| London Zoo | |
|---|---|
 Logo as it appears on 2021 online map | |
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| 51°32′08″N00°09′21″W / 51.53556°N 0.15583°W /51.53556; -0.15583 | |
| Date opened | 27 April 1828; 196 years ago (1828-04-27) |
| Location | Regent's Park London,NW1 United Kingdom |
| Land area | 36 acres (15 ha)[1] |
| No. of animals | 19,289 (2018)[2] |
| No. of species | 673 (2018) |
| Annual visitors | 1,078,519 (2019)[6] |
| Memberships | BIAZA,[3]EAZA,[4]WAZA[5] |
| Major exhibits | Gorilla Kingdom, Animal Adventure, Blackburn Pavilion, Clore Rainforest Lookout, Into Africa, Tiger territory, Land of the Lions and Penguin Beach. |
| Website | www |
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London Zoo, previously known asZSL London Zoo orLondon Zoological Gardens and sometimes calledRegent's Park Zoo, is the world's oldest scientificzoo.[7][8] It was opened inLondon on 27 April 1828,[9] and was originally intended to be used as a collection forscientific study. In 1831 or 1832, the animals of theTower of London menagerie were transferred to the zoo's collection. It was opened to the public in 1847.[7] As of December 2022, it houses a collection of 14,926 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom.[10][11]
It is managed under the aegis of theZoological Society of London (established in 1826),[7] and is situated at the northern edge ofRegent's Park, on the boundary line between theCity of Westminster and the borough ofCamden (theRegent's Canal runs through it).[12] The Society also has a more spacious site atWhipsnade Zoo inBedfordshire to which the larger animals such as elephants and rhinos have been moved.[13][14]As well as being the first scientific zoo, London Zoo also opened the first reptile house (1849), the firstpublic aquarium (1853),[15] first insect house (1881) and the firstchildren's zoo (1938).
ZSL receives no state funding and relies on 'Fellows' and 'Friends' memberships, entrance fees, venue hire, and sponsorship to generate income.[16][17]
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) was established bySir Stamford Raffles andSir Humphry Davy in 1826,[7] who obtained the land for the zoo and saw the plans before Raffles died ofapoplexy (astroke) later that year on 5 July, his birthday.[17] After his death,Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne took over the project and supervised the building of the first animal houses.[17] The zoo opened in April 1828 to fellows of the Society,[7] providing access to species such asArabian oryx,greater kudus,orangutan and the now extinctquagga andthylacine.[17] The Society was granted aroyal charter in 1829 byKing George IV, and in 1847 the zoo opened to the public to aid funding.[7][18]
It was believed thattropical animals could not survive outside in London's cold weather, so they were all kept indoors until 1902, whenPeter Chalmers Mitchell was appointed secretary of the Society.[17] 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 byHamburg Zoo, and led to newer designs for many of the buildings.[17] Mitchell also envisaged a new 600-acre (240 ha) park to the north of London, and in 1926 Hall Farm, near toWhipsnade village, was bought. In 1931, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, the world's first open zoological park, opened.[7] The first woman to be a curator at London Zoo wasEvelyn Cheesman, in 1920.[19]
After the start of theSecond 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.[20]
In 1962, 'Caroline', an Arabian oryx, was lent toPhoenix Zoo,Arizona, US, in the world's first international co-operative breeding programme.[7] Today, the zoo participates in breeding programmes for over 130 species.[7]
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 wasChester 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 thewombat,Tasmanian devil orlong-nosed potoroo.[17] 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.[17] 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.[17][21] The BAFTA winning 1993 documentary seriesThe Ark byMolly Dineen chronicled this period of time.[22]
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.[citation needed]
During thecovid 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.[23]
The Snowdon Aviary was redeveloped asMonkey Valley, opening in 2022.[24]
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.[25]
| Group | Number of species | Number of individuals |
|---|---|---|
| Mammals | 70 | 561 |
| Birds | 99 | 671 |
| Reptiles | 49 | 167 |
| Amphibians | 20 | 726 |
| Fish | 207 | 5818 |
| Invertebrates | 228 | 11346 |
| Total | 673 | 19289[26] |
The Snowdon Aviary was designed byCedric Price,Frank Newby andAntony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, built between 1962 and 1964, and opened in 1965.[27][28] 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 walkthroughprimatarium called "Monkey Valley", which opened to the public in August 2022 and houses a troop ofeastern black and white colobus monkeys.[29] The structure has been a Grade II*listed building since 1998.[30]
Land of the Lions is London Zoo'sAsiatic lion enclosure, opened in 2016.[31] It covers 2,500 square metres, and is designed to resemble an Indian town on the edge of theGir Forest National Park, intended to demonstrate how the lion's natural habitat overlaps with local urban environments.Hanuman langurs,small Indian mongooses,black kites, andRüppell's vultures are also displayed in this area.[32]
Tiger Territory is London Zoo'sSumatran tiger enclosure, designed by architect Michael Kozdon[33] and officially opened by theDuke 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,[34] as well as a net canopy of 3mm steel cable supported by four metal poles.[35]
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 houserhinos andelephants. 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 housedcamels andporcupines. At one point, it was also part of Tiger Territory when it housedbearded pigs andMalayan tapirs. It is now its own exhibit, known as The Cassons, and it houses a family ofred river hogs andbabirusas.
Opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in March 2007, Gorilla Kingdom consists of a moated island, home to a group ofwestern lowland gorillas. 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[36] 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.[37] The Gorilla Kingdom area also features smaller enclosures housingwhite-naped mangabeys andDiana monkeys. The exhibit also features a walk-through aviary housing Africanbirds.
Into Africa is anAfrica-themed area that opened in April 2006.[38] Animals on display in this area includeChapman's zebras,common warthogs,okapis,common ostriches,giraffes,pygmy hippos, andAfrican wild dogs. 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.[39]
Rainforest Life is a walk-through indoor exhibit that houses many species of South Americanrainforest animals. Among the species in the main forest walk-through areLinnaeus's two-toed sloths,golden lion tamarins,red titi monkeys,Lac Alaotra bamboo lemurs,big hairy armadillos,Goeldi's marmosets,southern tamandua,golden-headed lion tamarins,red-footed tortoises,narrow-striped mongooses andRodrigues flying foxes. The building also has a darkened area called "Nightlife", which houses these nocturnal animals:Mohol bushbaby,Senegal bushbabygrey slender lorises,West African pottos,Malagasy giant rats,naked mole-ratspygmy slow lorises,harvest mice,lesser hedgehog tenrecs and anorthern 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 Mappin Terraces opened in 1913,[27] 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, includingbears,penguins,sheep,goats,kangaroos, leopards, andwild boar. The Mappin Terraces is currently an Australia-themed exhibit called "The Outback", housingemus,red kangaroos andred-necked wallabies.
There was anaquarium at the zoo from 1853 until 2019. The zoo's first aquarium was also the world's first public aquarium,[15] and was created and stocked byPhilip Henry Gosse who coined the word "aquarium", as a portmanteau of aquatic vivarium.[15] 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 byKing George V and his wifeQueen Mary in April 1924. The collection in 1853 included 58 fish species and 200 invertebrate species.[40]
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 asrudd andEuropean eels, as well as some saltwater species involved in various conservation projects and captive-breeding programmes, such asbroad sea fans,uarus andseahorses. The second hall displayed various species ofcoral reef fish from around the world, such asclownfish,copperband butterflyfish andregal tangs, as well as real coral. The third hall housed species native to theAmazon River, includingred-bellied piranhas,angelfish,arapaimas andocellate river stingrays. 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 dedicatedLondon 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 theTiny Giants building in 2020.[41]
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 asllamas,alpacas, andgoats, as well askunekune pigs. Exotic species on display includeCape porcupines,South American coatis, andyellow mongooses.
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-oldaardvark named Misha was pronounced dead, and fourmeerkats were declared unaccounted for and presumed dead. The zoo reopened on Christmas Eve.[42][43]
One of London Zoo's most well-known buildings, the Reptile House opened in 1927 and was designed byJoan Beauchamp Procter andSir Edward Guy Dawber.[27] It housed several species of reptile, includingJamaican boa,Philippine crocodiles,Annam leaf turtles,Fiji banded iguanas,northern caiman lizards,puff adders,king cobras andemerald tree boas. In December 2012, a refurbished amphibian section was opened to the public, displaying amphibians such asChinese giant salamanders,axolotls,African bullfrogs,Lake Oku clawed frogs,White's tree frogs and various types ofpoison dart frog.[44] A new Reptile House, titled "The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians",[45] opened in Easter 2024.[46]
Giants of the Galápagos was opened in 2009 to coincide with the 200th birthday ofCharles Darwin,[47] and is home to three femaleGalápagos giant tortoises named Dolly, Polly and Priscilla. It includes a large indoor area with a heated pond andunderfloor 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.
London Zoo'sKomodo dragon enclosure was opened bySir David Attenborough in July 2004.[48] 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 2012James Bond filmSkyfall.[49] A new male dragon called Ganas (one of theparthenogenic hatchlings fromChester 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.[50] The house also displays ayellow-headed water monitor in a separate enclosure.
