Shropshire Star

In pictures: London Zoo’s annual weigh-in begins

The results are recorded in a database which help other zoos around the world ensure their animals are healthy.

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Fea's flying tree frog

Keepers at London Zoo have begun their annual weigh-in to check the health of all the animals.

Humboldt Penguin
A Humboldt Penguin (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Zoological manager Mark Habben said: “Probably one of the most valuable things we get to do at this point is to weigh some of the baby animals.”

Kumbaka the gorilla
Kumbaka, a silverback Gorilla stands alongside a giant ruler during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo.(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He added: “We’ve had several primates, squirrel monkeys for example, we’ve got two babies in there, and being able to weigh them just enables us to tell that they’re growing correctly, we don’t need to make any dietary changes for them. It also enables us to tell if an animal is pregnant on some occasions.”

Heidi the lion
Heidi, an Asiatic Lion (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

When the data is in, it will be uploaded to Zims, the Zoological Information Management System.

A zookeeper and Humboldt penguins
A zookeeper weighs Humboldt Penguins (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Sharing statistics such as how heavy a penguin is when it hatches can help other zoos ensure their animals are normal and healthy.

Alika and Mjukuu
Alika, a baby Gorilla and his mother Mjukuu (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Comparing the data year-on-year can also help the zoo track the growth rates of the animals.

Squirrel Monkey
A Squirrel Monkey sits on a scale (Dominic Lipinski)

The heaviest animal at ZSL London zoo is one of the female giraffes, who comes in at 852kg, whilst the lightest animal, a leaf cutter ant, weighs between three and five milligrams. The results are recorded to a database which is shared among zoos around the world.

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