ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2025

[tennisfan]

The Zoo Town web page seems to have been updated with opening details


ZooTown is an indoor role play adventure for kids in the heart of London Zoo, opening on 18 October 2025.

ZooTown | London Zoo

 

[Charles]

More of a question than news but what happened to the plans of a new entrance? I remember a while ago there were plans to relocate the entrance to where the exit is but I’m guessing it’s delayed/cancelled now?

 

[cerperal]

More of a question than news but what happened to the plans of a new entrance? I remember a while ago there were plans to relocate the entrance to where the exit is but I’m guessing it’s delayed/cancelled now?

Delayed is one way of putting it, but there's never been a set time frame for it. I do know it's still part of long-term considerations and is being discussed by officials, with the consensus being they certainly need to move it further South, but even once planning starts proper it would take a few years. The Mappins are likely to be renovated first from the information I know, and that will only happen once the gorillas, capybaras and potentially north bank works are completed.

It must be said, the current entrance is at an especially poor location with the gorilla works cutting off the main path to Barclay Court. I have a suspicion they may make the new entrance a priority just because of that.

 

[Zorro]

Delayed is one way of putting it, but there's never been a set time frame for it. I do know it's still part of long-term considerations and is being discussed by officials, with the consensus being they certainly need to move it further South, but even once planning starts proper it would take a few years. The Mappins are likely to be renovated first from the information I know, and that will only happen once the gorillas, capybaras and potentially north bank works are completed.

It must be said, the current entrance is at an especially poor location with the gorilla works cutting off the main path to Barclay Court. I have a suspicion they may make the new entrance a priority just because of that.

Would any plans be known about the new Gorilla exhibit extension would it be just like the existing exhibit only just seperate?

 

[cerperal]

Would any plans be known about the new Gorilla exhibit extension would it be just like the existing exhibit only just seperate?

The planning details are further up the thread, but from my understanding it's the creation of a new separate enclosure to give them more space (and presumably to allow Gernot to be separated if needs be) as well as the redevelopment of the outside area, mixing with mangabeys and upgrades to the off-show sleeping areas. All of it is still within the footprint of the current Gorilla Kingdom so it's more reutilising space than a true extension I suppose, but regardless the gorillas didn't have access to it before. Because of this, the path that leads along the Outer Circle and past the African aviaries is currently blocked off for construction equipment + shipping containers for the construction workers.

...not that construction has begun yet...

 

[Fallax]

If they're introducing new species in the aviary I would figure it's staying around but who knows. Is there a timeframe for the gorilla expansion?

 

[AdrianW1963]

Haven't been to London for a few years now, Just wondering what happened to the owl aviaries over the bridge as the last time I went they had removed ALL the birds and let the aviaries go with shrub and weed growth taking over the aviaries.

 

[polarbear]

Haven't been to London for a few years now, Just wondering what happened to the owl aviaries over the bridge as the last time I went they had removed ALL the birds and let the aviaries go with shrub and weed growth taking over the aviaries.

Nothing has happened on the North Bank - the area is fenced off at the limit of the Colobus area and the bridge at the end of the subway from the shop area has been blocked off.

 

[Panthera1981]

Considering the recent appearance of a new piece at the Royal Courts of Justice, does anyone know what happened to the Banksy mural that appeared on the zoo gates? Did the zoo keep it?

 

[cerperal]

Considering the recent appearance of a new piece at the Royal Courts of Justice, does anyone know what happened to the Banksy mural that appeared on the zoo gates? Did the zoo keep it?

I believe it's in storage somewhere, the zoo still has it. No idea what the plan is for it long-term but I would imagine it would bring in a decent amount of money for the zoo if they auctioned it off

 

[FBBird]

North Bank is a desert now, the only animals are the Colobus. I remember a great selection of owls, many breeding, nice series of pheasants, and those geese and crane paddocks where Sarus Cranes bred repeatedly over the years

 

[Tim May]

North Bank is a desert now, the only animals are the Colobus. I remember a great selection of owls, many breeding, nice series of pheasants, and those geese and crane paddocks where Sarus Cranes bred repeatedly over the years

I remember the Zoe's imperial pigeon too.....
Zoe's imperial pigeon; London Zoo; 26th February 2012 - ZooChat

 

[FBBird]

I remember the Zoe's imperial pigeon too.....
Zoe's imperial pigeon; London Zoo; 26th February 2012 - ZooChat

Bristol Zoo bred those back in the 80s. ZSL had some good pigeons when they had both pheasantries. I remember a thriving population of Half-collared Doves (Streptopelia capicola) among others

 

[Dassie rat]

North Bank is a desert now, the only animals are the Colobus. I remember a great selection of owls, many breeding, nice series of pheasants, and those geese and crane paddocks where Sarus Cranes bred repeatedly over the years

I remember when the North Bank had the only captive Nduk eagle owl in the world until it died in 1997; only 2 other zoos have kept it. ZTL lists none in captivity at the moment,

 

[Tim May]

And of course some of us can remember when the North Mammal House was the most noteworthy structure on London Zoo's North Bank.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

And of course some of us can remember when the North Mammal House was the most noteworthy structure on London Zoo's North Bank.

What species were kept in the north mammal house plz? Would have loved to have seen that.

 

[Paul.Haerle]

North Bank is a desert now, the only animals are the Colobus. I remember a great selection of owls, many breeding, nice series of pheasants, and those geese and crane paddocks where Sarus Cranes bred repeatedly over the years

What species were kept there most recently?

 

[Tim May]

What species were kept in the north mammal house plz? Would have loved to have seen that.

I remember when the North Mammal House held bush dog, maned wolf, crab-eating fox, New Guinea singing dog, wolverine, puma, cheetah, a Temminck’s golden cat, gibbons....

Long before my time, London Zoo's last thylacine was kept in the North Mammal House.......

 

[FBBird]

I remember when the North Bank had the only captive Nduk eagle owl in the world until it died in 1997; only 2 other zoos have kept it. ZTL lists none in captivity at the moment,

I think they had three, possibly overlapping. There’s an article on them in the Avicultural Magazine of the time

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I think they had three, possibly overlapping. There’s an article on them in the Avicultural Magazine of the time

Four, in fact - a singleton which died in 1971 after a decade or so, and then three more imported in 1971 and 1975 (of which I think the two in 1975 were wildcaught and the 1971 animal was captive bred).

To make things even more complex, London also kept Fraser's Eagle Owl at the same time, a species sometimes regarded as conspecific with Nduk - a very nice species indeed, which I saw last weekend.