FOR
Meet London’s Zoo’s coolest gorilla
London Zoo’s latest arrival is made for the hunt, says Lead Reptile and Amphibian Keeper Daniel Kane.
“Mangshan vipers come from a single mountain range in a remote area of southern China, and we think there are just 500 left in the wild. They were only discovered 33 years ago, and there’s still so much we can learn from them. What we do know is that they make the perfect predator.
“To start with, Mangshan vipers are extremely venomous, and they’re excellent at both climbing and swimming – useful traits in damp, mountainous terrain. Their beautiful green scales blend in perfectly with the mossy, overgrown forests of the Mangshan mountains, making them very hard to spot. They even have heat-sensitive pits on their face, which help them detect small differences in temperature, perfect for spotting stationary prey. And the end of their tail is bright cream and blue – it’s thought that they use this to entice hungry birds or small mammals, looking for a tasty grub, into striking distance.”
Look out for the Mangshan viper in London Zoo’s Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians, opening this summer...
ZSL London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY
Tel: 020 7722 3333 zsl.org
Registered Charity No. 208728
For more information about Membership, please contact our supporter contact team on 0344 225 1826.
Editor: Jonathan Kemeys
Design: Suzie Black/Alliance Creative wildabout@zsl.org
With thanks this issue to: Unnar Aevarsson, Will Amlot, Jo Barker, Clare Bowers and family, Tina Campanella, Samantha Chalkley, Stephanie Deas, Gemma Dipple, Emma Edwards, Christina Finch, Hannah Fisk, James Ford, Matthew Gould, Jamie Gray, Charlotte Gurden, Joy Hadfield, Veronica Heldt, Glynn Hennessy, Mark Holden, Mark Howes, Suzi Hyde, Daniel Kane, Laura Laird, Kate McDonough, Vicki Sage, Sarah Tuck, Alastair Wilkinson.
Wild About is printed on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and contains elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre, which comes from well-managed forests. Your copy of the magazine is sent to you in a recyclable envelope.
Wild About is published three times a year and distributed to ZSL Gold Members and supporters. No part of Wild About may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without prior written permission from ZSL. ZSL cannot guarantee the return of unsolicited articles, photographs, etc. ZSL reserves the right to refuse an advertisement without explanation. ZSL does not necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised. When you have finished with this issue please recycle it or share
I’m delighted to be introducing this issue of Wild About as ZSL’s new Director General. It’s been a dream of mine for many years to work here. I’ve been visiting the Zoos since I was a child, and have brought my own children to both Zoos countless times. ZSL is the most fabulous organisation, doing important and brilliant work for wildlife, and it’s a huge privilege to lead it.
I’ve met many incredible people during my time here so far, from zookeepers and conservation experts, to scientists like Bryony Allen. Bryony is studying the best way to build eel passes, so we can make our rivers more accessible for these unusual creatures. Perhaps a story for another edition…
Of course, one of my favourite introductions since my arrival has been to our new silverback gorilla, Kiburi. We got along so well when I met him, it’s clear he didn’t see me as much of a rival to his alpha status. As you’ll read on page 14, he’s a pretty remarkable gorilla, and seems to get on with just about anyone.
Later this summer, we have the opening of The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians at London Zoo, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Conservation is at the heart of our work with reptiles and amphibians – a woefully understudied and
underfunded group of species – and our team is working to restore a number of species at the Zoos and in the wild. You’ll be able to learn about that work, and get up close with some really special animals too. That just leaves me to say how grateful I am for your support for ZSL, and how much I am looking forward to meeting you when you visit.
Thank you!
Matthew Gould, Director General, ZSLThere are two new troublemakers on Whipsnade’s otter island: meet Peanut (pictured) and his sister Pistachio the Asian short-clawed otters. Born on 24 October to first-time parents Carol and Ernie, the six-month-old balls of mischief are becoming more confident every day, says Zookeeper James Ford. “They seem to be most active in the afternoon, and we’ve recently spotted their parents giving them swimming lessons,” says James. “Their favourite food is roach, a type of freshwater fish. They were a bit fussy at first, but now they’re eating literally everything we give them, and particularly enjoy playing with the crayfish!”
