We celebrated International Tiger Day on 29 July! Activities are now over for 2025 - find out what's coming up at the Zoo.
London Zoo is home to three critically endangered Sumatran tigers - Gaysha, Asim and their three-year-old cub, Crispin. We're celebrating on 29 July with a day of extra activities, keeper Q&As, games, puzzles, and prizes to be won! What's more, it's all included in our normal day admission ticket to the Zoo!
Why are we celebrating?
Sumatran tigers are the most endangered of all tiger subspecies, with only an estimated 300 left in the wild. These beautiful apex predators are vital to the biodiversity of healthy Indonesian forests but are suffering at the hands of unsustainable palm oil production and the Illegal Wildlife Trade. London Zoo manages their global breeding programme to safeguard these incredible animals, and we are incredibly lucky to have three Sumatran tigers at our Zoo. On International Tiger Day, we want to show everyone how amazing they are and each of their unique personalities. Learn all about their incredible adaptations, the threats tigers are sadly facing in the wild, and how you can help ZSL to protect them.
We are not only celebrating our wonderful Sumatran Tiger Family with countless Tiger Talks and Keeper Q&As (some of which will be accompanied by tiger enrichment or a feed) but we are very lucky to be welcoming a panel of special guests to our tiger celebrations to discuss the joint Tiger Conservation Coalition venture and what we are doing to help tigers in the wild.
Matt Woolf, Project Manager for ZSL's Terai Arc Transboundary Landscape Project; Debbie Banks from the Environmental Investigation Agency; Amy Gelder from Wildcats Conservation Alliance; Kate Sanders or Tara Humphrey, our Head Tiger Keepers and Future EIA Steward and conservation author Catherine Barr will all be taking questions from the public.
Catherine will not only be present on the panel but also reading an excerpt from her new children's book 'The Tiger's Tale - A Conservation Story'. Telling the beautiful but turbulent true tale of the disappearance of tigers from Panna Tiger Reserve in India and, finally, of their heroic return.
These half hour sessions, at 11.30am and 2.30pm, will start with a reading for your younger ones, go into TCC Q&A and end with a creative painting sessions for children, led by Rosie Dutton from EIA. Members have priority entrance (please arrive by 11.25am) for the first session.
Schedule of activities
- 11:00am - Tiger Talk, feed and Conservation Expert Q&A (Tiger Territory)
- 11.30am - Tiger Book reading 'The Tiger's Tale', Tiger Conservation panel Q&A, Tiger art for kids with Rosie. Member Priority - (Activity Cove - opposite Tiny Giants)
- 2:00pm - Tiger Talk and Zookeeper Q&A (Tiger Territory)
- 2.30pm - Tiger Book reading 'The Tiger's Tale', Tiger Conservation panel Q&A, Tiger Art for Kids with Rosie. (Activity Cove - opposite Tiny Giants).
- 3:30pm - Tiger Talk, Exciting Competition and Zookeeper (Tiger Territory)
- 5:00pm - Tiger Talk, Watch Tiger Bedtime Recall (Tiger Territory)
All activities are subject to change
ACTIVITY COVE will be open during the day with tiger-based artefacts, colouring in, activity sheets and much more! - Check the Tiger boards at the entrance for times.
Sumatran tiger conservation
The island of Sumatra is home to the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, a sub-species of tiger not found anywhere else in the world. At ZSL, we’re working at the cutting-edge of conservation to protect Sumatran tigers and other endangered tigers in Asia.
