Arrr, the goodly folk at London Zoo be countin' their critters once a year, me hearties!
2024-01-03
Arrr, ye scurvy dogs! The London Zoo be commencin' its yearly tallying of beasts on Wednesday, makin' sure all 14,000 creatures be present to satisfy the blasted license requirements. A fine day fer countin' the menagerie, arrr!
In the language of a 17th century pirate, a sign was raised, summoning the creatures of the London Zoo to gather for their annual census. The Humboldt penguins, a group of 74, obediently lined up, awaiting their turn to be counted. However, not all the animals displayed such compliance.One mischievous character, Crispin, an endangered Sumatran tiger cub, took an unusual liking to a chalkboard. He playfully sank his powerful jaws into it, treating it like a delightful piece of catnip. Alongside him, three others were also being counted.
Over the course of two days, around 14,000 animals, ranging from alpacas to zebras, will be accounted for, as mandated by the zoo's license. The information gathered during this census will be shared with zoos worldwide in order to aid in the management of breeding programs for endangered species.
During the count, the zookeepers will also take note of the recent additions to their assortment of creatures. This year, they welcomed a charming little two-toed sloth and 17 chicks hatched in their birdhouse. Among these chicks were six Socorro doves, a species that is now extinct in the wild.
"The keepers have come prepared with a multitude of techniques to ensure an accurate count of these animals," stated Dan Simmonds, the zoological operations manager.
Among the zoo visitors involved in the census was Kim Carter, who successfully registered three Galapagos giant tortoises: Priscilla, Polly, and Dolly. Becca Keefe proudly added zebras Kabibi, Kianga, and Spot to the list. Meanwhile, Sam Aberdeen, lucky enough, had the opportunity to count a Seychelles giant millipede, with its numerous legs tightly wrapped around his hand.