Fassbender]] playing Harry Colebourn.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ferguson |first1=John |title=A Bear Named Winnie – review |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/j9rwy/a-bear-named-winnie/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=15 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Mo Koundje ('Mok'), a [[western lowland gorilla]], was purchased by the zoo in 1932. A new gorilla house was designed for him by [[Berthold Lubetkin]]. Mok died of [[Bright's disease]] in 1938. His skeleton and skin were purchased by [[Leeds Museums & Galleries|Leeds Museums and Galleries]] and are on display in Leeds, UK at [[Leeds City Museum]] and [[Leeds Discovery Centre]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mok the Gorilla|url=https://www.mylearning.org/stories/mok-the-gorilla/460?|access-date=14 January 2021|website=My Learning}}</ref>

[[File:Guy the Gorilla statue.jpg|thumb|A bronze statue of Guy in Barclay Court]]
[[Guy the Gorilla|Guy]], a [[western lowland gorilla]], arrived at the zoo on [[Guy Fawkes Night]] (hence the name) 1947 from Paris Zoo and lived at the zoo until he died in 1978. Over his 32-year life, he became one of the zoo's best-loved residents.<ref name="guy">{{cite web|url=http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/guy-the-gorilla-a-life-remembered,409,NS.html |title=Guy the Gorilla: A Life Remembered |publisher=[[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] |access-date=5 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228074245/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/guy-the-gorilla-a-life-remembered%2C409%2CNS.html |archive-date=28 February 2008 }}</ref> After years of trying to find a mate, in 1969 five-year-old Lomie arrived from [[Chessington Zoo]]. They were kept separated for a year to adjust to each other until they were finally united. Although they got on well together, they never produced any offspring. In 1982 Guy was commemorated by a [[bronze]] statue in Barclay Court, sculpted by [[William Timym]].<ref name="guy" />

Dumbo (born 1948) was a female [[Indian elephant]] who resided at London Zoo during the 1950s and was renowned for her fondness for sweets.<ref>Book of Knowledge 1953, vol. 2</ref> Her parents were killed by hunters, and she was flown from India to England, where she spent her adult life giving rides to the children.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUgEAAAAMBAJ&q=dumbo+indian+elephant+london+zoo&pg=PA128|title=A Quadruple Footache|magazine=LIFE magazine|author=<!--not stated-->|date=15 March 1954|page=128|via=Google Books}}</ref> Dumbo was named after the [[Dumbo|eponymous Disney character]] because she was the first elephant to travel by aeroplane. In 1958, she was transferred to [[Moscow Zoo]] in return for four endangered [[snow leopard]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43560027/|title=Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska on August 19, 1958 · Page 26|website=newspapers.com|date=19 August 1958 |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref> At some point between 1962 and 1971, Dumbo was acquired by circus performer [[Dolly Jacobs]], but by 1978 she had been sold to Hollywood circus producer Paul V. Kaye and was living in California with three other elephants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.circushistory.org/Publications/CircusReport09Jan1978.pdf|title=Circus report 1978|website=circushistory.org|access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

On 27 November 1949, [[List of non-fictional bears#Brumas|Brumas]] became the first [[polar bear]] to be successfully bred at the zoo, and immediately became a major attraction with the public. This led to the zoo's annual attendance to rise to over 3 million in 1950 - a figure that has yet to be topped. Despite being a female bear, the press mistakenly reported her as a 'he', and this error was not corrected, leading the public to believe the bear was a male.<ref name="famous-animals" /> Eighteen years later, on December 1, 1967, the zoo welcomed its second polar bear cub, a male. He was named [[Pipaluk]] (a [[Greenlandic language|Greenlandic Inuit]] feminine given name meaning ''little one'' or ''sweet little thing'') but, in 1985, had to leave the zoo when the Mappin Terraces closed.

