Attractions in London

ZSL London Zoo

ZSL London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. Opened on 27 April 1828, it was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study before it eventually opened to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of 806 species of animals (19,178 individuals), making it one of the largest collections in the UK.

The Zoo is located in the north east corner of London’s Regent’s Park and is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Run by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), ZSL London Zoo is part of a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats, along with its sister site, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

ZSL is actively involved in ‘bringing down the bars’ by creating interactive, immersive and inspiring exhibits. As visitors walk around ZSL London Zoo’s 36 acre site, they are brought closer to nature and, in recent years, new exhibits such as Tiger Territory, Penguin Beach, Giants of the Galapagos, Meet the Monkeys, Rainforest Life, and Gorilla Kingdom show how ZSL creates realistic environments to house some of the world’s most impressive and inspiring animals.

The Zoo is involved in a combination of conservation projects in the UK and overseas, breeding programmes for native and exotic animals, and research within the Zoo; and works very closely with BIAZA (the British and Irish Association of Zoo and Aquariums) and EAZA (the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums).