King Charles and Queen Camilla performed a health check on a Humboldt penguin named Lannister at London Zoo on Thursday, using a stethoscope to listen to its heartbeat during a visit marking the 200th anniversary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
Royal Penguin Encounter
Dozens of penguins, about two feet tall, gathered to greet the couple as they approached the enclosure in Camden. Crouching down, Charles used a red stethoscope to check the heartbeat of Lannister, who sat patiently on a rock. Camilla, using a blue stethoscope, also bent down to join in.
Zoo vet Stefan Saverimuttu said: “Lannister sounded perfect and Lannister was very well behaved for the King and the Queen.” He added that both royals were “really enthusiastic about the penguins” and took to the veterinary task “very well.”
Laser Training Exercises
The pair also participated in laser training exercises designed to encourage and observe penguin movements like swimming and diving. The laser pointers mimic the sparkling scales of fish, allowing vets to spot health concerns. Standing by a glass wall overlooking the blue pool, Charles and Camilla spent a couple of minutes trying to attract the penguins’ attention. One penguin eventually swam up to Charles’s laser pointer, prompting him to laugh and exclaim: “That’s the only one that’s noticing.”
Meeting Other Animals
During the trip, the couple paused to meet a 31-year-old Galápagos tortoise named Polly. Using metal tongs, the Queen fed Polly some greenery, while the King offered leaves by hand. Polly largely ignored the King’s offering, leading Charles to jokingly ask whether the tortoise was on a “diet.”
In the zoo’s Tiny Giants area, Charles spoke with staff about ZSL’s conservation work to protect Partula tree snails from extinction. He placed a dot of purple paint on two snails’ shells to help track them once released in French Polynesia, quipping: “So this is special snail varnish is it?”
ZSL’s 200th Anniversary and New Wildlife Centre
The visit celebrated the 200th anniversary of ZSL, a conservation charity. Since 1828, every monarch has been patron of the society. Charles’s first visit to the zoo was as a one-year-old to see Brumas, a newborn polar bear cub.
During the tour, the couple heard about ZSL’s new wildlife centre, announced to mark the anniversary. The centre will investigate animal diseases, train wildlife vets, track disease spread between species, and support global conservation projects, while also providing new veterinary facilities for animals at ZSL’s two zoos—London and Whipsnade.