Asian short-clawed otters are the smallest of all 13 otter species, weighing just 4.5kg (the giant river otter, found in Brazil, is six times the size). They live in rivers, marshes, rice paddies, coastlines and mangroves, and like to hunt crustaceans and fish (though they will also gobble up frogs, lizards and insects). They’re also a very vocal species –listen out for them squeaking to each other, and to their keepers, around dinner time!
Help our conservationists understand marine wildlife in Welsh waters – all from the comfort of your armchair (or bus seat, hammock or park bench). Download our free Instant Wild app to watch clips from submerged cameras along the Welsh coast and help our experts identify the species in each video. In 2021, experts from ZSL and Natural Resources Wales joined forces to create Project SIARC (‘shark’ in Welsh). So far they’ve proved that there is an important angelshark population in Wales (like the one pictured above), which could be using the region for reproduction. It’s also thought that Welsh waters could be home to other rare sharks, skates and rays. And if you fancy somewhere a bit drier, Instant Wild also has videos and photos from across the world – look out for tapir in Costa Rica, elephants in Kenya and brown bears in sites across Europe! Download the Instant Wild app for free on Google Play or visit instantwild.zsl.org
Keep your eyes peeled when you enter London Zoo’s Rainforest Life for 2023’s first zooborn, Nova the baby two-toed sloth. Nova was born on New Year’s Day and will spend the first year hugging tight onto mum Marilyn, developing the strong arm and leg muscles that sloths need for a life in the trees. Meaning the good news is that you just need to find mum and look out for a pair of eyes peering out from her tummy. Telling if a sloth is male or female is very tricky – there is almost no visible difference between the two! – so we won’t know until we’ve sent some of Nova’s hair for DNA analysis.
We know what you’re thinking, ‘Christmas was months ago’! Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten what month it is, but we can’t get enough of Tadeo the Visayan warty pig. This humbug-striped snuffler (whose favourite food is sweetcorn) was born at Whipsnade Zoo over the winter, and his fetching hair pattern is actually a cunning camouflage technique to protect him from predators. He will gradually lose his stripes, but thankfully we get to enjoy them for another six months. Visayan warty pigs are from the Philippines and Tadeo means ‘Praise’ in Filipino. They are actually Critically Endangered, so his birth is also a huge success for the species.
Way out in the Indian Ocean, on the island of Mauritius, our zookeepers have been working to save one of the world’s rarest birds of prey. Bird keepers Suzi Hyde from London Zoo and Samantha Chalkley from Whipsnade Zoo journeyed 12 hours by plane to support the conservation of the Mauritius kestrel, a species that once fell to as few as four individuals! There are now around 350 wild Mauritius kestrels, but the population is still very fragile, so bird experts from ZSL visit Mauritius each year to help the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation’s recovery programme.
Suzi and Samantha’s job was to help collect kestrel eggs from wild nests on the island and raise the chicks by hand – a technique that ensures far more kestrels survive to adulthood. “Once the rainy season ends, the kestrels start to breed – and that’s when we know it’s time to travel to Mauritius!” explains Samantha. “We climb high up to the nest boxes where we know the kestrels are nesting, carefully collect the eggs and transport them to the specially built aviaries.”
Once the eggs hatch, Suzi and Samantha are on hand around the clock to feed the chicks. “We fed the chicks four times a day. Like all young birds, they are very noisy before eating, but would soon settle down with full little bellies,” says Suzi. “The speed at which they grow from helpless chicks into juvenile birds of prey is astonishing!” When the chicks are large enough they’re transported to new nest boxes so they can finish fledging and learn to hunt for themselves.
“This year, chicks we raised to adulthood in 2019 were even seen starting their own family,” says Sam. “It’s really special, and proof that our help is working!”
Looking at little Nang Phaya, it’s hard to imagine her as a three-tonne giant. Elephant Keeper Jamie Gray takes us on Phaya’s gargantuan journey from tiny calf to, one day, head of the herd!
“The world is a dangerous place for a baby elephant and, just like zebras or antelope, they’re quickly up and about after birth. Nang Phaya was walking in four minutes – which really puts us humans to shame! Just like any small animal, putting on weight is the most important thing for their survival. Elephant milk is extremely rich, and Phaya can’t get enough; she’s adding at least a kilogram every day. She was born weighing 113kg in September, and she’s already close to 350kg now.
