Regents Park or Camden Town

London Zoo is open daily 10am to 5.30pm. Entry costs £15.40 for adults and £11.90 for children.

020 7722 3333

London's Zoo is actually the oldest scientific zoo in the world, first opening all the way back in 1828. It hosts over 700 species, and over 16,000 animals within the 36-acre site. It is situated just to the south of Camden Town, extremely close to the heart of the city.

Although some of the larger animals - such as elephants and rhinos – have been moved to a larger site at London's sister zoo in Bedfordshire, there are still a wide variety of species to see, ranging from African giraffes, to Asian turtles. Other crowd-pleasing animals on display include lions, tigers and bears, penguins, monkeys, flamingos and snakes – as well as of course, the ever-popular meerkats.

London Zoo has been host to some quite well-known animals, across the years. When Obaysch the Hippo arrived here, for example, he was the first hippo to ever be seen in England. Goldie the golden eagle gained national fame after escaping for an entire fortnight, and Guy the Gorilla became much-loved after living at the zoo for a full 31 years. Previous residents also include Jumbo the Elephant, who was so large that his name is now used to refer to anything of a big size, and Winnie the bear, who was adored in particular by a young boy called Christopher Robin. His father, A.A. Milne, saw Christopher's delight, and decided to write a series of books for him, now famously entitled Winnie the Pooh.

Crowds look on as Obaysch rests in the London Zoo in this 1852 photograph taken by Juan, Count of Montizón

In the 80s, the zoo experienced record lows in visitor numbers. The resulting financial problems, a well as a lack of space for the animals, resulted in the risk of closure, after 150 years. In fact, in 1991, there was even an official announcement of the zoo's end. Luckily, when the public heard this, members flocked to visit. Donations and support went through the roof, allowing London Zoo to not only stay open, but to begin an extensive renovation project that continues to this day. Animals were given larger enclosures, modelled on their natural environments, and new animals were brought in. Recent additions include gorilla and butterfly exhibits - and all signs point towards the zoo continuing to improve every year.

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