ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2025

[StoppableSan]

As a silly American, who has been to London Zoo three times in a week last year, nobody needs to know what I think much, but adding to the chorus that this master plan feels bonkers. The 'Oceans' zone shows penguins, but the Penguin Pool is in African Savannah, as is the Indian-themed Land of the Lions and the non-themed Blackburn Pavilion and Tiny Giants. It feels so nuts to re-theme near the entire main zoo on Africa and the canals on Asia when so much of the main zoo is already very Asian-themed in concept and well-executed. The lion and tiger themed zones and Komodo dragon exhibit are fantastic as they are and already do a great job simulating Asia. Getting rid of the Clore would also be a silly, ill-minded decision. These are major strengths that should be leaned in towards, not against.

I'd love for London to build a new Savannah habitat to better accommodate giraffe and hopefully a mixed species, but this doesn't feel like the right route to do it, and feels like betraying a lot of what the zoo is already doing well to get there.

To be fair, I do think this is more of a "proof of concept" - a lot of master plans usually highlight projects that are within reach or moreso overarching goals. For example, Woodland Park's 1976 Master Plan would have had all these different biomes, but only the gorilla exhibits, tropical primate islands (first Sulawesi crested macaque and lion-tailed macaque, now red-ruffed lemur and ring-tailed lemur), African Savanna, Swamp and Marsh aviaries got built from that before the zoo ended up deviating heavily from the 1976 layout with subsequent projects. Similarly, London Zoo had this master plan, from the link here:
Meet the Monkeys, London Zoo | Proctor & Matthews Architects



This one they've mostly kept to, save for In With the Lemurs adjoining Into Africa/the Clore and the Mappins being used for the Outback. Carnivores and People eventuated into Land of the Lions, South East Asia eventuated into Tiger Territory, African Rainforest became Gorilla Kingdom, etc. London deviated from this Master Plan when the necessity came for SLoRA, Giants of the Galapagos and Monkey Valley, and may well continue to do so with a new African Savanna area.

 

[cornu aspersum]

but the Penguin Pool is in African Savannah

That caught me out too but I think that's actually the Lubetkin Pool, so probably won't be housing any penguins.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Three additional Socorro Doves have arrived from Lagos Zoo, Portugal. They join the zoo’s six other doves. Two additional doves arrived from Portugal as well and are due to move to Chester: Three Extinct-in-the-Wild doves join the Zoo | London Zoo

 

[JVM]

To be fair, I do think this is more of a "proof of concept" - a lot of master plans usually highlight projects that are within reach or moreso overarching goals.

I definitely understand this, and have watched ambitious master plans fail right here at home, but during the early stages I expect it to still be used as a guide for a few projects. Who knows what's next after the Gorilla Kingdom renovation?

 

[Dassie rat]

Some of you may be interested that this week's 'Book at Bedtime' is 'Turtle Diary', set in London Zoo (Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban - Episode 1 - BBC Sounds)

 

[DesertRhino150]

Went for a visit to London Zoo today. Not a lot of actual news of note, but these are some things I did notice:

• In the reptile and amphibian house, the mountain chickens have gone off-show.
• In the breeding room behind the rhinoceros ratsnakes, I did notice one of the rear tanks had a tiny freshwater turtle inside it - wondering if it might be a hatchling Vietnamese pond turtle.
• In Tiny Giants, I noticed that the deathwatch beetles are now signed and on-display. They are in the tank opposite where the golden weaver ants lived (their tank is still empty and blocked off). Their enclosure is basically a wooden model ship - I imagine it will be difficult to see the beetles themselves, and instead will just show their effects on the model.
• Had a great visit to Nightlife - saw all the animals except for the giant rats and the tree shrew. With regards to the latter, everything I have found suggests that this species is mostly diurnal (quite a few places in the UK keep them outdoors) - has anyone actually seen it?

 

[Ned]

Had a great visit to Nightlife - saw all the animals except for the giant rats and the tree shrew. With regards to the latter, everything I have found suggests that this species is mostly diurnal (quite a few places in the UK keep them outdoors)

I've seen tree shrew in city parks in both Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur during the day so you're probably right.