[[File:ChiChiPandaNHM.jpg|thumb|upright|Stuffed remains of Chi Chi at the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] in London]]
One of the zoo's most famous [[giant panda]]s, [[Chi Chi (giant panda)|Chi Chi]], arrived in 1958. Although originally destined for an American zoo, Washington, D.C. had ceased all trade with [[communism|communist]] China, and so Chi Chi was refused entry to the United States. In the interests of conservation, ZSL had stated they would not encourage the collection of wild pandas. However, when it was pointed out that Chi Chi had already been collected, her purchase was approved, and she immediately became the star attraction at London Zoo.<ref name="goodzoos" /> As the only giant panda in the West, she was the inspiration for Sir [[Peter Scott]]'s design for the [[World Wildlife Fund]] logo.<ref name="Roger Courtney">{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3krtbD3zKSEC&pg=PA235 | title = Strategic management for voluntary nonprofit organizations | publisher = Routledge | access-date = 28 October 2008| isbn = 9780415250238 | year = 2002 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda|title=Giant Panda &#124; Species &#124; WWF|website=World Wildlife Fund}}</ref> In July 1972, Chi Chi died and was publicly mourned.<ref name="goodzoos" /> The zoo's last giant panda was Ming Ming. She arrived in 1991 on a breeding loan from China. After unsuccessful breeding attempts with Berlin's Zoo giant panda Bao Bao, it was decided that Ming Ming should return to China. As a result, the London Zoo has been without a giant panda since the end of October 1994. Zoo staff later suggested that Chinese zookeepers knew that she was infertile and lent her in order to hide how much more advanced Western husbandry techniques were compared to theirs.<ref name="Everything you always wanted to know about panda sex (but were afraid to ask)">{{cite web|last1=Knight|first1=Sam|title=Everything you always wanted to know about panda sex (but were afraid to ask)|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/25/everything-about-panda-sex-edinburgh-zoo-long-read|website=The Guardian|date=25 August 2015|access-date=2 September 2015}}</ref>

On 31 January 1996, the last known ''[[Partula turgida]]'' land snail named "Turgi" died in his habitat. For four days in late August 2005, the zoo ran an exhibit entitled the [[Human zoo]], which put eight [[human]]s on display in the Mappin Terraces. The exhibit aimed to demonstrate the basic nature of man as an animal and examine our impact on the animal kingdom.<ref name="BBC-human-zoo">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4184466.stm | title =  Humans strip bare for zoo exhibit | work = [[BBC News]] | date = 25 August 2005 | access-date =3 March 2008}}</ref><ref name="ZSL-human-zoo">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/the-human-zoo,180,NS.html | title = The Human Zoo | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | date = 17 August 2005 | access-date =3 March 2008}}</ref>

==Architecture==
[[File:Penguin pool, London Zoo, England-24Oct2010 (6).jpg|right|thumb|[[Penguin Pool, London Zoo|Penguin Pool]] a Grade I listed building]]
[[File:Penguin Pool, London Zoo.JPG|thumb|Penguin Pool]]
Since its earliest days, the zoo has prided itself on appointing leading [[architect]]s to design its buildings. Today, it holds two Grade I and eight Grade II [[Listed building|listed structures]].<ref name="architecture">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/architecture-at-the-zoo,271,NS.html | title = Architecture at the Zoo | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | date = 15 June 2006 | access-date = 5 March 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081205202418/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/architecture-at-the-zoo%2C271%2CNS.html | archive-date = 5 December 2008 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

The initial grounds were laid out in 1828 by [[Decimus Burton]], the zoo's first official architect from 1826 to 1841, made famous for his work on the [[London Colosseum]] and [[Marble Arch]].<ref name="goodzoos" /> Burton's work began with the Clock Tower in 1828 above what was then the llama house, which today is the first aid kiosk.<ref name="architecture" /> In 1830, the East Tunnel, which linked the north and south parts of the zoo together for the first time, was completed, which also acted as a bomb shelter during the [[Second World War]].<ref name="ZSL-architecture"/> Burton concluded his work in 1837 with the Giraffe House, which, due to its functional design, still remains in use as the zoo's giraffe enclosure in the ''Into Africa'' exhibit.<ref name="ZSL-architecture" />

The earliest surviving exhibit is the Ravens' Cage, an ornate ironwork aviary now retained as a monument. It was installed in 1829, soon after the zoo first opened. Its location on the grounds has changed over time, and several refurbishments have been required due to weather damage.

The Eastern Aviary, along the eastern boundary, currently holds parrots and birds of prey. It was built in 1863 with a hooped tubular steel frame. In 1989, further renovations were carried out on the exhibit using "invisible" wire.

The Stork and Ostrich House, built in 1896, can still be seen as holding pens behind the current Bird Safari exhibit. Victorian structures that have been demolished over time included the Lion House, Monkey House, Carnivore Terrace, and Elephant and Rhino House.

