In the early 2000s I was an executive in the property sector in the West end and Kings Cross. I used to regularly run around Regent's Park enjoying the views of camels, giraffes and the Snowdon Aviary. Little did I know that I would actually work at London Zoo later in my career. What a great outcome!
The ZSL community storybook
Your Story: Our History
Together, we’re creating one giant global storybook that celebrates the many ways ZSL has been part of people’s lives over the past 200 years – and reflects how people have shaped our history. It’s also a way for those who can’t join an anniversary event in person to still be part of our historic anniversary year.
At the end of 2026, the Community Storybook will join the collection in the ZSL Library and Archives, preserved for future generations to explore. Add your story and help us make history together.
36 entries.
Coming to London Zoo or Whipsnade Zoo was a birthday tradition throughout my 20s. I always came on a weekday, alone or with a friend, and spent a happy day exploring this historic place and the animals I'd only ever seen in books or on TV. It always made me happy and feel connected to nature, particularly living in a city. In my 30s I was lucky enough to come and work at ZSL, and it's been the best ten years of my working life. I still look at those pics of me in my 20s, at the Zoos - that girl never imagined she would be so lucky as to spend every day there.
London Zoo has been of huge significance to my family for close to 80 years. My Dad, John FitzGibbon, was obsessed with animals and visited the zoo monthly (or more!) as a child in the 1940s and 50s. He met his hero, Gerald Durrell, in the bird house as a teenager and went on to become a zoologist, working at the zoo, first as a holiday job in the early 1960s and again in the late 1960s and 1970s as a keeper in the primate section, (with a job in the mammal section at the Natural History Museum in between!). At the Zoo Dad worked with Guy the gorilla (giving him a bottle with a blob of jam in it, alongside other, more prosaic tasks) as well as chimps and baboons. He was once (briefly!) locked in an enclosure with a male Mandrill after a mishap in communication with a colleague. In spite of that hairy moment - perhaps even because of it - that time was one of the best of Dad's life.
Throughout my childhood in the late 1980s and 1990s we visited the zoo every school holiday. Dad was a Fellow so we'd have our packed lunch on the Fellows Lawn (or in the Elephant House if it was raining!), always with chips from the restaurant. We enjoyed visiting the apes, of course, but also spent ages in the bird house and the nocturnal exhibit under the Clore pavillion and we'd brave the old insect house, up a rickety metal staircase, while Mum watched the otters nearby.
Dad continued to visit the zoo library weekly up until ill health forced him to stop in his mid-70s. He died in December 2025 and when planning his funeral we knew the zoo had to be a part of it somehow. Our route took him past the gate one last time and the wonderful Library staff arranged a guard of honour. It was incredibly touching to have zoo staff who never knew Dad marking the life of a fellow animal enthusiast in this way.
The zoo is such an important and special place; seeing animals in the flesh, observing them, interacting with them and making a direct connection with them, is vital to understanding and caring for the species we share a planet with. Happy Birthday London Zoo! Here's to the next 200 years.
Throughout my childhood in the late 1980s and 1990s we visited the zoo every school holiday. Dad was a Fellow so we'd have our packed lunch on the Fellows Lawn (or in the Elephant House if it was raining!), always with chips from the restaurant. We enjoyed visiting the apes, of course, but also spent ages in the bird house and the nocturnal exhibit under the Clore pavillion and we'd brave the old insect house, up a rickety metal staircase, while Mum watched the otters nearby.
Dad continued to visit the zoo library weekly up until ill health forced him to stop in his mid-70s. He died in December 2025 and when planning his funeral we knew the zoo had to be a part of it somehow. Our route took him past the gate one last time and the wonderful Library staff arranged a guard of honour. It was incredibly touching to have zoo staff who never knew Dad marking the life of a fellow animal enthusiast in this way.
The zoo is such an important and special place; seeing animals in the flesh, observing them, interacting with them and making a direct connection with them, is vital to understanding and caring for the species we share a planet with. Happy Birthday London Zoo! Here's to the next 200 years.
ZSL has played a significant part in my life. London Zoo was one of the first zoos I visited as a child, and continued to do so with my grandparents during the school holidays on the dedicated TFL “Zoo Bus!” When I passed my Driving Test, Whipsnade was the first place I visited, and was also the destination I took my wife on our first date! I was also a Learning Volunteer at Whipsnade for 10 years, eventually giving it up when our first child was born (who we named after one of the zoo’s giraffes!)
There is nowhere quite as special and as unique as London Zoo, it's probably my favourite animal collection to go to whenever I have the chance. I simply love being surrounded by the history and the amazing life contained within the zoo. I'm constantly fascinated and in awe of the rich and diverse history of the site, it's many varied inhabitants, the tireless and wonderful keepers, it's bold and one of a kind architecture, and the fantastic conservation work which is carried out to ensure the survival and biodiversity of species across the planet.
I can't even remember the first time I visited, but I've been coming to see the animals for pretty much my entire life. My lifelong obsession with Aye-Ayes is thanks in part to seeing them for the first time tucked away in the Roundhouse, and being able to see them in their new home by the other lemurs is always such a treat. There's always something new to see and explore, especially with the other rare and unusual animals still at the zoo, and with the membership it's great to help contribute to the welfare and conservation of these species.
