ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2025

Unless I am having complete false memory syndrome, were there not subsequent marine turtles kept at London in the Aquarium? I remember seeing theum as a child but wasn't born in 1984!
You are definitely correct! I was about to query this myself, as my first visit wasn't until 1989, and I have photos of sea turtles subsequent to that. I believe they were Green Turtles.
I was thinking exactly this.
Checking the ZSL Annual Reports confirms my earlier comments that the green turtles and loggerhead turtle left London Zoo, for Blackpool, in 1984.

However London Zoo retained its hawksbill turtles until 1996 when they were sent to Sea World of Florida. These were presumably the marine turtles others were talking about.
 
London Zoo's last green turtles and a loggerhead turtle left the aquarium in 1984; I believe they were sent to Blackpool. (Some of these marine turtles had lived in London Zoo for thirty years.)
I've no idea why I thought they went to Florida but 1984 was a long time ago I suppose.
The green and loggerhead turtles went to Blackpool in 1984 but the hawksbill turtles did go to Florida in 1996.
 
Thank you very much for this. With your advise in mind, I might re-structure my plans to go to the zoo on my first day of the trip, the train arrives in Euston at 12pm and it takes a bit more than half an hour to walk there from the station, and about the same length of time from the zoo to my hotel, so I could have anywhere up to five hours at the zoo if I stay until closing time. I am slightly concerned about traversing London's streets on my own in case I get mugged or worse, so if I do this new plan I may look into public transport links or where the nearest taxi ranks are.
I can't speak for where your hotel is, but you don't need to worry at all about the journey from Euston to the Zoo. So long as you keep your phone and any other valuables close to your person, there's no real need for concern. The walk through Regent's Park is lovely, usually busy with tourists, dog walkers and runners and the streets leading to it are wide and similarly busy. London gets a bad rap, unfairly I'd say, but so long as you're aware and not flaunting anything someone might want to nab you're alright
 
I agree with @cerperal, you should not be overconcerned about walking through London.
You probably know already that there are left-luggage lockers near the entrance to the zoo, on the path between the old Aquarium and the old Reptile House, which could be handy if you have luggage that you'd like to park while you enjoy the zoo.
 
Thank you very much for this. With your advise in mind, I might re-structure my plans to go to the zoo on my first day of the trip, the train arrives in Euston at 12pm and it takes a bit more than half an hour to walk there from the station, and about the same length of time from the zoo to my hotel, so I could have anywhere up to five hours at the zoo if I stay until closing time. I am slightly concerned about traversing London's streets on my own in case I get mugged or worse, so if I do this new plan I may look into public transport links or where the nearest taxi ranks are.
Getting the tube to Camden can shave off about 15 minutes off of your walk to the zoo
 
Thank you very much for this. With your advise in mind, I might re-structure my plans to go to the zoo on my first day of the trip, the train arrives in Euston at 12pm and it takes a bit more than half an hour to walk there from the station, and about the same length of time from the zoo to my hotel, so I could have anywhere up to five hours at the zoo if I stay until closing time. I am slightly concerned about traversing London's streets on my own in case I get mugged or worse, so if I do this new plan I may look into public transport links or where the nearest taxi ranks are.

There's a taxi rank just outside Euston station, or you can take the Northern Line straight from Euston to Camden Town and from there walk up Parkway towards Regent's Park and the Zoo. I would advise getting an app called CityMapper if you have a smartphone, to help navigate London's transport, which is generally very good and safe, but can be confusing for the unfamiliar traveller!
 
I went for a visit to London Zoo today. These are the things I noticed that I can remember off the top of my head:
  • The Sardinian brook salamanders seem to have all moved from their tank just outside the entrance to SLORA to the tank formerly for the Lake Patzcuaro salamander.
  • In Rainforest Life, I am fairly certain there is a new Goeldi's monkey. As well as the curly-tailed animal in the main walkthrough, there was one shut into one of the separate cages near the tamarin cages.
  • What number of bokiboky are there? I definitely saw a pair in the Rainforest Life cages, but may have seen three in the lemur corridor enclosures - either that, or one went into the back-of-house section and came out further down.
  • In Tiny Giants, I did notice that among the garden fruit chafers Pachnoda sinuata, there was at least one unsigned individual of Pachnoda marginata peregrina.
  • It was good to see a young chick of a Socorro dove in the main walkthrough in Blackburn Pavilion. I also saw five Mitchell's lorikeets in the outdoor aviary row, one of which had lots of grey breast feathers - I am not confident enough to say if it was a moulting adult or a fledged juvenile.
  • NEW SPECIES: In the last of the separate cages in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough, before the second smaller walkthrough with the trogons, there is an unsigned pink-headed fruit-dove.
 
I went for a visit to London Zoo today. These are the things I noticed that I can remember off the top of my head:
  • The Sardinian brook salamanders seem to have all moved from their tank just outside the entrance to SLORA to the tank formerly for the Lake Patzcuaro salamander.
  • In Rainforest Life, I am fairly certain there is a new Goeldi's monkey. As well as the curly-tailed animal in the main walkthrough, there was one shut into one of the separate cages near the tamarin cages.
  • What number of bokiboky are there? I definitely saw a pair in the Rainforest Life cages, but may have seen three in the lemur corridor enclosures - either that, or one went into the back-of-house section and came out further down.
  • In Tiny Giants, I did notice that among the garden fruit chafers Pachnoda sinuata, there was at least one unsigned individual of Pachnoda marginata peregrina.
  • It was good to see a young chick of a Socorro dove in the main walkthrough in Blackburn Pavilion. I also saw five Mitchell's lorikeets in the outdoor aviary row, one of which had lots of grey breast feathers - I am not confident enough to say if it was a moulting adult or a fledged juvenile.
  • NEW SPECIES: In the last of the separate cages in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough, before the second smaller walkthrough with the trogons, there is an unsigned pink-headed fruit-dove.
Good news for pigeon fans :D Pink-headed fruit-dove are a nice species, hopefully there's more than one.
 
