London Zoo on Tuesday arranged a photocall for its annual stocktake in central London, where a pair of newcomer capybaras, a huddle of penguins and a pride of lions were among the animals counted by zoo staff.

The photocall is a media-friendly photo opportunity that the zoo organises for journalists and photographers at the start of its yearly animal count.

During this event, keepers pose with animals, so that news agencies can capture images illustrating the zoo’s annual stocktake — the formal process of counting every animal on site as part of its licensing and conservation reporting obligations.

The annual stocktake itself is a complete headcount of the zoo’s animals — from mammals and birds to reptiles and invertebrates — required under the zoo’s zoological licence and used to update global conservation databases that help manage breeding programmes worldwide.

Here are a few glimpses from the 2026 stocktake for all animal lovers, featuring lions, penguins, capybaras, and other species.

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Header image: A lion is pictured during a photocall for the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo in central London on January 6, 2026. — Adrian Dennis / AFP