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, includingwestern honey bees,leafcutter ants,emperor scorpions,golden orb weavers,Madagascar orb weavers,Mexican redknee tarantulas,bird-eating spiders,desert locusts,moon jellyfish,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, thefen raft spider,[51] as well asgolden orb weavers.
Penguin Beach opened on 26 May 2011 and housesHumboldt penguins. A single malenorthern rockhopper penguin named Ricky also lived there until he was moved toWhipsnade Zoo in March 2017.[52] The pool itself is the largest penguin pool containing penguins in an English zoo.[53]
Opened in March 2015, In with the Lemurs is a walk-through exhibit housing a group ofring-tailed lemurs,narrow-striped mongooses,aye-ayes andgrey mouse lemurs, with the latter two species living in a nocturnal section.[54] The exhibit is designed to resemble a shrub forest inMadagascar, featuring plant life such asloquat andChusan palm trees.
Opened by comediansNoel Fielding andJulian Barratt ofThe Mighty Boosh in 2005,[55] Meet the Monkeys is a walk-through enclosure that houses a troop ofblack-capped squirrel monkeys. The exhibit has no roof, and there are no boundaries between the monkeys and the visitors. It is the southernmost enclosure in the zoo.[56]
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.[57] Species on display include theclipper butterfly,blue morpho butterfly,atlas moth,zebra longwing,glasswing butterfly andpostman butterfly.[10] The exhibit also features acaterpillar hatchery and a pupa display cabinet, where visitors can witness different types of pupae and the development of new butterflies.[58]
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.[59] It is a walk-through exhibit housing various species of birds includingwaldrapp ibises,Abdim's storks,great arguses,emerald doves, andscarlet ibises.[59][60]
The Blackburn Pavilion is a rainforest-themed tropical bird aviary that opened in March 2008 as a refurbishment of the zoo's outdated birdhouse.[61] 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, includingblue-crowned laughingthrushes,collared trogons,Socorro doves,red-crested turacos,splendid sunbirds andred-and-yellow barbets. Outside the entrance is one of the pavilion's prominent features, a large elaborate clock byTim Hunkin.[62] It gives a bird-themed display every thirty minutes throughout the day.[63]
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 anorthern white-cheeked gibbon, and the other is a hybrid species. They were initially housed in the Gorilla Kingdom.
The Meerkats and Otters exhibit, previously known as "Happy Families", consists of two enclosures. One enclosure is home toAsian small-clawed otters, while the other enclosure housesmeerkats. The meerkats have since moved to another part of the zoo, with them being replaced bydwarf mongooses. There is also a third enclosure, housingKirk's dik-diks. The exhibit was initially designed to accommodatemeerkats,otters,European forest reindeer andGoeldi's monkeys. However, the reindeer (who lived in the dik-dik paddock) were relocated toWhipsnade Zoo, and the monkeys were transferred to the zoo's Rainforest Life building.
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 housesgreater flamingoes, and the other is home toEastern white pelicans.
Other notable animals in London Zoo's collection includeBactrian camels,military macaws,hyacinth macaws,blue-throated macaws andDarwin's frogs.
The zoo's north bank, north of the canal, formerly housed the bird incubation and rearing unit. The area is currently undeveloped.
