ZSL London Zoo's annual weigh‑in of more than 10,000 animals offers a reminder to Canadian and U.S. zoos of the importance of regular health monitoring.
Annual weigh‑in at ZSL London Zoo
From snails to capybaras, monkeys to penguins, thousands of creatures have been stepping up to the scales for London Zoo's annual "weigh‑in".
More than 10,000 animals across 4,000 species were measured at ZSL London Zoo on Monday.
The mammoth task sees keepers record the statistics of every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate at the zoo. The measurements help to monitor health, development and identify pregnancies.
But persuading some animals to cooperate requires a little bit of creativity.
Kiwi, a capybara, is lured towards the scales with food, during the annual weigh‑in at ZSL London Zoo in London.
Some are trained to step on the scales while devices for birds are hidden in doorways.
A Bolivian black‑capped squirrel monkey was placed on a perch for the weigh‑in while brother and sister capybaras Gizmo and Kiwi were lured onto the scales with food.
A Humboldt penguin is weighed during the annual weigh‑in at ZSL London Zoo in London.
The zoo's smallest animals are Partula snails, which weigh less than one gramme.
Measurements are added to an information system shared with conservationists across the world to provide information on endangered species.
The information gathered is shared with conservation partners worldwide, including institutions in Canada and the United States that study the same species.
For example, Canadian zoos caring for capybaras and Humboldt penguins use similar data to track growth and breeding success.
Cross‑border collaboration helps both countries protect endangered species that have related populations.
Daniel Simmonds, the zoo's animal operations manager, said: "Regular weigh‑ins help zookeepers track the health of our animals, including insects like the magnolia land snails, the capybaras, and Humboldt penguins, and genuinely help us manage the care of these animals, who play a vital role in our global conservation efforts."
Global conservation data sharing
The Zoological Society of London, which runs the zoo, celebrated its 200th anniversary this year.