I also really enjoy seeing all the elaborate and ground-breaking buildings (even if a lot of them are now considered outdated for animal housing) and their history, boasting so many species over the years. From Javan and Sumatran Rhinoceros, and the now extinct Thylacine amongst others, to the world's first Insect House, Aquarium and Reptile House. This zoo has it all. Enclosure design has always interested me, and to see it put to use at its fullest in the new Reptile House is fabulous.
Collecting the numerous old guide books, maps and supplementary ZSL branded material from either online or directly from the zoo's gift shop has become a big hobby of mine to be able to study and compare the changes and additions to the zoo over its 200 year existence. Any and every bit of content about this place intrigues me. I will forever enjoy a visit to the zoo.
I can't even remember the first time I visited, but I've been coming to see the animals for pretty much my entire life. My lifelong obsession with Aye-Ayes is thanks in part to seeing them for the first time tucked away in the Roundhouse, and being able to see them in their new home by the other lemurs is always such a treat. There's always something new to see and explore, especially with the other rare and unusual animals still at the zoo, and with the membership it's great to help contribute to the welfare and conservation of these species.
I also really enjoy seeing all the elaborate and ground-breaking buildings (even if a lot of them are now considered outdated for animal housing) and their history, boasting so many species over the years. From Javan and Sumatran Rhinoceros, and the now extinct Thylacine amongst others, to the world's first Insect House, Aquarium and Reptile House. This zoo has it all. Enclosure design has always interested me, and to see it put to use at its fullest in the new Reptile House is fabulous.
Collecting the numerous old guide books, maps and supplementary ZSL branded material from either online or directly from the zoo's gift shop has become a big hobby of mine to be able to study and compare the changes and additions to the zoo over its 200 year existence. Any and every bit of content about this place intrigues me. I will forever enjoy a visit to the zoo.
Whipsnade Zoo has always been ‘my zoo’, a place where my love for animals and zoos would have been born and nurtured throughout many visits; initially with family and then on my own with the start of my membership and through my volunteering at the zoo, to taking friends, opening them to the ‘Wonder of Whipsnade’ too.
Unfortunately, I’m not of an age where I was able to partake in elephant rides* but, through my first venture into volunteering in zoos, I was able to get up close to the historical howdah, the wooden seat affixed on an Elephant for seating purposes, used in the elephant rides at Whipsnade.
It would have been 1991 or 1992, either just before I went off to university or during my university holidays, when I first started volunteering at Whipsnade. I volunteered on both the visitor side, interacting with visitors around the zoo and providing commentary on the steam train as it made its way through the paddocks. I remember regularly getting my left and right sides mixed up as I pointed out animals from the moving train, as we sat facing the visitors on the train and so all was in reverse to us.
As I was at university training to be a teacher, I then offered to volunteer within the Education Department at Whipsnade during holidays and this is where I encountered the howdah. The Head of Education wanted to put the howdah on display and so asked me to clean it. I’m not too sure where the howdah would have been stored since being used 30 years previously, as it was in the Education Department when I saw it, but I would say that it wasn’t in too bad a condition and, not being a trained conservator, my input to cleaning it up involved removing the years of dust that had accumulated upon it with brushes and cloths, maybe even a touch of water.
This was in the days before mobile phones being ever present and my interest in zoo history and so, as I cleaned it, I didn’t even think about taking any photographs, not that I can remember anyhow, and so I have scant memories of what it looked like, apart from the postcard images on the web reminding me that it was wooden in construction for the seat and feet support and had a burgundy material, possibly with a gold/yellow braid on its edge. It also had a metal rail at either end of the seat for visitors to use to climb on / off and hold onto throughout the ride if they were sat next to it.
The howdah was then on display in the then Education Centre, meaning that it was probably only visible to those using the rooms within and possibly those attending functions in the zoo’s main restaurant (next door at the time) who used the toilets at the end of the building. Nowadays, Whipsnade’s Butterfly House and Aquarium use some of the space that the Education Centre once used. From memory the howdah would have been on display in what is now the main entrance to this visitor space, where you turn right for the toilets and left to enter the shop / aquarium, but the configuration of the space has slightly changed. I’m not too sure where the howdah moved to once off display but would hope that it is still somewhere at Whipsnade, maybe even being brought out again as ZSL celebrates its 200th year if so, with 2026 also being 100 years since the Whipsnade site was purchased.
As well as lightly cleaning the howdah, I created a display on the howdah - what it was, how it was used at Whipsnade – and so I had access to the archive at Whipsnade, which at that time was held within the main admin building. I also had access to another area within the old Children’s Zoo which, at the time, held Whipsnade’s specimen collection where I clearly remember seeing lots of pickled animals in jars. As mentioned, I’m guessing that having access to the archive at Whipsnade may have helped to develop my interest in zoo history, something which was firmly cemented after staying in Hampshire after university and beginning my volunteering at Marwell Zoo. This is where I attended my first Bartlett Society (Zoo History) meeting, which was the 20th Anniversary Meeting. Looking back, I definitely remember disappearing in to the Whipsnade archive for hours at a time.