“Unlike many animals, elephant calves enjoy the protection of a humongous herd. This means that they can enjoy a kind of ‘childhood’ – a bit like a human. Phaya is incredibly playful and, if she’s not with mum, she’s normally chasing or wrestling with her
350 kg
aunt Beth. It’s an important time for learning how to be an elephant too. For example, baby elephants are born with almost no control of their trunk, and Phaya has spent weeks training her trunk to pick up objects. She discovered that she can use her trunk as a trumpet recently, which has been hilarious to watch.
“There’s not much that beats having a baby elephant at the Zoo, but it’s not just keepers and our visitors who love her – Phaya’s arrival has also been really important for the herd. Just like a human family, Phaya’s birth has brought all of the elephants together to bond. Lucha, another female elephant in the herd, has particularly taken to Phaya, and will often take over parental duties to give mum, Donna, a break.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Baby elephants sometimes eat their mum’s dung. It contains useful gut bacteria, which is essential for breaking down bark.
“Elephants hit adolescence around eight years old and can be considered ‘teenagers’ right into their mid-20s (just like some humans). It’s a time when elephants will start to test their strength against others in the herd and build confidence in their own abilities. Confidence is really important in the elephant world and can make the difference between an elephant becoming a leader or remaining a more junior member of the herd.
“Beth, Phaya’s playmate and auntie, is approaching adolescence, and she’s almost two tonnes already –that’s roughly the same weight as 10 adult brown bears. It’s still quite a way behind our adult elephants, but as she gets older and stronger she’ll start to spar and play fight with the adults.
“Around this age, male elephants tend to leave their family herd and venture off on their own. It might sound a bit lonely, but it’s a natural process for all male elephants. They will often join another group of male elephants and, once old enough, they will find their own herd of female elephants to mate with.”
Elephant trunks are formed of around 100,000 tendons and muscles, making them the most dexterous noses on the planet!
Officially, there are 30-40,000 Asian elephants left in the wild, though most experts agree that these figures are out of date and the real number is likely to be far lower. Asian elephants like to live in dense jungle and forest, but their habitat is shrinking every day, and many herds are starting to run out of room. Our conservationists are working in Thailand (home to one of the largest remaining elephant populations) and Nepal to protect Asian elephants. Our projects often begin by assessing how many elephants are in the area – sometimes by using camera traps, or by surveying elephant signs (such as dung) – and then petitioning local government for better protection. Elephants can be dangerous for the communities they live alongside, causing damage to crops and property, so we also work closely with local people to find solutions, such as elephant-proof fencing and early warning systems.
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Elephants have six sets of teeth during their lifetime. When one set wears out, another set of teeth moves up to replace them!
“By her mid-20s, Nang Phaya will have reached three or even four tonnes – twice the weight of our bull giraffe Bashu! Her father, Ming Jung, is huge, even for a male Asian elephant (a whopping 4.5 tonnes), and we’re hoping Phaya might take after her dad and grow into a really large elephant.
“Unlike males, female elephants stay with their family for their entire adulthood, learning from each other and caring for each other’s calves. Nang Phaya will be with her grandmother Kaylee and mum Donna for life. And unlike her father, who has a magnificent pair of tusks, female Asian elephants develop something called
4000 kg
‘tushes’. They look like small tusks poking out of their mouths, and they can be useful for stripping bark from trees, but they’re not made from ivory and are much more brittle.
“It’s incredibly rewarding working with adult elephants as they’re so quick to master anything we teach them – for the purpose of their health checks, for example. This could include letting us take blood draws from behind their ears (where the skin is thinnest) or presenting their feet for weekly pedicures (healthy feet are very important for the world’s heaviest land animal). Our female elephants even allow us to ultrasound them, so we can monitor their pregnancies.”
“If Nang Phaya becomes a matriarch one day, she’ll have to earn her place as head of the herd. Size and age are a big deal in the elephant world, but so are confidence and attitude. Sometimes the matriarch might not be the biggest, or even the oldest, but she’ll have the biggest personality and the confidence to unite the herd under her.
“The matriarch is a disciplinarian, and you might see Kaylee being a bit tough on Phaya if she gets too playful. But if a predator approaches the herd, it’s the matriarch who leads her herd in creating a defensive ring around the calves, and will be the first one to charge a threat.