After Burton, [[Peter Chalmers Mitchell|Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell]] and [[John James Joass]] were appointed to design the Mappin Terraces. Completed in 1914, the Mappin Terraces imitates a mountain landscape to provide a naturalistic habitat for bears and other mountain wildlife. In 1933 the [[Round House (London Zoo)|Round House]], designed by [[Berthold Lubetkin]]'s [[Tecton Group|Tecton Architectural Group]] to house gorillas, was one of the first [[Modern architecture|modernist]] style buildings to be built in Britain. The following year the [[Penguin Pool, London Zoo|Penguin Pool]] also designed by Tecton, was opened; both now grade I listed.<ref name="design-museum">{{cite web|url=http://www.designmuseum.org/design/berthold-lubetkin |title=Berthold Lubetkin |publisher=[[Design Museum]] |access-date=26 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325093119/http://www.designmuseum.org/design/berthold-lubetkin |archive-date=25 March 2008 }}</ref> The Modernist dual concrete spiral ramps of the Penguin Pool have made it famous as a piece of modern architecture, but in 2004 the [[African penguin]]s were moved out of the pool permanently following 'bumblefoot' infections in the birds caused by micro-abrasions from walking on the concrete.<ref name="architectuul-penguin.s">{{cite web | url = http://architectuul.com/architecture/penguin-pool-london-zoo | title = Penguin Pool, London Zoo | publisher = Architectuul | access-date = 10 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/headlines/the-uncertain-future-of-lubetkin-s-penguin-pool|title=The Uncertain Future of Lubetkin's Penguin Pool}}</ref>

The Snowdon Aviary, built-in 1964 by [[Cedric Price]], [[Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon|Lord Snowdon]] and [[Frank Newby]], made pioneering use of [[aluminium]] and [[tension (physics)|tension]] for support. A year later, the Casson Pavilion, designed by Sir [[Hugh Casson]] and Neville Conder, was opened as an elephant and rhinoceros house.<ref name="ZSL-architecture" /> The Pavilion was commissioned "to display these massive animals in the most dramatic way" and designed to evoke a herd of elephants gathered around a watering hole.<ref name="tiger-territory-architecture" />

Many of these buildings are available on a private hire basis for events,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Venue Hire at ZSL London Zoo|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/venue-hire|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|language=en}}</ref> as well as a number of the animal houses. The profits from the use of spaces at the zoo are re-invested directly back into the society.

==In popular culture==
===In film and television===
[[File:Harry Potter at London Zoo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]] with a [[Burmese python]] in the Reptile House]]
[[File:Andrew Sachs, audio description of London Zoo.ogg|thumb|Audio description of the London Zoo by [[Andrew Sachs]].]]
Many films and television programmes have used London Zoo as a location for filming.<ref name="commercial-filming">{{cite web | url = http://www.zsl.org/info/corporate/commercial-filming-photography-and-unit-base-car-parking,579,AR.html | title = Commercial Filming and Photography | publisher = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]] | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref>

