200-year-old zoo conducts annual animal count to start new year

By Dean Murray

Humboldt penguins, Asiatic lions, corals, Seychelles millipedes and capybaras were some of the 8,000 animals being counted today (Jan 6) as part of London Zoo’s 2026 Annual Stocktake, kicking off ZSL’s 200-year anniversary.

Zookeepers said they recorded 75 Humboldt penguins, including the 16 chicks hatched in 2025, which was a boost for conservation of the species, as Humboldt penguins, originally from Chile and Peru, are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and their numbers are declining in the wild.

The annual animal count at London Zoo is not just a requirement of its license. However, the data from the annual count is shared with other zoos around the world via a global database called ZIMS Species360.

The database where it is used to help manage worldwide conservation breeding programs for endangered animals.

Added to the tally this year were eight Socorro dove chicks, which hatched in 2025. This successful hatching marked a milestone in the mission to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.

Classified as Extinct in the Wild, there are just 180 Socorro doves left in the world, cared for by fewer than 50 conservation institutions including London Zoo.

The arrival of the new chicks at the Zoo was a significant boost, representing nearly 4.5% of the species’ entire global population.

London Zoo’s population of critically endangered Darwin’s frogs increased by eight in 2025.

Darwin’s frogs are an EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) species, and the birth of the young frogs was heralded as a landmark by ZSL conservationists leading the international project to save the species from being wiped out by a devastating chytrid fungus.

In the summer, the conservation Zoo welcomed a brand-new species in a pair of capybaras, Kiwi and Gizmo. They cuddled in their heated outdoor shelter whilst their keeper, Holly, added them to the count.

With ZSL marking its bicentenary this year, the annual stocktake highlights both the diversity of life within London Zoo and the organization’s enduring commitment to protect species and inspire future generations of conservationists.