Established
on 27 April 1828 and ultimately opened to the public in 1847, the London Zoo is
one of the world’s largest zoos. At current, the zoo houses 16.802 individual
animals, which together make up 755 species. The London Zoo is managed under
the auspices of the Zoological Society of London, which was established in
1826.
At the
London Zoo can be found a Gorilla Kingdom, opened by His Royal Highness the
Duke of Edinburgh, in March 2007. The Kingdom is home to a group of western
lowland gorillas, and consists of a large, moated island with an indoor gym for
the gorillas to use. Currently, London Zoo owns three female gorillas named;
Zaire, Mjukku and Effie, and Gorilla Kingdom also features small enclosures
housing Diana monkeys, black and white colobus, soorty mangabeys and
white-cheeked gibbons.
There is an
area called Into Africa, which displays
animals more commonly found in Africa, including Chapman’s zebra, warthogs,
okapi, Rothschild’s giraffes and African wild dogs.
A rainforest area comprises a
walk-through indoor rainforest exhibition area, which houses a variety of
animal species, commonly available in the rainforest, including two-toed
sloths, golden-headed lion, tamarins, sunbittern, red titi monkeys, emperor tamarins
and trumpeter Birds. There is also an aquarium in the area that houses a
variety of fish.
The Animal
Adventure area of the zoo is essentially designed for children and is equipped
with playgrounds and a water fountain. Mainly domestic animals can be found in
this area, including sheep, IIamas, alpacas, donkeys and kunekune pigs. Other
themes present at the zoo include the following: The Reptile House; Giants of the Galapagos ; Komodo Dragons;
Tiger Territory; B.U.G.S; Penguin Beach; Meet
The Monkeys; Butterfly Paradise; African Bird Safari; The Snowdon Aviary and Blackburn
Pavilion.