I went for a visit to London Zoo today. These are the things I noticed that I can remember off the top of my head:
  • The Sardinian brook salamanders seem to have all moved from their tank just outside the entrance to SLORA to the tank formerly for the Lake Patzcuaro salamander.
  • In Rainforest Life, I am fairly certain there is a new Goeldi's monkey. As well as the curly-tailed animal in the main walkthrough, there was one shut into one of the separate cages near the tamarin cages.
  • What number of bokiboky are there? I definitely saw a pair in the Rainforest Life cages, but may have seen three in the lemur corridor enclosures - either that, or one went into the back-of-house section and came out further down.
  • In Tiny Giants, I did notice that among the garden fruit chafers Pachnoda sinuata, there was at least one unsigned individual of Pachnoda marginata peregrina.
  • It was good to see a young chick of a Socorro dove in the main walkthrough in Blackburn Pavilion. I also saw five Mitchell's lorikeets in the outdoor aviary row, one of which had lots of grey breast feathers - I am not confident enough to say if it was a moulting adult or a fledged juvenile.
  • NEW SPECIES: In the last of the separate cages in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough, before the second smaller walkthrough with the trogons, there is an unsigned pink-headed fruit-dove.
Fantastic news about the young the Pavillion and the new dove

There is a new Goeldi's monkey, a female that arrived late Jan/early Feb. I'm surprised she's still separated, unless there's a second that's been acquired

I'm not sure of the exact number of bokiboky, but the enclosures are completely separate so you likely did see 2 + 3. I may be totally misremembering this but I'm fairly sure the ones in the lemur hall are the offspring from the pair in Rainforest Life. I've tried to count them before but they're impossible to keep track of, and the volunteers are never quite sure either haha
 
If the lemur house bokiboky have full run of the enclosure ie : it is not blocked off and divided into two separate enclosures and the maximum number you saw at onetime is two then that suggests that there are two in that enclosure.
On Thursday The new Goeldi female had moved across from the glass windowed enclosure to the mesh wired enclosure opposite.. That would allow contact through the mesh with the other inhabitants of the Rainforest it also can allow access in/out into the main Rainforest if entry points are opened.
 
I went for a visit to London Zoo today. These are the things I noticed that I can remember off the top of my head:
  • The Sardinian brook salamanders seem to have all moved from their tank just outside the entrance to SLORA to the tank formerly for the Lake Patzcuaro salamander.
  • In Rainforest Life, I am fairly certain there is a new Goeldi's monkey. As well as the curly-tailed animal in the main walkthrough, there was one shut into one of the separate cages near the tamarin cages.
  • What number of bokiboky are there? I definitely saw a pair in the Rainforest Life cages, but may have seen three in the lemur corridor enclosures - either that, or one went into the back-of-house section and came out further down.
  • In Tiny Giants, I did notice that among the garden fruit chafers Pachnoda sinuata, there was at least one unsigned individual of Pachnoda marginata peregrina.
  • It was good to see a young chick of a Socorro dove in the main walkthrough in Blackburn Pavilion. I also saw five Mitchell's lorikeets in the outdoor aviary row, one of which had lots of grey breast feathers - I am not confident enough to say if it was a moulting adult or a fledged juvenile.
  • NEW SPECIES: In the last of the separate cages in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough, before the second smaller walkthrough with the trogons, there is an unsigned pink-headed fruit-dove.
What a coincidence I was at London Zoo today as well!
 
  • NEW SPECIES: In the last of the separate cages in the main Blackburn Pavilion walkthrough, before the second smaller walkthrough with the trogons, there is an unsigned pink-headed fruit-dove.
Brilliant news, hopefully it isn't just the one individual or at least won't be for long. To the best of my recollection, I have never seen this species before, with it being kept at just 11 other zoos in Europe of which 3 are in the UK, so very much another rarity. Looking at photos they seem to be wonderful animals. Their belly has the exact same colour as our native Rock and Stock Doves, which is quite comical compared to the vibrance of the rest of their body. Looking forward to seeing them at Blackburn.

Hadn't realised the Lake Patzcuaro Salamander was no longer kept, a real shame as they were quite the interesting animal indeed. Also not all too sure about the Sardinian Brooks moving because I really liked having them outside the actual entrance, both as an exciting introduction (one of my personal favourites in the house) and as some more casual viewing from within Barclay's Court, without having to enter the crowds of the house itself. Hopefully something else interesting will go on to inhabit their former tank.
 
I would love to known if the Lake Patzcuaro is still kept BTS. Does anyone know when the next stock list will be released and if it’ll be public?
 
Also not all too sure about the Sardinian Brooks moving because I really liked having them outside the actual entrance, both as an exciting introduction (one of my personal favourites in the house) and as some more casual viewing from within Barclay's Court, without having to enter the crowds of the house itself. Hopefully something else interesting will go on to inhabit their former tank.

The brook salamanders are still in the external tank, just there are now two visible exhibits. The one indoors is much deeper.
 
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