“One of the biggest roles the matriarch plays is deciding when to move to a new territory. Knowing where the best food and water spots are is crucial to the survival of the herd and, to help them remember where to go, elephants have an incredible memory. We’ve even seen it in action at Whipsnade Zoo. If a retired zookeeper comes back for a visit, even years later, the herd will instantly recognise them and rush over to say hello.”
A long-time lover of Whipsnade Zoo, Sarah Tuck received a ZSL membership for her 50th birthday from her sons. A year later she became a volunteer at Whipsnade, and hasn’t looked back.
“As soon as I drive through the Zoo gates, you forget about everything,” says Sarah. “My sons and husband walk the dog on a Sunday, or watch the football, but it’s the Zoo I head to for my escapism.”
Sarah works in market research and is in charge of organising teams of researchers for several large companies. “I know I should have a separate work phone, but I don’t seem to work like that. So it means I can be on call 24-7! It can get a bit stressful sometimes.”
As a volunteer, Sarah’s role is to help guide visitors during their day at the Zoo. That can mean greeting visitors at the entrance and helping them to plan their day, or standing at enclosures ready to talk to visitors about the animals. Volunteers move between hour-long slots at different spots around the Zoo, and usually get to pick one spot of their own each day.
“Nine times out of ten, I pick elephants,” laughs Sarah. “Elephants are my absolute favourite. They’re just such gentle, intelligent souls. I could watch Nang Phaya for hours!”
Sarah is quick to add that she loves all animals, but admits it wasn’t always this way. “I used to be someone who would look at a vulture and say ‘ergh’. Since becoming a member, and then
a volunteer, I started to learn about them, and quickly realised that they’re fascinating. Without vultures, who would dispose of other dead animals, and stop disease spreading?
JOIN US
Fancy joining Sarah and becoming a volunteer, or want to take a sponsored challenge for ZSL? Find out how at zsl.org/support-us
“I’ve learnt so much about species I didn’t even know about, like pangolins,” she says. “One of the ones I like to visit is the marabou storks – they’re a bit out of the way, so I always point them out to visitors. You also start to learn how few of some animals there are in the wild, like Amur tigers, and how precious the animals we have in the Zoo are.”
Even on days when Sarah visits as just a member, she says that she finds it hard to switch off. “If I hear someone asking about an animal, I can’t resist offering help or telling them about the animal. As a volunteer, you feel a sense of achievement when you’ve helped someone enjoy their day. I get to feel like I’m making my own small difference, helping people to understand and appreciate wildlife better.
“And of course, there’s nothing better than telling a visitor that we have a baby elephant at our Zoo and watching their face light up!”
We want to hear more of your stories! Get in touch at wildabout@zsl.org to share your experience of being a member.
“If I hear someone asking about an animal, I can’t resist jumping in.”
WHIPSNADE ZOO
31 MARCH - 9 MAY
This Easter at Whipsnade Zoo enjoy a Pip and Posy activity trail for the whole family! Plus, on selected dates Gold Members, Fellows and Patrons will be able to meet Pip and Posy for photos and cuddles. Pip and Posy is an award-winning preschool TV series available on Milkshake! and Sky Kids.
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LONDON ZOO 1-16 APRIL
Riddlers and map readers, we need you! Someone (we’re looking at you Easter Bunny) has smuggled giant Easter eggs into the Zoo. Not only that, but they’ve also left clues to the location of a giant golden egg – can you help us crack the code? Learn fascinating facts about our egg-laying animals along the way and test your knowledge in our game of Scrambled Eggs.
LONDON ZOO SUMMER
Cue the Jurassic Park soundtrack, our latest exhibit
The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians is opening this summer. Get up close with living descendants of dinosaurs and learn about their incredible abilities – from colour changing chameleons, and frogs that turn their dinner into deadly poison, to cannibal cobras. You’ll even meet new additions, like the mysterious Mangshan viper (p2).
Hurray, sunshine is back! How we’ve missed you. We’ve got the perfect events to help you and the family break out of hibernation this spring. And don’t forget to put these dates in your diary so you don’t miss out – and keep an eye on member emails for updates on timings
Tear me out and stick me next to your calendar or on the fridge
WHIPSNADE ZOO
27 MAY - 4 JUNE
(trail continues until 2 July)
Can you take the Top Trumps crown this half-term? Pick up your super Top Trumps card at the gate and journey around the Zoo, pitting your own card against the real animals you visit in categories like speed, lifespan, cute factor and more. Enjoy themed talks about our featured animals’ top traits, plus pick up a new Top Trumps card each visit and see if you can collect all four!
