A science-driven conservation charity, creating a future where wildlife can thrive.
Joined July 2011
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Apr 29
Today ZSL turns 200!
We're celebrating our incredible, rich history – two brilliant centuries of learning, science, conservation and sharing the wonder of wildlife with millions. Here's to the next 200 years.
And today we're taking the next step - announcing plans for a brand-new £20m wildlife health centre, the first in the UK to give people a window onto live vet procedures.
zsl.org/news-and-events/news… #ZSLat200
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In 2018, this funky turtle took the world by storm 🐢
When we announced this bottom-breathing turtle had been added to the @EDGEofExistence list, these incredible photos from Chris Van Wyk took the world by storm.
First established in 2007, EDGE Lists have previously been published for Amphibians, Birds, Corals, Mammals and most recently - plants. Now the spotlight has turned to reptiles, resulting in a list of the top 100 conservation priorities for a class of animals that includes turtles, crocodilians, snakes and lizards. Each species is given an EDGE score, which combines extinction risk with how isolated (or unusual) that species is on the Tree of Life, providing an at-a-glance guide to both its evolutionary uniqueness and conservation status. On the reptiles list, this ‘punk turtle’ came in at number 30.
If such a thing as a viral turtle ever existed – the Mary River turtle absolutely fitted the bill at the time. It’s distinctive appearance inspired people to act and raise awareness worldwide. T-shirts were printed, Melbourne's punk scene held a fundraising concert, a crowdfunder raised over AU$15,000 - and Cate Blanchett voiced a Mary River turtle puppet for the Wilderness Society's Save Ugly Animals campaign.
It's one of our favourite examples of what happens when people discover just how weird and wonderful the natural world really is. Here at ZSL, we inspire, inform and empower people to protect and restore wildlife - and sometimes, it can start with a turtle with great ‘hair’.
📸 Chris Van Wyk
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Jun 8
This #WorldOceanDay, we’re celebrating some of our favourite wins for marine wildlife 💪
The ocean is under pressure, but these wins show us what’s possible when we work together 💙
🔗 By supporting our work, you can be a part of our journey to protect the ocean zsl.org/what-we-do/habitats-…
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Jun 8
🐟 150,000km ² of marine habitat in the Philippine Sea will be protected through a new protected area – safeguarding the waters for both marine life and local communities
🧴 By introducing water fountains across London, we helped eliminate the need for 9 million single-use plastic bottles and removed 137,000 bottles from the Thames
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Jun 8
🦈 More than 70 species of sharks and rays now have stronger protections against unsustainable trade
Join us in celebrating World Ocean Day by sharing your favourite marine success story below 💙
📷 Reef Manta Ray © Leila Scheltema
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Jun 8
Today, the UK Government’s #BlueBeltProgramme celebrates 10 years of protecting over 4 million km² of ocean across the UK Overseas Territories.
Through projects like the South Atlantic Plastics Project, we've worked with partners and communities on Ascension Island and St Helena to tackle plastic pollution threatening some of the world’s most remote marine ecosystems - including the pictured brown booby, which used plastic in its nest on Ascension Island.
By combining science, local knowledge and community action, we’re helping better understand and reduce the impacts of plastic on marine wildlife and coastal habitats: bit.ly/4dXu37U
Here’s to a decade of ocean protection, collaboration, and conservation, and to the communities helping to shape the future of our seas.
#WorldOceanDay
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ZSL retweeted
We're celebrating #WorldOceanDay with our partners in Mozambique: 16 community fisheries councils working across 5 Community Managed Fisheries Areas. These locally governed seascapes restore fish stocks, protect critical habitats and strengthen local governance 💙
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Jun 6
This talking mongoose hoax inspired a whole movie 📽️
In 1931, a family on the Isle of Man claimed a voice had taken up residence behind their farmhouse walls. It introduced itself as Gef - an 80-year-old mongoose from New Delhi who spoke multiple languages and loved a gossip. The story gripped the nation, and hairs supposedly belonging to Gef were sent to our experts for scientific analysis.
Fast forward to 2019, and our Biobank volunteers stumbled across those hairs nearly 90 years on - still preserved on a slide, tucked alongside lemur hairs and platypus venom glands (yes, really). Analysis suggests they're most likely from a domestic dog. The Irving family did have a border collie...
Strange enough to inspire Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, the 2023 film starring Simon Pegg. Even stranger that the evidence ended up with, and remains, with us. Read the full story: zsl.org/news-and-events/feat…
📸 Alamy & Everett Collection
#ZSL #NaturalHistory #Biobank #GefTheMongoose #ZSLat200
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Jun 5
A new study published today shows the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing since 2010, driven by stronger legal protections, restored ecosystems and growing public awareness of why these extraordinary forests matter.
We've seen this first-hand. In the Philippines, we've spent years restoring and protecting 10,000 hectares of mangroves alongside local communities - training over 10,000 conservationists and mangrove specialists to help manage and safeguard them for the long term. That work is at the heart of what we do: restoring habitats so people and wildlife can thrive together.
There's still much to do - particularly in West and Central Africa, where mangroves continue to face serious threats. But today's findings are proof that nature can recover, and that conservation works. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4p…
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Jun 5
An inspiring evening exploring the connections between the health of people, nature and the planet 🌍💚
From global zoonotic disease prevention to the human-induced impacts of chemical pollution on marine mammals, our latest @ZSLScience Wild Talks event was a powerful reminder that wildlife health isn’t separate from human health. As a leader in wildlife health research, at ZSL, we work to understand the profound implications of the interconnectedness of humans, animals and ecosystems.
