Marwell Zoo begins annual count of all creatures great and small
Keepers at the Hampshire conservation charity are required by law each year to complete an audit.
Thousands of animals from stick insects to white rhinos are being tallied up for the annual stocktake at Marwell Zoo.
Keepers at the Hampshire conservation charity are required by law each year to complete an audit of the 2,500 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates in their care.
Species such as Caribbean giant cockroaches and stick insects are counted in groups, but all others are recorded individually.
Among the latest arrivals to be included in the count is four-year-old white rhino Zahra, which was born as part of an endangered species breeding programme and has joined the zoo’s “crash” of rhinos, Kiri, Sula, Pembe and Jabari.
“Southern white rhinos were previously hunted to near extinction, leaving only approximately 20-50 individuals at the end of the 19th century.”
Other recent additions include a third endangered banteng calf born on Saturday, joining two youngsters born in December.
Banteng, which are a new species for Marwell, are found throughout south east Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Debbie Pearson, animal registrar, said: “Every year we complete the audit in accordance with zoo legislation to ensure the numbers we have on record tally with the animals we have on the ground before sending the final figures to our local authority.
“This year we have more than 2,500 different animals across 141 different species.
The zoo spokeswoman added: “Although the audit is undertaken once a year, keepers continually count the zoo’s animals, the record of which is published at the end of January.
“The annual inventory is shared around the world via a database designed to ensure the best possible management of worldwide conservation-breeding programmes.”