London Zoo is nearly 200 years old – can you believe it? Most Londoners have fond memories of spending a day at the zoo: visiting the gift shop to purchase a favourite cuddly animal toy, heading into the Land of the Lions to see the big cats and daring to gaze upon the snakes in the Reptile House.
Undoubtedly, London Zoo and its counterpart the Zoological of Society London (ZSL) are an integral part of the city’s history. ZSL was founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles and is an international conservation charity that London Zoo is a part of. ZSL opened London Zoo in 1828 as a scientific zoo and a space intended for the study of animals. It was then opened to the public in 1847.
The 36-acre space features over 300 species that live in various enclosures across its Regent’s Park location. Nowadays, London Zoo works with ZSL on conservation projects. Programmes at London Zoo have included reintroducing species in captivity and breeding preservation schemes.
London Zoo has always been a place for making memories, and soon, for its 200th birthday, ZSL wants to celebrate with those memories! How, you ask? It is launching History Hive, a national appeal to the public that invites you to share your stories and contribute items from your experiences at London Zoo.
If you need convincing, here’s the hook: your donations could end up on show. Objects from the zoo’s archives and the public will be displayed in an exhibit in 2026 for London Zoo’s bicentennial. The charity is hoping that the exhibit will help to ‘tell the story of ZSL’s impact not only on animal care and conservation but on the very fabric of London and British culture’.
Already in the collection (from the zoo’s archive) are uniforms from previous zookeepers and strangely enough, a decorated ostrich egg painted by an anonymous person. To share anecdotes, ZSL’s Oral History Archive will also document testimonies from those who want to share them.
Anyone who shares their memories of London Zoo or ZSL will also be invited to the exhibit’s launch. Aside from the exhibit, birthday celebrations for the zoo will also include a programme featuring interactive displays, trails and talks which will highlight ZSL’s long history and the role of the public in helping their conservation work.
You can find out more about the zoo’s History Hive and how to donate here.
Did you see that the British Museum is getting a huge redesign?
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