Whipsnade Zoo has embarked on the colossal task of counting over 11,000 animals for their annual stocktake. From lions and tigers to bears and a chameleon named Peachy, every mammal, bird, reptile, fish, and invertebrate will be weighed and measured. However, not all of the zoo’s creatures are cooperative, so keepers have come up with clever tactics to entice them. For example, they “trick” penguins into walking over scales during their morning feed and coax camels onto giant weigh boards with tasty snacks. London Zoo will also conduct a similar stocktake later this week.
Some notable animals at Whipsnade Zoo in 2023 include European brown bears Minnie, Mana, and Naya, domestic Bactrian camel Oakley, blue-throated macaw Stilton, panther chameleon Peachy, giant red-legged millipede Tina, ring-tailed lemur Quaker, and spiny turtle Tyrone. During the weigh-in, Oakley and Stilton participated, along with the brown bears, who measured over 6 feet against giant rulers after being enticed with honey.
Zookeeper Tim Savage explained that the annual weigh-in is an opportunity to review and update the recorded information of all the animals at Whipsnade Zoo. With animals varying in personalities, creative tactics are used to entice them onto the scales. Lemurs, for example, are lured with sweetcorn, and honey is used to encourage the brown bears to stretch up against the rulers. The animals’ weights and measurements will be recorded in the Zoological Information Management System, a shared database utilized by London Zoo as well.
Beyond monitoring the animals’ wellbeing, weight checks and measurements aid in identifying pregnant creatures and provide essential information for their care and species conservation. Whipsnade Zoo houses more than 11,000 animals, including a herd of Asian elephants. In the previous year, the zoo celebrated the birth of Asian elephant calf Nang Phaya and reticulated giraffe calf Wilfred Owen. Additionally, critically endangered species like the Visayan warty piglet and various freshwater fish bred at the zoo’s conservation breeding center were added to the official records in 2022.
It is crucial to note that many of the animals at Whipsnade Zoo are part of conservation breeding programs due to their threatened status in the wild. The IUCN Red List designates species that require urgent action for conservation. Whipsnade Zoo’s efforts, along with shared data in the Zoological Information Management System, help in comparing vital information on thousands of threatened species and contribute to their protection.
In recent years, several species in the UK, including the Atlantic puffin, nightingale, long-tailed duck, and turtle dove, have been added to the Red List, highlighting the increasing need for conservation measures.
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