London Zoo animals hop on scales for weigh-in

24 minutes ago

Ruth ComerfordLondon

News image — All animal statistics, including those of Kiwi the Capybara, will be shared with keepers across the globe

PA Media A furry brown capybara named Kiwi chomps on a leaf as she is weighed by a ZSL employee in a green polo and black shirt. — All animal statistics, including those of Kiwi the Capybara, will be shared with keepers across the globe

Animals at London Zoo are being checked and measured as part of its annual weigh-in day to monitor their health and wellbeing.

Zookeepers will need to coax every bird, reptile, fish and mammal - from the largest rodents in the world to the greenest katydids - to the weighing scale.

Each measurement is added to the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), a global database shared with animal carers and conservationists that compares important information on thousands of endangered species.

Many of the zoo's animals are trained to perch on a scale while zookeepers note down their measurements, but others will need to be tempted with a strategic snack.

PA Media A zoo worker holds a small log and a weighing scale. The katydid, a bright green insect similar in appearance to a large grasshopper, sits atop the log. — Katydids are famous for their leafy green camouflage and loud mating calls

PA Media One grey and white Humboldt penguin stands on a blue weighing scale in front of a smiling zookeeper who is kneeling in front of it. Several other penguins are standing next to them. — Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable in the wild due to threats such as climate change, overfishing and habitat disturbance.

Although the zoo houses more than 14,000 animals, the keepers will only have time to measure and log the weight of about 400 creatures.

PA Media Three Bolivian black-capped squirrel monkeys swing and huddle near a wooden pole placed on a weighing scale while a zookeeper takes notes — Bolivian black-capped squirrel monkeys are native to Bolivia, Brazil and Peru

PA Media Brown Vietnamese snails are placed in a plastic bowl on a set of scales. A zookeeper takes notes. — Vietnamese magnolia snails hide away in their shells as they are weighed

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