04 January 2022

In Pictures: Count us in… animals look to help as zoo launches annual audit

04 January 2022

Penguins, monkeys and camels were amongst the first in line as ZSL London Zoo began its annual stocktake.

A zookeeper counts Humboldt penguins during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
Some of the penguins were curious about the stocktake (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
Let’s start again… The penguins made it more difficult by turning up all at once (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Each year, zookeepers armed with clipboards and calculators tally up every creature at the zoo.

Squirrel monkeys were keen to help the count (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
The monkeys show their maths skills (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
A squirrel monkey during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Asiatic lions were among those being tallied up by keepers at the zoo.

Asiatic lions at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
The annual stocktake caught the attention of the Asiatic lions (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
Some of the lions thought it was play time not the annual stocktake (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

The audit takes keepers almost a week to complete and the information is shared with other zoos around the world.

The camels arrived in pairs (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
Keeper Mick Tiley with bactrian camels during the annual stocktake (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

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