8 May 2026
London Zoo takes centre stage in a very special episode of Blue Peter, airing this evening.
Go behind the scenes with press officer Anna McConachie to discover how the programme came together.
Behind the scenes action
To mark ZSL’s 200th birthday, this special “Zoo Peter” episode brings together London Zoo and the world’s longest-running children’s TV show, Blue Peter, for an action-packed adventure. Joined by brothers Aaron, Tyler and Cam Whitnall from CBBC’s One Zoo Three, Blue Peter’s presenters Shini and Abby explore the world’s oldest scientific zoo and get up close with the amazing animals who call it home.
A stop at the capy-spara
No visit to London Zoo is complete without a stop in at some of its most popular residents – the capybaras.
Shini and Cam got stuck in, helping our keepers carry out Kiwi and Gizmo’s regular training. They saw how the capybara pair are trained to sit on a comfy sunflower cushion in exchange for a nibble of carrot or a scratch under the chin, allowing their keepers and vets to easily give them a check-over. Shini loved giving the capybaras a good scratch as a reward, almost as much as they enjoyed getting it!
With capybaras becoming internet stars, Shini and Cam also discussed how these giant rodents are sometimes being kept as pets - even though they are wild animals. They learned why this can be a problem, and how the illegal pet trade can put wild capybara populations at risk.
Deliver-Zoo
The Whitnall brothers also took on a challenge of their own, designed to put their knowledge of animals’ nutrition and eating habits to the test. They were tasked with preparing dinner for three mystery animals in the zoo. The catch? They didn’t know who the orders were meant to be going to.
After chopping a mountain of veg, weighing out leaves, and even popping popcorn in the keeper’s kitchen, the brothers raced around the zoo to deliver the parcels, working out en-route who the likely animal would be.
Luckily, they got all the orders correct, and there were no unhappy customers!
A reason to celebrate
This special Blue Peter episode celebrates two centuries of protecting and caring for wildlife at ZSL, and delved into the BBC and ZSL archives to uncover fascinating facts from ZSL’s history, highlighting the amazing conservation and animal care that goes on at London Zoo.
Airing on the 8th of May, this date is significant for another reason; it coincides with Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. Shini and Cam paid a visit to London Zoo's Attenborough Komodo House, which was renamed in Sir David Attenborough’s honour for his 90th birthday. Shini and Cam discovered ZSL’s long history with the iconic naturalist and said hello to Khaleesi, our Komodo dragon.
The presenters also visited ZSL’s other conservation zoo, Whipsnade Zoo for this special episode - find out what the presenters got up to there.
Get Involved
The episode airs on CBBC at 5pm on Friday 8th May, or can be watched on BBC iPlayer.
Have you earned a Blue Peter badge? Blue Peter badge holders can visit London Zoo for free, allowing families to see our amazing conservation work for themselves.