*Although I said that I was unfortunate not to be of an age where I was able to partake in elephant rides, I was offered the chance to take a ride on one of Whipsnade’s young Asian elephants (Anna?) when I carried out my Year 11 School Work Experience in 1989, when the elephants were still in the Tecton Elephant House / outside enclosure opposite the entrance to the zoo (now disused / the lemur walkthrough). I clearly remember my week of Work Experience - being up a ladder within the Elephant House washing / brushing elephant dung off the walls, sweeping up leaves in the vulture enclosure, helping keepers in the sealion house / at the seal pond – encountering Snoopy the seal in her retirement at Gweek Seal Sanctuary many years later – and being behind the scenes within the old Children’s Zoo (unsure if it had already changed to the Bird Garden by then) working with the penguin keepers. Something within told me not to accept an elephant ride, would I still decline if offered to me (which in our changing world it wouldn’t be) today? At least I think I remember being able to join in and walk alongside the elephants on their daily walk to the Downs with their keepers.
Happy 200th Birthday ZSL.
Unfortunately, I’m not of an age where I was able to partake in elephant rides* but, through my first venture into volunteering in zoos, I was able to get up close to the historical howdah, the wooden seat affixed on an Elephant for seating purposes, used in the elephant rides at Whipsnade.
It would have been 1991 or 1992, either just before I went off to university or during my university holidays, when I first started volunteering at Whipsnade. I volunteered on both the visitor side, interacting with visitors around the zoo and providing commentary on the steam train as it made its way through the paddocks. I remember regularly getting my left and right sides mixed up as I pointed out animals from the moving train, as we sat facing the visitors on the train and so all was in reverse to us.
As I was at university training to be a teacher, I then offered to volunteer within the Education Department at Whipsnade during holidays and this is where I encountered the howdah. The Head of Education wanted to put the howdah on display and so asked me to clean it. I’m not too sure where the howdah would have been stored since being used 30 years previously, as it was in the Education Department when I saw it, but I would say that it wasn’t in too bad a condition and, not being a trained conservator, my input to cleaning it up involved removing the years of dust that had accumulated upon it with brushes and cloths, maybe even a touch of water.
This was in the days before mobile phones being ever present and my interest in zoo history and so, as I cleaned it, I didn’t even think about taking any photographs, not that I can remember anyhow, and so I have scant memories of what it looked like, apart from the postcard images on the web reminding me that it was wooden in construction for the seat and feet support and had a burgundy material, possibly with a gold/yellow braid on its edge. It also had a metal rail at either end of the seat for visitors to use to climb on / off and hold onto throughout the ride if they were sat next to it.
The howdah was then on display in the then Education Centre, meaning that it was probably only visible to those using the rooms within and possibly those attending functions in the zoo’s main restaurant (next door at the time) who used the toilets at the end of the building. Nowadays, Whipsnade’s Butterfly House and Aquarium use some of the space that the Education Centre once used. From memory the howdah would have been on display in what is now the main entrance to this visitor space, where you turn right for the toilets and left to enter the shop / aquarium, but the configuration of the space has slightly changed. I’m not too sure where the howdah moved to once off display but would hope that it is still somewhere at Whipsnade, maybe even being brought out again as ZSL celebrates its 200th year if so, with 2026 also being 100 years since the Whipsnade site was purchased.
As well as lightly cleaning the howdah, I created a display on the howdah - what it was, how it was used at Whipsnade – and so I had access to the archive at Whipsnade, which at that time was held within the main admin building. I also had access to another area within the old Children’s Zoo which, at the time, held Whipsnade’s specimen collection where I clearly remember seeing lots of pickled animals in jars. As mentioned, I’m guessing that having access to the archive at Whipsnade may have helped to develop my interest in zoo history, something which was firmly cemented after staying in Hampshire after university and beginning my volunteering at Marwell Zoo. This is where I attended my first Bartlett Society (Zoo History) meeting, which was the 20th Anniversary Meeting. Looking back, I definitely remember disappearing in to the Whipsnade archive for hours at a time.
*Although I said that I was unfortunate not to be of an age where I was able to partake in elephant rides, I was offered the chance to take a ride on one of Whipsnade’s young Asian elephants (Anna?) when I carried out my Year 11 School Work Experience in 1989, when the elephants were still in the Tecton Elephant House / outside enclosure opposite the entrance to the zoo (now disused / the lemur walkthrough). I clearly remember my week of Work Experience - being up a ladder within the Elephant House washing / brushing elephant dung off the walls, sweeping up leaves in the vulture enclosure, helping keepers in the sealion house / at the seal pond – encountering Snoopy the seal in her retirement at Gweek Seal Sanctuary many years later – and being behind the scenes within the old Children’s Zoo (unsure if it had already changed to the Bird Garden by then) working with the penguin keepers. Something within told me not to accept an elephant ride, would I still decline if offered to me (which in our changing world it wouldn’t be) today? At least I think I remember being able to join in and walk alongside the elephants on their daily walk to the Downs with their keepers.
Happy 200th Birthday ZSL.
I’ve been a London volunteer for 9 years: a couple of memorable anecdotes I thought you may like to hear…
I was at the Komodo dragon exhibit and a man approached me with a beaming smile:
“My daughter had a question for you!” A little girl about 4 years old stepped up and asked:
“Why hasn’t your dragon got any wings?” As her father tried to hide his hysteria in the background!
