London Zoo was opened in 1827 by the

London Zoo was opened in 1827 by the Zoological Society of London. The first enclosures were built to reflect the places the animals came from. African animals were kept in grass huts and goats lived in a Swiss-style chalet, for instance.

Today there are more than 8 000 animals in the Zoo. Some are very rare, so are encouraged to breed and are studied by conservationists. Many of the animals were born in the Zoo, or in other zoos around the world.

The giant Panda, a very rare animal in the Zoo.

The elephants have the biggest appetite in the zoo. An elephant’s daily diet consists of hay, grass pellets, linseed cake, cabbage, carrots, apples, potatoes, dates, bread, salt, vitamins and minerals, washed down with 100 litres of water.

You can adopt an animal at London Zoo for a year. The cost depends on the animal you choose, and is based on the amount of food it eats in a year. Your name goes on a plague near the animal’s cage.