 

[Maguari]

• Had a great visit to Nightlife - saw all the animals except for the giant rats and the tree shrew. With regards to the latter, everything I have found suggests that this species is mostly diurnal (quite a few places in the UK keep them outdoors) - has anyone actually seen it?

The tree shrew is also the only species I've never seen in the mammal house at Cannon Hall Farm - another nocturnal exhibit. I'm inclined to think that they are a bit too diurnal for a nocturnal display really.

 

[Stygi]

Hoping to visit soon, was wondering where in the zoo the Darwins frogs are?

 

[DesertRhino150]

Hoping to visit soon, was wondering where in the zoo the Darwins frogs are?

On entering the zoo through the main entrance, go down the straight path along the right-hand-side of the old Reptile House (which is basically opposite the entrance). On the right side of this path, after the toilets, there is a window for viewing into the Darwin's frog breeding room.

 

[tennisfan]

Today's map at entrance

 

[Max Blundell]

Today's map at entrance
View attachment 767004

Nice to see the Warthogs have finally been added to the map (shame the Babirusa are still not on it though). It also looks like the Chinese Water Deer icon has now been replaced with a new Dik Dik icon, I am yet to see them as the exhibit was blocked off earlier this month.

 

[Kalaw]

Today's map at entrance
View attachment 767004

Only just realised upon seeing this that the Eastern Aviary is included in the new Gorilla Kingdom renovations. Does anyone have any information as to why this could be, as I don’t recall it having been reported on in the past? I certainly hope the aviary and the pathway in front of it remain, as they are immensely charming and peaceful, almost always being my first stop on London Zoo visits.

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

Only just realised upon seeing this that the Eastern Aviary is included in the new Gorilla Kingdom renovations. Does anyone have any information as to why this could be, as I don’t recall it having been reported on in the past? I certainly hope the aviary and the pathway in front of it remain, as they are immensely charming and peaceful, almost always being my first stop on London Zoo visits.

I think it’s just a matter of it being easier to close that whole part of tbe zoo rather then knocking the aviary down. I didn’t see anything in the plans that implied that was going to happen

 

[tennisfan]

 

[gentle lemur]

Only just realised upon seeing this that the Eastern Aviary is included in the new Gorilla Kingdom renovations. Does anyone have any information as to why this could be, as I don’t recall it having been reported on in the past? I certainly hope the aviary and the pathway in front of it remain, as they are immensely charming and peaceful, almost always being my first stop on London Zoo visits.

If I understand the plans correctly, the aviary and pathway will not be changed significantly (neither will the walk-through aviary before the gorillas). But the work involved in removing a couple of the trees, demolishing the old outdoor cages and then building the larger ones cannot be done without closing the paths though the area.

 

[polarbear]

Strange that there’s been nothing official from the zoo on the plans to extend Gorilla Kingdom.

 

[aramacao]

I'm likely to visit London in the next few months and there are a couple of species that have theoretically arrived at the zoo recently that I'm very interested in:

- Darwin's frog
- Small Indian mongoose

Are they visible? In which areas of the zoo are they located?

Thank you in advance.

 

[oflory]

I'm likely to visit London in the next few months and there are a couple of species that have theoretically arrived at the zoo recently that I'm very interested in:

- Darwin's frog
- Small Indian mongoose

Are they visible? In which areas of the zoo are they located?

Thank you in advance.

Both species are on-show but potentially hard to see. The Darwin's frogs are by the lavatories near the old aquarium, close to the entrance. There is a viewing window into a room lined with small vivariums. They are hard to see because they are so small. I have got round this by using binoculars to peer into the room.

The mongooses are in an enclosure in the Land of the Lions area - with an inside den on show and a (pretty spacious) outside. They used to be invisible because of their shyness but are now pretty reliable. I saw them twice on Saturday. I recommend (if you can) visiting their exhibit either early or late in the day and approaching slowly and cautiously. They tend to nip into one of their tunnels after 30 seconds of viewing.

 

[johnstoni85]

Just spotted this has popped up. Looks like the new Darwin's frogs arrivals near the old aquarium