A little child was looking for the meerkats, when they were next to the otters. I suggested he looked through the front window as it was late in the day minding his head as he got down. He looked, turned around and went back to his family and got a book from his buggy.
“What are you doing?” Asked his mum.
“They’re going to sleep so I’m going to read them a bedtime story!”
I was at the Komodo dragon exhibit and a man approached me with a beaming smile:
“My daughter had a question for you!” A little girl about 4 years old stepped up and asked:
“Why hasn’t your dragon got any wings?” As her father tried to hide his hysteria in the background!
A little child was looking for the meerkats, when they were next to the otters. I suggested he looked through the front window as it was late in the day minding his head as he got down. He looked, turned around and went back to his family and got a book from his buggy.
“What are you doing?” Asked his mum.
“They’re going to sleep so I’m going to read them a bedtime story!”
My grandson must have been about 4 (he is now 14) when we came to visit (as we did regularly) and unusually all the elephants were at the back enclosure where the bull is normally kept now. We were watching them when all of a sudden all the elephants facing outwards, backed around one of the females, and the bull mounted the female in the middle and after the deed was done they all trumpeted and then dispersed! It was like a flash mob mating event and only my grandson Ethan and I were around to witness it. Because I was holding Ethan I couldn't get me phone out to take a picture of it but it is etched on my memory. I think that Elizabeth was born in 2016 and I always wondered if that was the moment of conception????
What a privilege as a member of the ZSL team working in Fundraising to be welcomed into the world of wildlife health and pathology. The chance to view a dissection of a harbour porpoise was educational, fascinating and simply wonderful! There are so many experts in so many fields at ZSL all working together to protect wildlife. Their work is only made possible by the fabulous community of support. Thank you to you all - Members, Fellows, Patrons, Donors, Corporate partners, Fellows and Volunteers - for sharing in the mission to protect species and restore habitats.
I cherish a picture I have of my belated father, my brother, sister and I by the giraffe enclosure at London Zoo. I was only around 3 years old but it is a day I remember and is up there in my top 5 childhood memories.
In my adult life, I enjoyed taking my own children to London Zoo, but mostly visiting Whipsnade. We had season tickets and would use them regularly, sometimes twice a week in school holidays. We would always take the children on New Year's Day, a perfect way to see in the New Year at our happy place. This New Year's Day we all took a trip down memory lane and spent a wonderful day at Whipsnade, it didn't disappoint! Here's to many more centuries of ZSL.
In my adult life, I enjoyed taking my own children to London Zoo, but mostly visiting Whipsnade. We had season tickets and would use them regularly, sometimes twice a week in school holidays. We would always take the children on New Year's Day, a perfect way to see in the New Year at our happy place. This New Year's Day we all took a trip down memory lane and spent a wonderful day at Whipsnade, it didn't disappoint! Here's to many more centuries of ZSL.
Whipsnade has always held a special place in my heart. My Grandparents lived in a local village and we could see the chalk lion on the hillside from their living room window. I remember the magical days when it used to be lit at night. (It would be amazing if that could happen again, especially for the 200th anniversary!)
As children we visited regularly and have hundreds of photos of the many different animals and enclosures over the years. The elephants used to be first sight as you came through the entrance with their iconic cylindrical houses!
Some memories that come to mind are of grandad pushing us round in giant tortoise shells with wheels - I never knew if they were real shells or replica?!
And my younger brother throwing his hoody up so high it landed on the top of the chimpanzee enclosure! The chimps we're climbing up trying to get it, ignoring the electric wires at the top, it was quite a scary moment! The keepers were all on hand and managed to bribe the chimp with food to actually get the hoody back in one piece!
That's a story we'll never forget and my brother is now 35!
Sadly my grandad passed away in the early 90's at a very young age but we had an Oak tree planted by what was the wolf enclosure (now the painted dogs) so we have to go to the tree whenever we visit, it's become a family tradition and even now that we all live in Devon. We came back this year at Easter for a visit making more memories with my own children and it was my youngest sons first zoo visit.
Happy 200th Birthday! xx
As children we visited regularly and have hundreds of photos of the many different animals and enclosures over the years. The elephants used to be first sight as you came through the entrance with their iconic cylindrical houses!
Some memories that come to mind are of grandad pushing us round in giant tortoise shells with wheels - I never knew if they were real shells or replica?!
And my younger brother throwing his hoody up so high it landed on the top of the chimpanzee enclosure! The chimps we're climbing up trying to get it, ignoring the electric wires at the top, it was quite a scary moment! The keepers were all on hand and managed to bribe the chimp with food to actually get the hoody back in one piece!
That's a story we'll never forget and my brother is now 35!
Sadly my grandad passed away in the early 90's at a very young age but we had an Oak tree planted by what was the wolf enclosure (now the painted dogs) so we have to go to the tree whenever we visit, it's become a family tradition and even now that we all live in Devon. We came back this year at Easter for a visit making more memories with my own children and it was my youngest sons first zoo visit.
