Battersea Park Children's Zoo Marks 75 Years Since 1951 Opening

Battersea Park Children's Zoo opened in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain pleasure gardens in London. The first animals lived alongside fairground rides and included sheep, rabbits, coatimundi and a llama. Today's visitors enter through the same gate used in 1951.

They encounter ring-tailed lemurs, an African grey parrot named Barry, meerkats and black-and-white goats that are rarer than giant pandas.

Zoo manager Jamie Baker said a major part of the work involves introducing children to farm animals and domestic breeds. Baker stated that these animals face the same threats of habitat loss and human impact as more high-profile species. Head keeper Lizzy Humphries oversees care for the zoo's 100 animals.

The facility participates in breeding programs for the Scottish wildcat, whose wild population numbered about 50 individuals a few years ago. Humphries also manages a herd of Bagot goats. Five kids were born this spring, and one male was registered as a breeding billy goat.

The zoo runs a summer campaign called ShareSavvy to discourage sharing images of otters dressed in clothing or held by humans. Humphries said such posts can encourage illegal capture of Asian short-clawed otters for the pet trade. Baker said the zoo's role has shifted from its 1951 origins to include education and conservation work that reaches beyond the Battersea area.