Easter weekend has been beautiful at both our zoos.
Glorious sunshine, families everywhere, the energy that comes with school holidays and the first real warmth of the year. If you've been to see us over the past week or so, thank you.
It was busy getting into our zoos at times over Easter so thank you for your patience if you had to wait. Your visits make everything we do possible and we are grateful you chose to spend your day with us.
At Whipsnade, our newest arrival is a Bactrian camel calf named Sophia, born to mum Izzy on 21 March. She's named after Sophia Raffles, the first woman elected as a Fellow of ZSL in 1826 – the year we were founded. Watching Sophia bound about on impossibly long legs in Passage through Asia is a joy and a living reminder of the thread connecting our past to our future.
We've welcomed a sengi at London Zoo too – these extraordinary little elephant shrews look like they've been designed by someone with a sense of humour. Our penguin colonies are starting to lay eggs. There's always something hopeful about that annual ritual: the careful nest-building, the watchful waiting, the first peek of a chick from a nest box.
At Whipsnade, our two young giraffe Leoni and Duke have been making the most of the sunshine, stretching their legs (and necks!) and exploring their outdoor space with increasing confidence. Mick, our baby rhino, has been doing much the same. There's nothing quite like watching a young rhino discover rolling around in the dust for the first time.
Spring has brought sadness too. The cycle of life in a zoo means moments of profound loss alongside the celebrations, and this month has brought more than its share.
On Wednesday, we had to make the incredibly difficult decision to euthanise Bhanu, London Zoo's much-loved Asiatic lion. Even though he was an older lion who had been with us for 10 years it is always hard to say goodbye.
We said goodbye to Molly as well, our 19-year-old giraffe at London Zoo who sustained a vision-threatening injury to her eye. Despite every effort to treat her with eye drops, Molly's anxious nature meant she wouldn't let us get near enough to help her and it got gradually worse. Knowing she would not allow post-operative care if we removed her eye, vets had to make a heartbreaking decision to put her to sleep.
At Whipsnade, Oscar, our elderly male cheetah, who retired here from Bristol Zoo Project also died. At almost 16, Oscar had far exceeded the usual lifespan for a cheetah in zoos. Oscar had only been with us since July last year, but he made an impression on everyone who knew him.
These losses are never easy. Each animal is an individual – known, loved and cared for by the teams who work with them every day. They're part of the work we do: providing the best possible care, making difficult decisions with compassion, holding space for both joy and grief.
Thank you for being part of this with us. Your support helps us care for the animals in our zoos and fund vital conservation work around the world to protect wildlife.
If you didn’t get a chance to visit us this Easter, I hope to see you here soon.
Owen Craft - Director of Operations