Happy 200th Birthday! xx
This year marks 20 years of working at ZSL - something I never dreamed when I started here. I can still remember sitting in a pub with a copy of the Guardian and seeing the job advertised - I knew I had to go for it. It's been a dream since then, and impossible to choose a favourite memory because there are just so many - ZSL has given me richer life experiences than I could ever have imagined, and I am still so grateful to be here. I am really proud of Land of the Lions, and the immersive storytelling approach we took for that, and ZooTown which was an idea brewing for so long and I can barely believe we got to create it. Number 1 memory is probably meeting Queen Elizabeth II and shaking her hand - if my nan hadn't been dead already, she would have died hearing that! I don't have the sort of background where meeting the Queen ever seemed a possibility so I'm eternally thankful for that moment courtesy of ZSL.
I first visited Whipsnade having moved back to the UK after living in Australia for 5 years. I had moved away from my family & didn’t know many people in the area. The zoo was a place for my baby & I to discover together & many hours were spent there riding around in the zoo bus & walking with the buggy whilst my son slept. As my son grew & my other son was born we continued to visited each week and he began to enjoy more than the bus ride around. We loved seeing the elephants on their daily walk, enjoyed the sea lion show & the underground walk through where the world was blue. Over the years as my sons grew we saw many of the changes introduced with the butterfly house & aquarium where the reptiles/animal house was. They also enjoyed the park revamp & soft play however it was always the animals, each time we would see something different, visiting & seeing new babies. Every time we fully enjoy it. We also have an annual visit to London Zoo & my son loved the junior zookeeper for a day experience he had there. Being members we often visited straight after school, having a couple of hours there & enjoying a picnic tea. It will always be a special place for our family & we hope to continue making many more special memories there to come.
Having lived in London all my life and still do, I was lucky enough to work at London zoo as a teenager at the same time as my Dad who worked in the works department until his retirement.
I worked in the zoo’s gift shop, which was then near the gibbons enclosure, it was so lovely hearing them first thing in the mornings. I then became a sweeper , which was great as I met so many visitors wanting a photo with my witches broom and saw lots of different animals on my different patches, and then worked in the Clock tower, hiring out the pushchairs .
I have continued to visit London zoo with my children, then Grandchildren and now great grandchildren. My husband and I are now Gold members and now visit weekly as he’s just retired.
We love visiting the zoo, and had a wonderful day celebrating the 200 years birthday on Wednesday 29th April 2026. The birthday cakes were delicious.
I worked in the zoo’s gift shop, which was then near the gibbons enclosure, it was so lovely hearing them first thing in the mornings. I then became a sweeper , which was great as I met so many visitors wanting a photo with my witches broom and saw lots of different animals on my different patches, and then worked in the Clock tower, hiring out the pushchairs .
I have continued to visit London zoo with my children, then Grandchildren and now great grandchildren. My husband and I are now Gold members and now visit weekly as he’s just retired.
We love visiting the zoo, and had a wonderful day celebrating the 200 years birthday on Wednesday 29th April 2026. The birthday cakes were delicious.
I started working at Whipsnade in 1991 when I worked in the Admissions department. My Mother in Law Sheila Turvey arranged for me to have an interview with Ralph Coates and Pauline Clark. I loved the job and later on the admissions department and Retail shop joined together as a department.
In 1996 I became a Supervisor of both Departments working with Manager Maureen White and Tessa Roche the other supervisor.
When Maureen and Tessa Retired Nicola Mathers became the manager and Lauren Barret the other Supervisor. We had lots of lovely staff come and go, too many to mention. Later on Faye Everett became deputy Manager and Ant Newman was in charge of The Railway. Lauren and I became Team Leader and Beth Peters and Clare Jackson joined us as Team Leaders as well.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working for ZSL and I will always have a soft spot for them in my heart. I took Voluntary redundancy in November 2025.
Happy 200th Birthday London Zoo and ZSL.
In 1996 I became a Supervisor of both Departments working with Manager Maureen White and Tessa Roche the other supervisor.
When Maureen and Tessa Retired Nicola Mathers became the manager and Lauren Barret the other Supervisor. We had lots of lovely staff come and go, too many to mention. Later on Faye Everett became deputy Manager and Ant Newman was in charge of The Railway. Lauren and I became Team Leader and Beth Peters and Clare Jackson joined us as Team Leaders as well.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working for ZSL and I will always have a soft spot for them in my heart. I took Voluntary redundancy in November 2025.
Happy 200th Birthday London Zoo and ZSL.
I remember being taken to the zoo as a child and having so many wonderful encounters and experiences, that sparked a lifetime love of animals. Now, I enjoy taking my own children to the zoo and love seeing that same passion and interest in them.
My family and I have been to London Zoo every year since our daughter was 6 years old and she was diagnosed with Autism & ADHD and London zoo calmed her when she see the Animals, she is now 14 and loves the Zoo.
We have lots of magnets, soft toys from the Zoo gift shop over the years. My late Mum used to take me to London Zoo when i was a little girl and i remember you having Elephants, chimps and Rhinos which are no longer available at London zoo anymore.
We want to wish you a big Happy 200th birthday London Zoo 🎉🎊🥳🎁🎂🍾🥂 from the Conway family
We have lots of magnets, soft toys from the Zoo gift shop over the years. My late Mum used to take me to London Zoo when i was a little girl and i remember you having Elephants, chimps and Rhinos which are no longer available at London zoo anymore.
