Zookeeper Poppy Jewell weighs a Capybara during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo, in London. (Dominic Lipinski/ London Zoo via SWNS)
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By Isobel Williams
Cute footage shows penguins, capybaras, giant tortoises and more being weighed in an annual zoo tradition.
Giant Galapagos tortoises, Humboldt penguins, ring-tailed lemurs, giant katydids, and magnolia land snails can all be seen on the scales after a weigh-in at London Zoo today (August 19).
Zookeeper Jessica Ray weighs Humboldt Penguins during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo, in London. (Dominic Lipinski/ London Zoo via SWNS)
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The famous zoo regularly weighs and measures its animals to monitor their health and to identify pregnancies.
Some animals are trained to stand on the scales, or lured on with snacks, while others are tricked with hidden scales in doorways.
Zookeeper Chelsea Reid-Johnson weighs ring-tailed lemurs during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo, in London. (Dominic Lipinski/ London Zoo via SWNS)
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.
Zookeeper Cat Dixon weighs a Magnolia Land Snail during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo, in London. (Dominic Lipinski/ London Zoo via SWNS)
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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.”
Zookeeper Jamie Mitchell weighs a Giant Hooded Katydid during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo, in London. (Dominic Lipinski/ London Zoo via SWNS)
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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.
Priscilla, a Giant Galapagos Tortoise, is weighed during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo, in London. (Dominic Lipinski/ London Zoo via SWNS)
By Talker
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.”
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