London Zoo's annual weigh-in took place today, with capybaras, Humboldt penguins, black-capped squirrel monkeys and even snails among the animals placed on scales for health checks. Keepers coaxed each resident - from fish to mammals and insects - onto specially adapted scales to monitor their wellbeing.
Animals coaxed onto scales
The zoo's capybaras, Kiwi and Gizmo, were weighed on a large wooden plank. Kiwi weighed 45kg (seven stone), while her brother Gizmo came in at 50.50kg (eight stone). Humboldt penguins were tempted onto blue metallic scales with a bucket of fish placed nearby.
Black-capped squirrel monkeys had scales fitted with a brown perch mimicking a tree branch, while giant katydids - a type of massive bush cricket - were weighed standing on a small log placed on a scale. A Vietnamese magnolia snail was placed in a tupperware bowl on kitchen scales, with one individual, referred to as Giant Magnolia Land Snail No 2, weighing 102.5g.
Data for global conservation
Each measurement is recorded in the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), a global database shared with carers and conservationists comparing information on thousands of endangered species. Many animals have been trained to come to their handlers and sit on the scales, which are specialised for each enclosure.
London Zoo houses more than 14,000 animals, but keepers will add values from around 10,000 of the zoo's residents to the weight log before the measurements are entered into ZIMS. The weigh-in is a vital exercise for global conservation efforts.
Zoo's anniversary milestones
London Zoo's animal operations manager Daniel Simmonds 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."
The Zoological Society of London, which runs the zoo, celebrated its 200th anniversary this year. The zoo itself will celebrate its own anniversary in two years, having opened in 1828.