We want to wish you a big Happy 200th birthday London Zoo 🎉🎊🥳🎁🎂🍾🥂 from the Conway family
Our family has a special affinity to the White Rhinos as my (late) Uncle who was in the Merchant Navy and Captain of his ship in the early nineties was asked to bring some special cargo back from South Africa - this turned out to be a White Rhino! This Rhino is named Nsiswa ‘Sizzle’ and has been very successful in the breeding program since his arrival over 30 years ago, fathering over 16 calves!! His offspring have produced over 37 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren across Europe!!
Regular visits to Whipsnade Zoo are a fond memory of my childhood and I now love bringing my own children. It’s great to see the conservation programs develop over the years and the enclosures increase in size from the Polar Bear pit and the Leopard cage back in the 80’s. I can even remember riding a camel at Whipsnade Zoo as a child!
Regular visits to Whipsnade Zoo are a fond memory of my childhood and I now love bringing my own children. It’s great to see the conservation programs develop over the years and the enclosures increase in size from the Polar Bear pit and the Leopard cage back in the 80’s. I can even remember riding a camel at Whipsnade Zoo as a child!
From a young age, I appreciated the animals, flora, and fauna around me. A collector of animal books with a desire to work with animals, I saw ZSL as the pinnacle of animal conservation. It had been a dream of mine to go to London Zoo one day, but my parents were never in the position to drive so far away from home. My dream came true back in 2024 when I booked a mini-getaway. I was gutted when I had to leave before seeing everything!! While my wish to work with animals has (so far) been fruitless, with a career in teaching instead, London Zoo reignited my passion for conservation work and I now post about conservation efforts on social media as well as raise awareness for the rights of animals to my students. I'm returning to London Zoo in July 2026, with my partner with me this time to experience the sheer joy I did during my first time, and one day I hope to bring my future children to show them the wonders of the world around them. Thank you for all you do, ZSL.
My first memory of London Zoo was fainting in the Reptile House as a young child. Who could have predicted that, 30 years later, I’d be working there as part of the digital team (social media didn’t even exist then!)
I grew up with Whipsnade Zoo on my doorstep and have so many childhood memories there (although annoyingly no photos to prove it). It’s always been a really special place for me. As I got older, I used to drive past the Zoo, hoping that someday I’d be lucky enough to work there. Then out of the blue one day, something told me to check the website. The perfect role was being advertised, I got the job, and nearly 10 years on I’m still here.
From feeding giraffes and photographing newborn babies, to appearing on TV programmes like MasterChef and walking on the White Lion, I’ve had some incredible – and very varied – experiences over the years. More recently, it was a lot of fun to be part of our world record attempt, and a huge honour to get to meet the King and shake his hand.
It really is a privilege to work with such passionate people, wildlife experts, and amazing animals. And I’m now fortunate enough to be able to bring my daughter to the Zoos and experience them in a new way through her eyes. Thank you ZSL.
I grew up with Whipsnade Zoo on my doorstep and have so many childhood memories there (although annoyingly no photos to prove it). It’s always been a really special place for me. As I got older, I used to drive past the Zoo, hoping that someday I’d be lucky enough to work there. Then out of the blue one day, something told me to check the website. The perfect role was being advertised, I got the job, and nearly 10 years on I’m still here.
From feeding giraffes and photographing newborn babies, to appearing on TV programmes like MasterChef and walking on the White Lion, I’ve had some incredible – and very varied – experiences over the years. More recently, it was a lot of fun to be part of our world record attempt, and a huge honour to get to meet the King and shake his hand.
It really is a privilege to work with such passionate people, wildlife experts, and amazing animals. And I’m now fortunate enough to be able to bring my daughter to the Zoos and experience them in a new way through her eyes. Thank you ZSL.
I remember as a school child, I was tasked with making a poster to advertise a fictional attraction. Inspired by a recent trip to Whipsnade Zoo (one of many I made as a child), I chose to advertise a day at a zoo. Little did I know then that one day I would be working in the marketing team for not one, but two incredible Zoos!
I have had the privilege of promoting our two ZSL conservation zoos for nearly 13 years and in that time I’ve had some experiences I would have never imagined. I’ve met, fed and cleaned up after some incredible animals, walked on fire, fallen asleep listening to the lions roars, coated animal poo in resin (one of the smellier tasks!), co-ordinated and participated in photoshoots and events, helped to develop new visitor experiences and, more recently, shaken the hands of Their Majesties, The King and Queen!
I’ve enjoyed being able to take my daughters to the Zoos over the years, growing and nurturing their love for animals and the environment. My youngest currently says she wants to do what I do when she grows up. Who knows, maybe she will!
I have had the privilege of promoting our two ZSL conservation zoos for nearly 13 years and in that time I’ve had some experiences I would have never imagined. I’ve met, fed and cleaned up after some incredible animals, walked on fire, fallen asleep listening to the lions roars, coated animal poo in resin (one of the smellier tasks!), co-ordinated and participated in photoshoots and events, helped to develop new visitor experiences and, more recently, shaken the hands of Their Majesties, The King and Queen!