WHIPSNADE ZOO FROM APRIL
We have the perfect present for the train-lover in your life – the Whipsnade Zoo Footplate Experience. They’ll ride the footplate on one of our beautiful steam engines, Excelsior or Superior, and steam past amazing Asian elephants, domestic Bactrian camels and greater one-horned rhinos. They’ll even be able to ask our expert driver and fireman all of their burning questions about the Great Whipsnade Railway. And, best of all, Gold Members, Fellows and Patrons get 10% off! whipsnadezoo.org/experiences
LONDON AND WHIPSNADE ZOOS VARIOUS DATES
Every day is animal appreciation day at our Zoos, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give them a bit more love on special days of the year. Join us at London Zoo for Giraffe Day (21 June) or Whipsnade Zoo to celebrate National Insect Week (19-25 June). Activities include talks, enrichment making, arts and crafts and storytelling sessions. Keep an eye on our websites for more animal appreciation days throughout the year.
At 2.5m tall, Wilfred is almost taller than the world’s tallest living human (Sultan Kösen, 2.51m), but by adulthood he will be over five metres . That means adult giraffes can reach the leaves other herbivores can only dream of (and could look into your bedroom window if they wanted to)!
Giraffes have a reputation for being gentle giants, but underneath their graceful exterior is an animal that’s perfectly evolved to thrive in their savannah habitat. Let’s take a look at what will make our young calf Wilfred the perfect giraffe!
Male giraffes use their long necks to fight each other for the right to mate with females. The technique is called necking , and involves whipping their long necks and heads at each other. It might look violent, but the fights are rarely dangerous and end when one male concedes and walks away.
It’s not just their necks that are long! Wilfred’s tongue will grow to 50cm long (that’s longer than the average pet cat). Thankfully pet cats have nothing to fear, giraffes use their ultralong tongues to grasp leaves from the highest of branches.
Giraffes have some of largest eyes in the animal kingdom. The position of the eyes on the side of their heads means that Wilfred can see forward, watch where his feet are stepping and see behind himself –all at the same time!
Wilfred
Wilfred might look cute now but one day he’ll weigh over a tonne, and will need to eat up to 45kg of leaves a day. That’s like munching more than a hundred plates of broccoli! Giraffes spend a lot of their time chewing and digest their food like cows. They chew the leaves once, swallow, partially digest them in their stomachs and then regurgitate the leaves all the way back up their neck to chew them again.
A long neck and legs means that Wilfred requires a huge heart to pump blood around his body. Giraffe hearts pump blood up to five times harder than human hearts, and their arteries and veins are reinforced to withstand the pressure.
Giraffes are habitat changers , and play a very important role in the environment. They spread seeds throughout their territory in their dung. And by going from tree-to-tree and flower-to-flower, they help to pollinate the savannah’s plant life.
Huge eyes and unparalleled height makes the giraffe a valuable asset for other animals hoping to avoid becoming dinner. Research shows that zebras will relax when there is a giraffe nearby, knowing that the giraffe will spot any predators approaching and let the rest of the herd know!
GIRAFFE (Giraffa reticulata) FACT
VULNERABLE
Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa
STATUS:
FOUND:
Reticulated giraffe
SPECIES:
Leaves, branches, fruit, flowers and occasionally dried meat from the bones of carcasses
DIET:
Illegal hunting, deforestation and drought due to climate change
THREATS:
Giraffes have a reputation for being beautiful but quick to scare and not particularly clever. There is some truth to this –despite being so large, adult giraffes are occasionally attacked by lions, and only half of giraffe calves survive to adulthood, which does make giraffes naturally wary and quick to take flight. However, scientists are also learning that female giraffes form tight family bonds, a bit like elephant herds, and will grieve when they lose a calf.
Kiburi the Western lowland gorilla arrived at London Zoo this winter. First impressions: he’s the coolest of cucumbers, says zookeeper Glynn Hennessy
Broad chested, built like a heavyweight and with the strength of ten men, Kiburi might look like an intimidating figure. But nothing could be further from the truth, says Glynn Hennessy, Lead Primate Keeper at London Zoo.
