New year creature count sees every wing, paw and claw accounted for at Sussex zoo
They have welcomed 60 new animals there in the last year, including sloths, monkeys and a trio of mongeese
An East Sussex zoo has rung in the New Year by counting every single animal they have.
From mammals to insects, Drusillas Park in Alfriston now has 782 creatures. Each resident is accounted for to comply with zoo legislation mandating precise record-keeping of births, deaths, arrivals, and departures.
The past year saw significant growth, with 60 new additions and 36 births within the zoo. Notable newcomers include sloth baby Echo, capybara triplets Squash, Tango, and Marmalade, and the playful colobus monkey Pedro.
Keepers also welcomed rare species like yellow-throated martens and Eurasian lynx, expanding their collection and contributing to species conservation.
The park also commemorated their local football team’s success by naming new Humboldt penguins after Brighton and Hove Albion players.
Even though the zookeepers know the animals well from their daily care, the yearly census ensures that the records regarding each animal's details are accurate and current. Smaller species pose counting challenges, such as constantly breeding invertebrates like the black beauty stick insects.
Most of the animals have individual records, much like our own doctors records, and these are kept on a system called ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System).
Zoo Business Manager, Sue Woodgate, explained: “It’s easy for some of our animals, we always know how many larger species we are looking after, for example our lemurs, armadillos, anteaters etc. But try counting a flock of lovebirds who never sit still, you’ll give up in no time!
"We also have many invertebrates who we use in our education department – for example our black beauty stick insect numbers change all the time, they lay eggs all the time and when these hatch we have a population explosion.”
Each of the animals must have their own record card, holding details of parentage and other important information. Drusillas’ Zookeepers will be taking particular care to ensure all their details have been recorded correctly.
Once completed, this information is submitted to a central database and used by organisations such as the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to manage conservation.
Head Keeper, Gemma Romanis, commented: “Looking after the animals every day means we always know how many of them there are, but the annual stock take is a chance for us to ensure our records are spot on. There’s an awful lot to do and it can be very time consuming, but I really enjoy doing it. It makes a nice change from my usual daily activities.”