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.[64] This started with a grant from theNational Lottery Heritage Fund to convert theSnowdon Aviary to acolobus monkey enclosure.[65] The scheme was successful and was later extended to allow anyone who received certainbenefits to buy tickets for £3,[66] 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.[65]
As of February 2023[update] 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.[65]
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 largegrizzly bear, the first in Britain, moved to the zoo with many other animals from theRoyal Menagerie, Tower of London when it was closed in 1832.[67][68]
The zoo was home to the only livingquagga ever to be photographed before the species becameextinct in the wild due to hunting insouthern Africa in about 1870. Other now extinct species the zoo once held were thethylacine, theFalkland Islands Wolf, a pair ofpink headed ducks, somePassenger pigeons, theBubal hartebeest, theSyrian wild ass, theNorthern Sumatran rhinoceros, theJavan tiger, theSchomburgk's deer, thePinta Island tortoise, theCaspian tiger, theGlaucous macaw, as well as theendlings of thenorfolk kaka, thePartula turgida snail, and theSanta Lucian Pilorie.[69]
Obaysch was the firsthippopotamus 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 theOttoman Viceroy of Egypt in exchange for some greyhounds and deerhounds. Obaysch led to a doubling of the zoo's visitors that year.[70]
In 1865,Jumbo, the largestelephant known at the time, was transferred to the zoo fromJardin des Plantes in Paris. His name, possibly fromJambo,Swahili forhello, became an epithet for anything of large size, such asBoeing's747Jumbo jet. Jumbo became a crowd favourite due to his size, and would give rides to children on his back, including those ofQueen 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.[71] He was sold toPhineas Barnum's circus, theBarnum & Bailey Circus, in 1882, where he was later crushed by alocomotive and killed.[72]
Winnipeg the Bear (or Winnie) was anAmerican black bear given to the zoo in 1914 by a Canadianlieutenant,Harry Colebourn.A. A. Milne visited with his sonChristopher Robin, and the boy was so enamoured with the bear Milne wrote the famous series of books for him entitledWinnie-the-Pooh.[69][73] A 2004 film,A Bear Named Winnie, is based on the story of Winnie the bear, withMichael Fassbender playing Harry Colebourn.[74]
Mo Koundje ('Mok'), awestern lowland gorilla, was purchased by the zoo in 1932. A new gorilla house was designed for him byBerthold Lubetkin. Mok died ofBright's disease in 1938. His skeleton and skin were purchased byLeeds Museums and Galleries and are on display in Leeds, UK atLeeds City Museum andLeeds Discovery Centre.[75]
Guy, awestern lowland gorilla, arrived at the zoo onGuy 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.[76] After years of trying to find a mate, in 1969 five-year-old Lomie arrived fromChessington 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 abronze statue in Barclay Court, sculpted byWilliam Timym.[76]
Dumbo (born 1948) was a femaleIndian elephant who resided at London Zoo during the 1950s and was renowned for her fondness for sweets.[77] 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.[78] Dumbo was named after theeponymous Disney character because she was the first elephant to travel by aeroplane. In 1958, she was transferred toMoscow Zoo in return for four endangeredsnow leopards.[79] At some point between 1962 and 1971, Dumbo was acquired by circus performerDolly Jacobs, but by 1978 she had been sold to Hollywood circus producer Paul V. Kaye and was living in California with three other elephants.[80]
On 27 November 1949,Brumas became the firstpolar 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.[69] Eighteen years later, on December 1, 1967, the zoo welcomed its second polar bear cub, a male. He was namedPipaluk (aGreenlandic Inuit feminine given name meaninglittle one orsweet little thing) but, in 1985, had to leave the zoo when the Mappin Terraces closed.
One of the zoo's most famousgiant pandas,Chi Chi, arrived in 1958. Although originally destined for an American zoo, Washington, D.C. had ceased all trade withcommunist 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.[17] As the only giant panda in the West, she was the inspiration for SirPeter Scott's design for theWorld Wildlife Fund logo.[81][82] In July 1972, Chi Chi died and was publicly mourned.[17] 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.[83]
On 31 January 1996, the last knownPartula turgida land snail named "Turgi" died in his habitat. For four days in late August 2005, the zoo ran an exhibit entitled theHuman zoo, which put eighthumans 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.[84][85]
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Since its earliest days, the zoo has prided itself on appointing leadingarchitects to design its buildings. Today, it holds two Grade I and eight Grade IIlisted structures.[86]
The initial grounds were laid out in 1828 byDecimus Burton, the zoo's first official architect from 1826 to 1841, made famous for his work on theLondon Colosseum andMarble Arch.[17] Burton's work began with the Clock Tower in 1828 above what was then the llama house, which today is the first aid kiosk.[86] 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 theSecond World War.[27] 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 theInto Africa exhibit.[27]
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,Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell andJohn 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 theRound House, designed byBerthold Lubetkin'sTecton Architectural Group to house gorillas, was one of the firstmodernist style buildings to be built in Britain. The following year thePenguin Pool also designed by Tecton, was opened; both now grade I listed.[87] The Modernist dual concrete spiral ramps of the Penguin Pool have made it famous as a piece of modern architecture, but in 2004 theAfrican penguins were moved out of the pool permanently following 'bumblefoot' infections in the birds caused by micro-abrasions from walking on the concrete.[88][89]
The Snowdon Aviary, built-in 1964 byCedric Price,Lord Snowdon andFrank Newby, made pioneering use ofaluminium andtension for support. A year later, the Casson Pavilion, designed by SirHugh Casson and Neville Conder, was opened as an elephant and rhinoceros house.[27] 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.[33]
Many of these buildings are available on a private hire basis for events,[90] 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.
Many films and television programmes have used London Zoo as a location for filming.[91]
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