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London Zoo conducts Annual Stocktake
London Zoo's data will support conservation breeding programmes around the world.
Zookeepers were tasked with counting every animal in their care.

Zookeepers at London Zoo have begun the process of counting every animal in the zoo’s care, as part of its Annual Stocktake.

The Annual Stocktake, a requirement of London Zoo’s zoological licence, will be shared with zoos around the world to support the conservation breeding programmes of endangered animals.

London Zoo houses over 10,000 individual animals, which all need to be accounted for in its report.

This year’s count includes a colony of 65 Humboldt penguins, which includes 11 penguin births and five recently accepted arrivals. The new arrivals have been introduced as part of a European breeding programme, and will form breeding pairs in spring.

Also included in the count were seven critically endangered Western lowland gorillas. In early 2024, the troop welcomed the birth of two baby gorillas – Juno and Venus – marking a major conservation success for global numbers of the species.

During the count, the two young gorillas were carried around on the backs of their mothers, Mjukuu and Effie.

Another conservation effort from the zoo that saw success in 2024 was the European Breeding Programme for Asiatic lions. This year, London Zoo saw the birth of three lion cubs – Mali, Syanii and Shanti.

This is a significant conservation success for the endangered species, which currently is only naturally found in Gujarat’s Gir Forest.

In autumn 2024, the zoo welcomed 53 Darwin’s frogs, imported to London Zoo from Chile. This species, labelled as Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE), are currently under threat from a deadly fungus which has caused a 93 per cent species decline since its discovery.

The arrival of adult UK-native medicinal leeches prompted a breeding programme at London Zoo.

Also recorded in this year’s stocktake so far are three reticulated giraffes, 11 Socorro doves and 690 golden orb weaver spiders.

More information about London Zoo’s conservation work can be found on its website.

Image © ZSL

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."