Whipsnade Zoo's newest arrivals step on the scales for annual weigh-in
Whipsnade Zoo's newest arrivals have been weighed as keepers began their annual check of the animals at the Dunstable Downs attraction.
An endangered Asian elephant calf, a southern white rhino calf and seven northern cheetah cubs were among the animals to step onto the scales for the weigh-in.
The annual weigh-in allows keepers and vets to record the measurements of animals across the zoo and monitor their health and development.
Asian elephant calf Anu, who was born in June during ZSL's 200th anniversary year, weighed around 110kg at birth and has since gained around 1kg a day, according to his keepers. He has not yet been weaned and is regularly weighed as part of his care.
The zoo's seven northern cheetah cubs were also weighed for the first time after being born in May to first-time mothers Amira and her sister Zara.
Their health checks provide keepers with information about their growth, which is shared through international databases used by conservationists.
Southern white rhino calf Mick also took to the scales, alongside the zoo's two newest Bactrian camel calves, Sophia and Betty.
The zoo's six giraffes also had their measurements updated as part of the annual checks and recorded on Species360, a global database used by zoos, aquariums and wildlife organisations.
The records help organisations monitor animal health, support conservation breeding programmes and improve knowledge of threatened species.
Matthew Webb, head of zoological operations at Whipsnade Zoo, said: “This has been a remarkable year for new arrivals at Whipsnade Zoo, with thousands of births and hatchings.
“As ZSL celebrates 200 years of caring for wildlife, this year's Annual Weigh-In is about much more than numbers on a scale; every record, from an elephant calf's first weight to a lion cub's growth, helps us build a better understanding of wildlife health and contribute to wider conservation knowledge of these animals.”
He added: “Our expert keepers take a unique approach to every animal being weighed.
“Our elephant calf is still following closely behind mum, so a few of their special elephant biscuits helped encourage mum and calf onto the scales, while our cheetah cubs are full of energy and certainly kept the team busy trying to capture accurate weights for them all.”