I’ve enjoyed being able to take my daughters to the Zoos over the years, growing and nurturing their love for animals and the environment. My youngest currently says she wants to do what I do when she grows up. Who knows, maybe she will!
I loved the zoo in the 60s with lions tigers bears elephants and chi chi the panda and way more
My minor claim to fame is that my great-great grandfather, George Jacob Rance (1865-1956) was a blacksmith working for the Ashridge Estate in nearby Studham and had the honour of making the main gates for Whipsnade Zoo in around 1926. I have photographs of George, but sadly none of the gates!
London Zoo 1958. My younger sister and I went on a family day trip. I can still remember it now. I’d have been about 7. I do have to remind myself those were very different times but at the time we loved the visits. The chimps’ tea party. Riding on the giant tortoise as well as on both elephants and camels. Chi chi the giant panda. Guy the Gorilla.
Glad that doesn’t happen now but back in the day it inspired my love of wildlife and the environment. I went on to read Zoology at Reading. Times change. But the inspiration zoos provide young people is still as important as ever.
Glad that doesn’t happen now but back in the day it inspired my love of wildlife and the environment. I went on to read Zoology at Reading. Times change. But the inspiration zoos provide young people is still as important as ever.
When my daughter was still a baby and toddler, I used to take her to London Zoo every Friday during the warmer months, as it was my day off and "our fun day" out together.
We had so much fun learning about all the animals together, enjoying ice cream or having a picnic on the lawn.
She particularly loved Penguin Beach, which was always our first stop, but also seeing the Tigers rest in the shade, exploring the butterflies and looking at the huge giraffes.
Now she's just started school and her love for animals and wildlife has only grown stronger. I recently took her back to the Zoo and we saw a Squirrel Monkey with her tiny baby on her back – that was very special and memorable.
I'm very grateful for our fond memories and fun time together at the Zoo, and can't wait to make more memories there.
When I was little, my Dad used to take me to the Zoo back in Germany where I grew up, all the time, and I'm glad I can share the same experience with my daughter now. Hopefully this will help grow a lifelong love and care for animals.
We had so much fun learning about all the animals together, enjoying ice cream or having a picnic on the lawn.
She particularly loved Penguin Beach, which was always our first stop, but also seeing the Tigers rest in the shade, exploring the butterflies and looking at the huge giraffes.
Now she's just started school and her love for animals and wildlife has only grown stronger. I recently took her back to the Zoo and we saw a Squirrel Monkey with her tiny baby on her back – that was very special and memorable.
I'm very grateful for our fond memories and fun time together at the Zoo, and can't wait to make more memories there.
When I was little, my Dad used to take me to the Zoo back in Germany where I grew up, all the time, and I'm glad I can share the same experience with my daughter now. Hopefully this will help grow a lifelong love and care for animals.
Have been coming to whipsnade for 48 years! I even remember the dolphin!
Swapping rural life for the middle of London while studying Bioveterinary Science at the RVC was a huge transition and uni life in the city often felt lonely. ZSL London Zoo gave me a quiet place to reset. Being around the animals brought me back to my roots and gave me a sense of home when I needed it most
I was a toddler when my family first took me to London Zoo it was when you had the old Lion House with iron bars and I remember being scared by the animals roaring. Dad having paid was determined to see everything so we would follow a route with the map to miss nothing. One of the best things about having a family membership with my own son was the ability to drop by and stay just long enough knowing we always got our moneys worth in the year. I do miss the old reptile house and the Victorian cast iron benches but it’s remarkable all the changes I have seen in animal habitat and modern buildings in such a small footprint.
I have visited Whipsnade Zoo since I was 3 years old. My parents bought membership every year.
We have always done this for our 3 children and now we gift membership to our grandchildren. I have been a Volunteer at Whipsnade Zoo for over 20 years and I still see something new every time I am on duty.
I am extremely proud of our lovely zoo. I love helping other people to enjoy and learn from their visit. Witnessing the lighting of our lion last week was wonderful.
We have always done this for our 3 children and now we gift membership to our grandchildren. I have been a Volunteer at Whipsnade Zoo for over 20 years and I still see something new every time I am on duty.
I am extremely proud of our lovely zoo. I love helping other people to enjoy and learn from their visit. Witnessing the lighting of our lion last week was wonderful.
My relationship with the Zoo started in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, I had a young child and the Zoo was the first family activity and day out we could do along with a small mums group we were able to social walk around Whipsnade pushing our babies!
My LO is now animal mad, we visit regularly, became a zoo explorer and currently wants to be a Zoo Keeper and for Whipsnade look after the elephants cleaning up poo in the morning and then train the birds for the bird show.
Happy Birthday ZSL!
Love to all the animals! Thank you to all the keepers, vets, volunteers and staff
My LO is now animal mad, we visit regularly, became a zoo explorer and currently wants to be a Zoo Keeper and for Whipsnade look after the elephants cleaning up poo in the morning and then train the birds for the bird show.
Happy Birthday ZSL!
Love to all the animals! Thank you to all the keepers, vets, volunteers and staff
Whipsnade was my closest zoo and we spent many happy days visiting throughout my childhood. It was here I fell in love with marine animals, determined that one day I'd get to work with sea lions after falling in love with Barkley and Salt in particular.