“I knew as soon as I met him – this silverback isn’t like any other I’ve encountered,” says Glynn. “When you’ve been working with gorillas a long time, you start to know what to look out for. ‘Is he going to be confident, noisy, or even standoffish?’ I thought to myself while travelling to meet him ahead of his big move. But I was greeted by a gorilla lying on his back, legs in the air, totally chilled and eating a piece of fruit. He didn’t bat an eyelid at me.”
Kiburi has also met London Zoo’s other young male, Gernot. The keeper team are taking this relationship slowly, allowing them to build a bond slowly, but all of their introductions have gone well. “All of the signs are good,” says Glynn. “Young gorillas have a small white tuft of hair, a bit like a bunny tail, and Gernot’s is still just visible. We think that this will help Kiburi to know he’s still a very young gorilla, and no threat to him. Ultimately, we hope that Kiburi will be a role model for Gernot.”
Silverback gorillas are the top dogs of their troop for a reason – they’re the biggest and the strongest. And if they’re intimidated by a stranger, they’re not afraid of asserting their dominance, charging around and beating their chest to show who’s boss. Male gorillas even give off a heavy musk scent – a heady cocktail of pheromones designed to alert other gorillas – when they want to tell everyone else to back down. “There has been none of that from Kiburi!” says Glynn.
The team put this down to his calm confidence. “He’s so self-assured that he knows he doesn’t need to react.” It may also be the relaxed lifestyle on Tenerife rubbed off on him; until his move to London Zoo, Kiburi lived in a bachelor group with other male gorillas at the Spanish island’s Loro Parque Zoo.
Since moving to London Zoo, Kiburi has had to contend with Gorilla Kingdom’s three females – Mjukuu, Effie and Alika. “It’s the first time he’s met adult female gorillas since he was young, but he’s taken it all in his stride.” The females haven’t been quite so composed though, says Glynn. “The girls are very excited by him. When we first introduced him to them, we did it through a wire mesh as a precaution. The girls all wanted to get a good look at him, and there was a bit of squabbling for the best spot. Meanwhile, Kiburi was like the best poker player you’ve ever seen, giving nothing away!”
Glynn also hopes that Kiburi will mate with Mjukuu, our dominant female, and have young gorillas of his own. Gorillas are Critically Endangered, and any birth will be a huge celebration for their species, as well as this young gorilla family. “A youngster is a hugely positive bonding process for any gorilla troop, bringing together the whole group to care for the baby.”
Kiburi’s laidback attitude is sure to stand him in good stead for the pressures of fatherhood!
“I knew as soon as I met him – this silverback isn’t like any other I’ve encountered.”
Our females have been really excited by Kiburi’s arrival, and they’re slowly building a relationship with him. Watch out for them sneaking closer to him when he’s taking a nap
SPECIES: Western lowland mountain gorilla
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gorilla gorilla gorilla
WEIGHT: 180kg
HEIGHT: 5 foot 10 inches
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 June 2004
FAVOURITE FOOD: Peppers and sweet potato
FAVOURITE ACTIVITY: Napping (or eating)
Silverback gorillas grow large ridges of bone on top of the heads. It’s known as a ‘sagittal crest’, and it helps their skulls support extra-strong neck and jaw muscles. It’s a feature gorillas share with some reptiles, and even extinct dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Calling all detectives and animal experts, our zookeepers need your help sorting fact from fiction. There are many myths about the animal kingdom, can you tell which ones are real?
Let’s start with an easy one: elephants aren’t really scared of mice. But they are scared of another small animal – bees! In Africa, some farmers have even started to keep honeybees around their farms, to stop elephants stealing their crops and damaging their homes. Can you help our young calf, Nang Phaya, navigate her way around the bees to her favourite food, bananas?
JOKE Question: What sound do porcupines make when they kiss?
Answer: Ouch!
OK, are you ready? These ones are a bit harder! One true fact has got mixed in with the bag of myths. Can you circle the correct fact, and cross out the myths?
Goldfish have three-second memories Camels store water in their humps
JOKE Question:What do you call a bear with no ears?
Answer: B!
4. Myth! Bats can see, and some bats can see as well as humans. Many bats hunt at night, when it’s too dark to see, so they use echolocation instead to find their dinner.
Elephants never forget
3 4
1 2 Bats are blind
3. True! Elephants have the largest brain of all land animals and extremely long memories, great for remembering the best food and water spots.
