PREVIEW

Pick up a penguin! London Zoo's animals line up for Annual Stocktake. Humboldt penguins, Asiatic lions, corals, Seychelles millipedes and capybaras were among the 8,000 animals being counted as part of London Zoo’s 2026 Annual Stocktake, kicking off ZSL’s 200-year anniversary. Zookeepers recorded 75 Humboldt penguins including the 16 chicks hatched in 2025. This was a big conservation win for the species, as Humboldt penguins, originally from Chile and Peru, are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 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. 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.