Some years later I developed a fascination with gila monsters and so my aunt and uncle took me for my first visit to London Zoo to see one in real life - I was mesmerised!
Fast forward to 18, I signed up as a volunteer explainer, getting to speak to people about all the animals I love every other weekend. I signed up to study animal management and eventually stepped up my volunteering to park birds, farm and sea lions where I was able to spend a short bit of precious time with Salt before she passed - I was even followed to a zoo in Scotland by Barkley's grandson Oscar a few years later!
And of course the only logical place for my work experience was Whipsnade too. I was very lucky to be accepted onto the then called Africa department which was a dream come true. I eventually came back and became engaged on a lodge night in front of my favourite lion, Max!
After college I went on to study marine biology, work with sea lions (and many other species) but it turned out to be environmental education that meant the most to me. After 10 years in zoos, I've now spent many happy years educating people about British wildlife and conservation, and I can only thank ZSL (and all the incredible people I met there) for fostering my curiosity and passion in leading me to where I am today.
It is now an absolute privilege to bring my children to the zoo and watch their world open up to the incredible animals we share this planet with.
Some years later I developed a fascination with gila monsters and so my aunt and uncle took me for my first visit to London Zoo to see one in real life - I was mesmerised!
Fast forward to 18, I signed up as a volunteer explainer, getting to speak to people about all the animals I love every other weekend. I signed up to study animal management and eventually stepped up my volunteering to park birds, farm and sea lions where I was able to spend a short bit of precious time with Salt before she passed - I was even followed to a zoo in Scotland by Barkley's grandson Oscar a few years later!
And of course the only logical place for my work experience was Whipsnade too. I was very lucky to be accepted onto the then called Africa department which was a dream come true. I eventually came back and became engaged on a lodge night in front of my favourite lion, Max!
After college I went on to study marine biology, work with sea lions (and many other species) but it turned out to be environmental education that meant the most to me. After 10 years in zoos, I've now spent many happy years educating people about British wildlife and conservation, and I can only thank ZSL (and all the incredible people I met there) for fostering my curiosity and passion in leading me to where I am today.
It is now an absolute privilege to bring my children to the zoo and watch their world open up to the incredible animals we share this planet with.
The family always visited at Easter and I would always want to go straight to my favourite the bears!! As a child I wrote to the zoo keeper of the bears and still have my reply from John Lucas. Years later I did animal care at college and work experience at Whipsnade and got to feed the bears and go into their enclosure for a clean. I went on to volunteer at the zoo and then get seasonal work on the farm before moving on to full time zoo keeping at drusillas and then dudley where I have been for 22 years... Whipsnade was the start of the dream and my zoo keeping story
When I was young our family had a family membership so have many wonderful memories.
One happy memory in particular was going to something called Saturday club. This ran several times a year and allowed junior members to get involved behind the scenes. I remember helping to clear then feed the lemurs, getting close to the rhino's and the hippos. It sadly wouldn't be allowed now but was such fun.
One happy memory in particular was going to something called Saturday club. This ran several times a year and allowed junior members to get involved behind the scenes. I remember helping to clear then feed the lemurs, getting close to the rhino's and the hippos. It sadly wouldn't be allowed now but was such fun.
I visited Whipsnade zoo throughout my childhood. It was my local zoo and I absolutely loved it. Over time I realised I had a true passion for animals and was truly inspired by the stories about the successful conservation efforts ZSL was involved in. I am now running my own Europe wide research project for conservation efforts in zoos as well as supporting a second research project. All of which wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t heard about the amazing conservation work of zoos. Little me wouldn’t believe what my career looks like today!
My Mum and Dad both worked at the zoo, that's how they met ! My Dad was on the retail side and my mum was a secretary. Over the years, we had many celebrations and visits to the zoo, something that has carried on since they both passed away and now their grandchildren also keep going on any special anniversary. It is a place so special to us all but so wonderful that it is a central spot where we can remember. I've got some fab photos, in particular one with my Mum feeding a giant Chi Chi the giant panda. Also, one of my Dad peering over the shoulder of Queen Elizabeth and another of a young elephant in the Zoo gift shop. Anyway, keep up the extraordinary good work and we will keep visiting.
I lived in the village of Whipsnade from 1948 and when as a boy of 13 years old I knew most of the keepers, they lived in the village - George with his elephant Dixie at the zoo. and Maxwell the Parrot keeper. I used to go up to the zoo delivering milk on a horse and cart with the churns on the back. The milkman was a Polish refugee who stayed in the country after the war. I also delivered newspapers to the zoo. I kept pet mice which eventually I took to the zoo for the snakes to eat! Some of the exotic birds used to escape and fly into the village of Whipsnade- peacocks etc and the boys in the village used to round them up and take them back to the zoo. I also volunteered to work on the gate , which was a swing gate at that time - 1950's. If the parents took their children in a pram which they couldn't get through the swing gate, I used to take the pram, and go into the side entrance and wait for them to come via the swing gate and they gave me tips! I had to keep the prams in sight of the parents. They were magical days, all the zoo staff were kind me - a young kid of 13, and I have never forgotten them. I am now 83 years old and frequently visit my old home village of Whipsnade. Gerald Bird