London zoo! The zoo at London is part of the Zoologicak Society of London. It opened to the fellows of the ZSL in 1828 and to the public in 1847. \240It is a conservation zoo. This means the ZSL team takes what they learn about the animals at the zoo and apply this knowledge in remote areas of the world to protect and regenerate populations of rare species.
Emus! Can be found on grasslands of Australia. They run up to 50 km per hour and are the only birds that have calf muscles. Their eggs are green! And big. Like an avocado.
What they eat ? Grasses, leaves, other vegetation.
Where do they live? Wooded savannah, dry forests and grasslands of mainland Australia.
Komodo dragon! The largest lizard on Earth.
What’s for lunch? The menu for the Komodo dragon.
Inside their mouths, dragons produce venom that stops blood clotting, as well as saliva containing over 50 super strong bacteria. Even the smallest of bites delivers a septic strike right into the bloodstream of the victim. The resulting infection is likely to result in death. It is not their speed or strength one should be afraid of. It is their bite!
Komodo dragon does not have known predators of their own.
Exploring the gorilla section. Ape or monkey? Monkeys and apes (including humans) are both primates. How can you tell them apart?
Long tail? Then a monkey.
Monkeys usually move by running along branches and are less upright than apes.
Monkeys are usually smaller than apes.
A collection of something very unique from the zoo!
On the left side? Elephant
On the right side? Tiger
A play about Poo in the Zoo. You heard it right! A book by Steve Smallman.
Eat plants? Herbivore. Like a tortoise!
Eat meat? Carnivore. Like a tiger!
Us? Omnivore.
Reptiles and amphibians exhibit. This is an Electric Blue gecko guarding the entrance. This reptile is from eastern Tanzania and is critically endangered. Their colourful appearance has increased demand for them in the international pet trade and means their survival is under threat from illegal poaching.
The blue tree monitor. This lizard is an expert climber! It’s sharp claws and prehensile (ie capable of grasping) tails are big helpers in that.
I live on a few islands of West Papua, Indonesia. I am an Edge species.
Tadpoals of the Mallorcan midwife toad!
In our favourite spot in the zoo! The Barclay court.
The Galapagos giant tortoise! These are the largest tortoises in the world. They are also the longest living of all land vertebrates, living up to 150 years.
Galapagos tortoises were so abundant that sailors named yhe archipelago after them - ‘Galapagos’ means tortoise in old Spanish. Now there are 93% less tortoises than there were before humans arrived.
Their shells are very light. They are fused to the bones in their shells - they cannot walk out of their shells.
The Galapagos Giabt Tortoise!
Again our favourite spot in the zoo!
The two hump camel! The Bactian camel. They are different from the dromedary camels, who have only one hump.
Unlike a common belief, camel’s humps are full of fat (not water!), which they can use for energy when food is short.
We think of camels as hot weather specialists. In fact, they can withstand \240extremes at both end of temperature gauge. These camels originated in Mongolia, where the weather can range from a boiling 40 degrees Celsius to a freezing -30 degrees Celsius.
Camels is the only mammal in the world that can drink saltwater without becoming unwell.
Camel blood is unique. Their red blood cells are oval shaped instead of circular. This helps their blood circulate even when the camel is dehydrated and their blood becomes much the thicker.
In the Blackburn Pavilion. Victoria Crowned Pigeon.
This giant pigeon is 10 times the size of London’s pigeons. They became the world’s largest pigeon species when their close relative, the Dodo, was hunted to extinction.
Now on to the Regent’s Park! One of the Royal parks of London. Established in 1811.
A cygnet! This is a young swan.
We came by the Sherlock Holmes Museum!
Finish the day at another playground! Ziplining. So fun! Before we head out for a steak dinner across from Hyde Park.