Our panel of speakers explored how scientific research and real-world action are helping to safeguard the future of our planet by recognising these vital connections, discussing topics from building early warning systems for future pandemics, to engaging and training the next generation of wildlife veterinarians and conservationists.
As said by the evening’s host @DoctorChrisVT “I'm very persuaded that the mandate for action comes from people like the people in this room. I can't think of a better place to locate action than ZSL and the amazing work that we've heard about”
A huge thank you to Professor Chris van Tulleken for hosting such a thought-provoking discussion, and to speakers Dr Javier Sánchez Romano and Dr Rosie Williams from our Institute of Zoology, and Cat Hickey from our Conservation Education team, for sharing their expertise and insights on the importance of a One Health approach.
📽️ Watch the full event recording on YouTube: lnkd.in/eu54yTwn
#OneHealth #WildTalks #CreatingChange #ZSLat200
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Jun 4
Did you see us on BBC Springwatch last night? 📺
If you missed it, you can still see our @ZSLconservation @ZSLMarine lead for UK Nature Recovery, Alison Debney, on catch-up.
Alison joined the team to discuss the huge variety of wildlife that calls the Thames home - and share our work along the banks of this iconic river to study, protect and restore nature
Watch on BBC iPlayer: bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0…
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Jun 3
Planning on watching BBC Springwatch tonight? 📺
Keep an eye out for ZSL's lead for UK Nature Recovery, Alison Debney!
Alison will be joining the team to discuss the huge variety of wildlife that calls the Thames home - and share our work along the banks of this iconic river to study, protect and restore nature
Tune in to BBC 2 at 8pm (BST), or watch it back on BBC iPlayer
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Jun 3
Hedgehogs, puffins and common frogs are among the British Wildlife species shortlisted for new UK banknotes.
We’re helping protect these species through wildlife health research and projects – from London HogWatch to investigating threats facing wild birds and amphibians.
The more visible wildlife is in our daily lives, the more likely we are to value and protect it 💚 bit.ly/4ftlEKB
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Jun 3
This #VolunteersWeek, we'd like to extend a huge thank you to our incredible volunteers all across our science-led conservation charity💚
From welcoming Zoo visitors at @zsllondonzoo and @ZSLWhipsnadeZoo to supporting animal care and global conservation, your passion and dedication make it all possible.
Throughout June, we’ll be sharing some inspiring volunteer stories - watch this space 👀
Feeling inspired? Join our amazing team 👉 zsl.org/support-us/volunteer…
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Jun 2
Back in December, a turtle from @ZSLScience made the cover of TIME magazine.
Named one of TIME's Top 100 Photographs of 2025, the image captures our scientists trialling forensic fingerprinting on wildlife trade seizures - helping catch the criminals behind it.
200 years of science. Still breaking new ground.
zsl.org/news-and-events/news…
#ZSLat200
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May 25
What does it take to be a zoo vet?
If you haven’t listened yet, don’t miss this episode of Wildest Moments! From caring for everything from tiny snails to giant animals, to helping shape modern wildlife healthcare – host Ben Fogle explores a moment with animals that led to his very existence and a career that started at ZSL.
Featuring Dr Bruce Fogle and Dr Amanda Guthrie.
We inspire, inform and empower people to protect and restore wildlife - and sometimes that starts with one extraordinary story.
Wildest Moments is a ZSL podcast, produced by @PeanutandCrumb in partnership with Mountain Warehouse.
zsl.org/200/listen-and-watch… zsl.org/200/listen-and-watch…
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May 23
We're excited to launch the Carnivore Connections Project - an innovative transboundary conservation initiative focused on understanding and restoring connectivity for cheetahs and African wild dogs across the Serengeti–Tsavo landscape in Kenya and Tanzania.
Funded by the Bailey Wildlife Foundation, the project is being implemented by ZSL in collaboration with partners including Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI), Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), Green Dogs Conservation, the University of Glasgow, Serengeti Cheetah Project, and other regional conservation partners.
The project will combine detection dog surveys, genetics and genomics, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, spatial modelling, and field-based ecological monitoring to better understand carnivore movement and connectivity across the wider Kenya–Tanzania borderlands landscape.
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ZSL retweeted
To celebrate @UN Int’l Day for Biological Diversity, we’re sharing a film about our Nov’25 expedition to the #Chagos - 1st in our #Darwin-funded rewilding project 🏝️
🎥 youtu.be/wgAWlYpeGes
🙏 Thanks ProVision Ltd for the video @OfficialZSL @Natures_Voice @kewgardens @UKBCFs
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May 21
Episode 5 of ZSL's Wildest Moments is out TODAY! 🎧✨
When Dr Bruce Fogle from the London Vet Clinic arrived in London from Canada to be a vet at ZSL, he never imagined a golden retriever named Honey would lead him to his future wife - or that years later, history would repeat itself for his son, Ben.
@BenFogle sits down with his father, and ZSL’s Head of Wildlife Health Services, Dr Amanda Guthrie, to explore these remarkable parallels while reflecting on Bruce’s time as a veterinarian at ZSL - working at the heart of the world's first scientific zoo. From caring for an incredible diversity of species to the advances in veterinary medicine he was part of, it’s a fascinating insight into a career shaped here at ZSL.
We inspire, inform and empower people to protect and restore wildlife - and sometimes that starts with one extraordinary story.
Listen now: zsl.org/200/listen-and-watch…
Wildest Moments is a ZSL podcast, produced by @Peanutandcrumb in partnership with Mountain Warehouse.
#ZSLat200 #WildestMoments
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