Entertainment

In Pictures: Count us in… animals look to help as zoo launches annual audit

The  stocktake takes keepers almost a week to complete.
The stocktake takes keepers almost a week to complete. The stocktake takes keepers almost a week to complete.

Penguins, monkeys and camels were amongst the first in line as ZSL London Zoo began its annual stocktake.

A zoo keeper counts Humboldt penguins
A zoo keeper counts Humboldt penguins A zookeeper counts Humboldt penguins during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA)
London Zoo annual stocktake
London Zoo annual stocktake Some of the penguins were curious about the stocktake (Aaron Chown/PA)
Penguins at the zoo stocktake
Penguins at the zoo stocktake Let’s start again… The penguins made it more difficult by turning up all at once (Aaron Chown/PA)

Each year, zookeepers armed with clipboards and calculators tally up every creature at the zoo.

Squirrel monkeys were keen to help the count
Squirrel monkeys were keen to help the count Squirrel monkeys were keen to help the count (Aaron Chown/PA)
Monkeys show their maths skills
Monkeys show their maths skills The monkeys show their maths skills (Aaron Chown/PA)
A squirrel monkey during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo
A squirrel monkey during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo A squirrel monkey during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA)

Asiatic lions were among those being tallied up by keepers at the zoo.

Asiatic lions at ZSL London Zoo
Asiatic lions at ZSL London Zoo Asiatic lions at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA)
Asiatic lions
Asiatic lions The annual stocktake caught the attention of the Asiatic lions (Aaron Chown/PA)
An Asiatic lion at the zoo
An Asiatic lion at the zoo Some of the lions thought it was play time not the annual stocktake (Aaron Chown/PA)

The audit takes keepers almost a week to complete and the information is shared with other zoos around the world.

Camels at ZSL London Zoo
Camels at ZSL London Zoo The camels arrived in pairs (Aaron Chown/PA)
Keeper Mick Tiley with bactrian camels
Keeper Mick Tiley with bactrian camels Keeper Mick Tiley with bactrian camels during the annual stocktake (Aaron Chown/PA)