ZSL

The Zoological Society of London -- a.k.a. the London Zoo -- houses over 15,000 animals. There's a Butterfly Paradise, an African Bird Safari, and an impressive aquarium. (The term 'aquarium' actually originated at this zoo). The aquarium contains exhibits of fish from the Amazon, as well as a coral reef.

London's zoo is notable for unique or beloved creatures. It housed the only living quagga ever to be photographed. The quagga, which looks like a cross between a horse and a zebra, was hunted to extinction in the 1870's.

A.A. Milne's beloved Winnie the Pooh was based on Winnipeg Bear ('Winnie'). Milne's son, Christopher Robin became so enamored of Winnie, the author scribed his Pooh books to immortalize him.

In 1949, the zoo bred it's first polar bear, Brumas. Although the press announced Brumas was a male, he was actually a she -- a fact that was not disclosed to the public. She (or he) led to record attendance numbers of 3 million visitors in 1950 -- a record which has not been broken.

More recently,in the summer of 2005, the zoo put 8 humans on display. These human volunteers were adorned with fig leaves, and were intended to highlight the fact we are indeed animals.

I visited the zoo when I lived in London, and was reminded of its history by a passage in a book I'm reading. The zoo was founded by Stamford Raffles and Humphrey Davy in 1826 and received a royal charter two years later.

During World War II, most of the animals were moved to safety at the ZSL's Whipsnade location. The East Tunnel, constructed in 1830, links the north and south parts of the zoo. It provided shelter to thousands of Londoners during the blitz.

Trivia: The python scene from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was filmed at the zoo's Reptile House.