2. Myth! Camels can go an extraordinarily long time without drinking, but they actually store fat in their hump. They can use the fat for energy if they can’t find enough food.
It’s even possible to train fish to perform simple tasks.
1. Myth! Many fish, including goldfish, can retain memories for several months or even years.
Contrary to popular myth, some cats actually love water! Tigers, like our Sumatran tiger cubs Zac and Crispin, will head to their favourite waterhole to play and cool down in the summer months, just like humans. In the wild, tigers live in wet and marshy jungles, so they regularly have to swim across rivers and will even hunt aquatic animals, like small crocodiles. Most animals know how to swim, but large apes, like gorillas, will do anything to avoid crossing water!
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Aevarsson followed his dream and found a home at London Zoo. He reveals what life is like working alongside the amazing animals who will soon move to the Zoo’s new Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians.
I went on holiday to Portugal, at nine years old, and saw a frog for the first time. I grew up in Iceland, where there are no native reptiles or amphibians – it’s even illegal to keep reptiles as pets! So this frog, surrounded by eggs and tadpoles, just looked so weird and exciting to me. When I got back to Iceland I started going to the library and reading a tonne about them.
As soon as I started caring for my own fish and amphibians. It began when I was 10, with a White’s tree frog I called Wilson. They don’t do much during the day, so I would wake up at night to watch him. But it wasn’t until I was in my twenties, after training as a car mechanic (which turned out not to be for me), that I decided I needed to leave home and follow my dreams. I came to London, undertook
a degree in zoology, and started volunteering at London Zoo in my spare time. Eventually I was given an apprenticeship!
Is our Philippine water monitor, Yella (above). She’s exceptionally clever and inquisitive, and they make incredible predators. Water monitors can use their forked tongues to smell food from miles away, and once they’ve got the scent almost nothing can stand in their way. They’re fast, powerful, great climbers and swimmers, and have excellent eyesight. They even have venom properties in their saliva! Nothing is off the menu for them either – water monitors will eat just about anything, from birds, crustaceans, to smaller lizards, eggs, and even rotting meat.
Is going to be such an exciting visual experience for visitors. The stateof-the-art environmental equipment means we’ve be able to recreate habitats and climates from around the world like never before. The size of the enclosures in The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians are epic, and mean we’ll be able to breed species that we haven’t before, such as the Critically Endangered Chinese giant salamander. And we have several new species, including the Mangshan viper from China and the panther chameleon
from Madagascar, which are very exciting to work with.
What incredible predators they make, and the challenge of working with animals that have such a dangerous reputation. Snake venom is fascinating, but few people realise how important venom has been to medicine. Those with high blood pressure might be familiar with the medicine captopril, which was developed using snake venom. Scientists have also discovered that gila monster venom could have memory enhancing properties, and are exploring its use in treating diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Even better than I expected. It’s easily the best job in the world, no doubt. I wake up every morning, motivated to care for these animals. But it’s not just about looking after them; at London Zoo we do so much research into the best way to care for our animals, so that we can help conservationists around the world successfully breed and reintroduce rare species. I feel like I can really make a difference here, and this is one of my favourite parts of the job.
Being a zookeeper is easily the best job in the world, no doubt.
Bring a little piece of the Zoos home with you with our zoo-themed treats – from cuddly toys, to homeware, to build-your-own-safari kits! All profits go towards the care of our Zoo animals and supporting our conservationists working in the wild.
shop.zsl.org
Take home your very own Nang Phaya the elephant or Kiburi the gorilla for the ultimate bedtime buddy from £20
Zoo detectives, we need you! An animal has escaped and it’s your job to interpret the clues and figure out who! from £20
Reduce your plastic waste and save our oceans in style by choosing our reusable water bottle and snack boxes from £12
WONDER IN WILTOPIA
Journey into the Wiltopia wilderness! Build your own animal rescue squad, jungle research tower or rainforest nightlight from £28
BINGO!
Gold Members can grab 10% discount in our shops and on experiences using code WALLABY10
Discover fascinating and beautiful jungle creatures in this animalthemed take on the classic game of luck £16.99
Our travel pillow and eye mask sets are perfect for little heads who struggle to drop off on long journeys £15
Fuzzy is hungry and needs your help! Feed this cute critter thirty colourful acorns in this fast paced, interactive game £20
Our adorable softball is covered in your favourite zoo animals and perfect for little hands learning coordination £4