* The Zoo and its Aquarium appear in Hitchcock's 1936 film [[Sabotage (1936 film)|Sabotage]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Sabotage (1936) - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028212/locations |language=en |access-date=12 September 2022}}</ref>
* In 1947, [[Carol Reed]] took his film crew and actors [[Ralph Richardson]], [[Michèle Morgan]] and [[Bobby Henrey]] to London Zoo to film location scenes there for ''[[The Fallen Idol (film)|The Fallen Idol]]'' (released in 1948). Scenes were filmed inside the lion house, the reptile house, and on the Mappin Terraces. Today, the scenes provide a historical view of what the zoo looked like in the immediate post-war years.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
* A scene from the film ''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]'' (1964) with [[Anne Bancroft]] and [[James Mason]] was also set at the zoo.<ref name="travelguidelondon">{{cite web|url=http://www.travelguidelondon.co.uk/places-and-tourist-sites/to-the-london-zoo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223220440/http://www.travelguidelondon.co.uk/places-and-tourist-sites/to-the-london-zoo.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 December 2017 |title=To the London Zoo! |publisher=Travel Guide London |date=31 December 2007 |access-date=5 March 2008 }}</ref>
* In 1967, part of [[Dudley Moore]] and [[Peter Cook]]'s movie [[Bedazzled (1967 film)|Bedazzled]] was filmed at the zoo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reelstreets.com/films/bedazzled-1967/|title=Reelstreets &#124; Bedazzled (1967)|website=www.reelstreets.com}}</ref>
* The opening sequence for series 3 and 4 of the 1973 ITV/Thames television show ''Man About The House'' was filmed in the London Zoological Gardens.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
* During ''[[An American Werewolf in London]]'' (1981), the lead character David Kessler (played by [[David Naughton]]) woke up naked in the wolves' enclosure. Several other animals are also visible, and the old caged enclosures of the tigers and apes are clearly visible.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watkins |first1=Jack |title=How we made An American Werewolf in London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/12/how-we-made-an-american-werewolf-in-london-john-landis |website=The Guardian |access-date=15 January 2019 |date=12 June 2017}}</ref>
* Part of the film ''[[Turtle Diary]]'' (1985), based on the novel by [[Russell Hoban]] and starring [[Ben Kingsley]] and [[Glenda Jackson]], was also filmed here; the film follows a plan to help two of the turtles escape from the zoo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Turtle Diary - Film review |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/turtle-diary |website=Time Out London |date=10 September 2012 |access-date=15 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Turtle Diary (1985) |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b77df22e2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912172159/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b77df22e2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2017 |website=BFI |access-date=15 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
* In the final scene from the film ''[[Withnail and I]]'' (1987), a sad Withnail is shown standing in the pouring rain next to the former wolf enclosure, declaiming the speech [[What a piece of work is a man]] from ''[[Hamlet]]''.<ref name="withnail">{{cite news | url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/london_film_festival/article2697992.ece | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200500/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/london_film_festival/article2697992.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 May 2008 | title = They're back for one more bender: Withnail and I get together again | newspaper = [[Times Online]] | date = 20 October 2007 | access-date =5 March 2008 | author = Jack Malvern | location=London}}</ref>
* In 2000,<ref name="ign-potter">{{cite web | url = http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/034/034135p1.html | title = Potter set news & pics | website = [[IGN]] | date = 15 November 2000 | access-date = 28 March 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110831202056/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/034/034135p1.html | archive-date = 31 August 2011 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> the [[Burmese python]] scene from the film ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' (2001) was filmed at the zoo's Reptile House. In reality, the tank shown is typically home to smaller reptile species. A [[Commemorative plaque|plaque]] beside the enclosure commemorates the event.<ref name="harry-potter">{{cite web | url = http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/h/harry_potter1.html | title = Filming locations for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | publisher = Movie Locations | access-date = 5 March 2008 | archive-date = 25 May 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090525060224/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/h/harry_potter1.html | url-status = dead }}</ref><!-- Find a bit more info about this scene
* A scene from ''[[About a Boy (film)|About a Boy]]'' (2002) was filmed there.<ref name="about-a-boy">{{cite web | url = http://www.filmlondon.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=812&ArticleID=1720 | title = London Zoo | publisher = Film London | access-date =5 March 2008}}</ref>
-->

==See also==
* '''''<small>{{portal-inline|London}}</small>'''''

==References==
{{Reflist |30em |refs=
<ref name="corporate-events">
 {{cite web
 |url         = http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/corporate-and-private-events/
 |title       = ZSL Corporate and Private Events
 |work        = zsl.org
 |publisher   = [[Zoological Society of London|ZSL]]
 |access-date  = 3 March 2008
|url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080220031024/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/corporate-and-private-events/
 |archive-date = 20 February 2008
|df          = dmy-all
}}
</ref>

<ref name="waza_list">
{{ZooOrg|waza|zoos|access-date=24 April 2012}}
</ref>

<ref name="eaza_list">
{{ZooOrg|eaza|zoos|access-date=24 April 2012}}
</ref>

<ref name="biaza_list">
{{ZooOrg|biaza|zoos|access-date=24 April 2012}}
</ref>

}}

==Further reading==
* [[Wilfrid Jasper Walter Blunt|Wilfrid Blunt]], ''The Ark in the Park: The Zoo in the Nineteenth Century'' (Hamish Hamilton, 1976).

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo London Zoo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190512120437/http://source.ie/sourcephoto/?p=698%2F Article and film about the London Zoo] (archived 12 May 2019)
* [http://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment/londonzoo.htm London Zoo in the 19th century]
* [http://blogs.ccma.cat/interactiva.php?itemid=45655#nucleus_cf Zoo Village]

{{ZSL}}
{{British zoos}}
{{London landmarks}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:London Zoo| ]]
[[Category:1828 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Aviaries]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Regent's Park]]
[[Category:Cultural and educational buildings in London]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed zoo buildings]]
[[Category:Grade II listed zoo buildings]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Regent's Park]]
[[Category:Decimus Burton buildings]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in London]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Zoological Society of London]]
[[Category:Educational organizations established in 1828]]
[[Category:Zoos established in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Zoos in England]]
[[Category:1828 in London]]