Critter count: London Zoo begins annual animal census

Humboldt Penguins swim in their pool as a keeper looks on through a spherical window during the annual stocktake press preview at London Zoo in Regents Park in London Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. A requirement of ZSL London Zoo’s license, the annual audit takes keepers a week to complete and all of the information is shared with zoos around the world via the International Species Information System, where it’s used to manage the worldwide breeding programmes for endangered animals. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Humboldt Penguins swim in their pool as a keeper looks on through a spherical window during the annual stocktake press preview at London Zoo in Regents Park in London Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. A requirement of ZSL London Zoo’s license, the annual audit takes keepers a week to complete and all of the information is shared with zoos around the world via the International Species Information System, where it’s used to manage the worldwide breeding programmes for endangered animals. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

By Associated Press January 4, 2016 1 min read

LONDON (AP) – Animals stood up to be counted – or in some cases swam, crawled or flew – as London Zoo began its annual census.

Zookeepers with cameras, calculators and clipboards counted critters Monday, the start of a weeklong campaign to record every resident mammal, bird, fish, invertebrate, reptile and amphibian.

The zoo is home to 17,500 animals of more than 750 species, from silverback gorillas to tiny leaf-cutter ants. New arrivals in the past year include a baby Western lowland gorilla and a litter of African hunting dog pups.

Ants and other extremely tiny creatures are counted in colonies, but all others are recorded individually.

The annual stock-taking is required under the license terms of British zoos. The data is used for zoo management and international breeding programs for endangered animals.