As ZSL conservation zoos, London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo are helping to protect endangered species from all over the world. When visiting our zoos, you not only see and learn about lots of animals, but these animals are also part of conservation breeding programmes.
This means we’re working with other good zoos to preserve a healthy population of these animals, and to do this we sometimes need to introduce new animals or move animals to other zoos to form new breeding pairs or join new groups. These moves are informed by research, science and the animals themselves – if they’re not settled, we try and find homes where they will be.
Over the next few months, a number of animals at London and Whipsnade will be moving to new homes – you can read all about it below.
Packing their trunks
Zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo are currently preparing for the mammoth task of moving two of our Asian elephants; Karishma and her daughter Elizabeth (Beth).
You may have noticed this mother-daughter duo has been living separately from the rest of the herd for some time. This was in response to a shift in the collective behaviour of the elephants. Our expert elephant keepers could tell that two separate herds were developing, something that can happen in socially-complex species as their social hierarchies shift around.
We have been working closely with breeding programme coordinators to find a new home for Karishma and Beth, and are very happy to announce that they will be moving to Chester Zoo this Spring.
We know you’ll all join us in wishing Karishma and Beth the best as they start their new chapter at Chester Zoo.
Spot the difference
We will soon be saying goodbye to our beloved Cheetah trio – brothers Fred, Robyn, and Billy. Arriving in May 2022, they quickly captured all of our hearts – and we know that many of you felt the same.
Billy will move to Edinburgh Zoo at the end of February, to establish his own family in the Scottish capital.
Cheetah Rock will remain a brotherly bachelor pad, but in March Fred and Robyn will be swapping habitats with a brother-duo from Bristol Zoo Project, Jake and Oscar.
Make sure to come and visit and see if you can spot the differences!
Roaring to go
London Zoo keepers are preparing for the bittersweet departure of our Sumatran tiger brothers, Zac and Crispin, as they leave to start exciting new chapters at European zoos.
Having reached maturity and ready to move out, Zac will be moving to Zoo Maubeuge in France this spring, with Crispin soon following to Zoo Rheine in Germany. Both will be joining mates as part of vital breeding recommendations within the European breeding programme for this endangered species.
With their cubs all grown up, parents Asim and Geisha will continue to thrive here in their home at London Zoo. We know you’ll join us in wishing Zac and Crispin the best as they embark on this important next step in their lives.
As a science-driven conservation charity, saving species through breeding programmes at London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo is core to our role in wildlife conversation here at ZSL.
More on conservation breeding
Whipsnade Zoo conservation breeding
We are breeding animals to keep their species healthy in zoos with a population that could eventually be released back into the wild.