Cute footage shows penguins, capybaras and lemurs being weighed at London zoo
Cute footage shows penguins, capybaras, giant tortoises and more being weighed in an annual zoo tradition.
Giant Galapagos tortoises, Humboldt penguins, ring-tail lemurs, giant katydids, and magnolia land snails can all be seen on the scales after a weigh in at London Zoo today (August 19).
The famous zoo regularly weighs and measures their animals to monitor their health and to identify pregnancies.
30-year-old tortoise lured with snacks
Some animals are trained to stand on the scales, or lured on with snacks, while others are tricked with hidden scales in doorways.
Priscilla, a 30-year-old giant Galapagos tortoise, was lured onto a board scale with a lettuce snack, which she can be seen munching on in a sweet video.
A pair of the world’s largest rodents, capybaras called Gizmo and Kiwi, can also be seen hopping on the scales.
Checking for pregnancies
The tiny Darwin’s frogs weighed in as one of the Zoo’s smallest creatures, measuring just two centimetres in length, and under two grams in weight.
London Zoo’s animal operations manager Daniel Simmonds said: “The London Zoo Annual Weigh In is not just about numbers on a scale; regular weigh-ins help zookeepers track the health of our animals – including the capybaras, tortoises, and penguins – and genuinely help us manage the care of these animals, who play a vital role in our global conservation efforts.”
The zoo says that their weigh-in is an opportunity to ensure the information recorded for each individual is up-to-date and accurate.
Each measurement is added to the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), a database shared with animal carers and conservationists all over the world.
This helps experts to compare important information on thousands of endangered species.
Daniel added: “Our animals here at London Zoo receive world-class care – and a huge part of this is our meticulous planning of their diets.
"Our zoo-tritionist ensures every animal is getting the nutrients they need, while our keepers devise ways to feed the animals that spark all of their natural instincts – keeping them fit and challenged.”