Australian Reptile Park via EPA
Zookeepers at the Australian Reptile Park stand on scales as they weigh a 21-foot-long python named Atomic Betty, on Jan 9. Reports state that the 14-year-old python weighed in at over 304 pounds.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
A muddy bullfrog is inspected during a photo call for the annual census at the London Zoo on Jan. 3, 2013.
More than 17,500 animals, including birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians are counted in the annual census at the London Zoo. The count is a compulsory part of the zoo's license and the information is used for managing international breeding programs of endangered animals.
Luke Macgregor / Reuters
Zoo keeper Zuzana Matyasova poses with penguins during the annual cataloguing of animals at the London Zoo.
Luke Macgregor / Reuters
Zoo keeper Jeff Lambert poses with leaf insects.
Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images
A European Eagle owl during the annual census at the London Zoo.
Luke Macgregor / Reuters
Zoo keeper Grant Kother poses with a Diamond Python.
Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images
Penguins swim during the annual census at the London Zoo.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
A male jungle nymph sits on a female jungle nymph during a photo call for the annual census at the London Zoo.
Previously on PhotoBlog:
Andrew Cowie / AFP - Getty Images
A zookeeper strokes a penguin on a scale during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo on Aug. 22.
Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA
A meerkat climbs a scale on which another animal is already been weighed during the zoo's annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo, Aug. 22.
Andrew Cowie / AFP - Getty Images
A zookeeper measures Dirk the giant tortoise during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo on Aug. 22.
Oli Scarff / Getty Images
Giraffes are weighed and measured during the ZSL London Zoo 's annual weigh-in on Aug. 22.
Oli Scarff / Getty Images
Zookeeper Don McFarlane weighs and measures an African Millipede during the zoo's annual weigh-in on Aug. 22.
ZSL’s Zoological Director, David Field says: “We need to know the vital statistics of every animal at the Zoo – however big or small."
Zookeepers at the London Zoo are responsible for more than 16,000 animals, spending countless hours recording the weight and measurements of each and every animal, including penguins, meerkats, lions and owls. The measurements are collated in the Zoological Information Management System, from which zoologists can use the data to compare information on thousands of endangered species.
“This information helps us to monitor their health, their diets and their general well-being. By sharing it with other zoos and conservationists, we can use this knowledge to protect wild animals, and use it to assess their health, their behaviours and even their ages,” said Field.
Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA
Giraffes await to go out at the London Zoo, Aug. 22.
Matt Cardy / Getty Images
A life size animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur arrives at Bristol Zoo Gardens on May 14, 2012 in Bristol, England.
Matt Cardy / Getty Images
Twelve animatronic dinosaurs arrived at Bristol Zoo Gardens in the west of England this morning after being transported in crates from Texas. They will form part of the zoo's summer exhibition 'DinoZoo' which opens later this month.
Take a look at more unusual artworks on msnbc.com, from 'The Godzilla of public art' at London's Olympic Park to a sculpture mistaken for a suicide jumper in Sao Paulo.
Jeff Chiu / AP
African penguin Howard carries a valentine heart written by a visitor to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Feb. 13.
Andry Prasetyo / Reuters
A zoo official prepares to tie the mouth of an African lion, after it was successfully anesthetized at Taman Satwa Jurug in Solo, in Indonesia's Java province, on Jan. 31, 2012.
Andry Prasetyo / Reuters
Zoo officials examine a dead camel after it was attacked by an African lion at the zoo on Jan. 31, 2012.
Oni, an African lion, escaped from his cage at an Indonesian zoo and then attacked and killed a camel before he was subdued and anesthetized, according to local reports monitored by Reuters.
ITN reports that the camel killed in the incident was a two-year-old male called Thomas, while another female camel survived.
It took 90 minutes for zoo officials to capture the lion and shoot him with a tranquilizer dart inside the camel's enclosure.
The zoo keeper is thought to have forgotten to lock Oni's cage after cleaning and feeding the lion. Indonesian website VIVAnews reports that the errant keeper was given the day off to calm down.
Jaime Saldarriaga / Reuters
A pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), born in captivity ten days ago, is seen at the zoo in Cali Jan. 21, 2012.
Jaime Saldarriaga / Reuters
A candidate for cutest thing ever?
Month-old orphaned polar bear Siku is being hand-raised at a Danish zoo – but not for long. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Skandinavisk Dyrepark / AP
Polar bear cub Siku is seen at Skandinavisk Dyrepark in Djursland, Denmark.
AP reports:
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A Danish zoo says a month-old polar bear cub is being raised by humans after his mother failed to produce enough milk to feed him.
Scandinavian Wildlife Park manager Frank Vigh-Larsen says Siku is doing "really fine." The cub now weighs 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms grams) — against 3 pounds (1.8 kilograms) at birth.
Full story here ...
Grahm S. Jones / Columbus Zoo via AP
This is a handout photo from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium of one of two macaques that were captured by authorities Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, a day after their owned released dozens of wild animals and then killed himself near Zanesville, Ohio. Sheriff's deputies shot and killed 48 of the animals, including 18 rare Bengal tigers, 17 lions, six black bears, two grizzly bears, a baboon, a wolf and three mountain lions. Six of the released animals - three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys - were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo.
Grahm Jones / Columbus Zoo via Reuters
A rescued leopard is pictured at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in this photograph released to Reuters on October 20, 2011.
Grahm Jones / Columbus Zoo via Reuters
A rescued brown bear is pictured on October 19, 2011 in this Columbus Zoo and Aquarium photograph released to Reuters on October 20, 2011.
Grahm Jones / Columbus Zoo via Reuters
A rescued black leopard is pictured on October 19, 2011 in this Columbus Zoo and Aquarium photograph released to Reuters on October 20, 2011. The exotic animal collector who set free his lions, tigers, bears and other beasts was bitten in the head by a big cat shortly after committing suicide, authorities said on Thursday. Three leopards, a young grizzly bear and two macaque monkeys were recaptured and sent to the Columbus Zoo, and a zoo spokeswoman said they "were doing very well" in the zoo's animal hospital.
AFP - Getty Images
In this undated handout picture released by Indonesia's Centre for Orangutan Protection on September 17, 2011 Tori, a five-year-old orangutan, smokes a cigarette he got from visitors at Taru Jurug animal park in Solo, Central Java.
Anwar Mustafa / AFP - Getty Images
In this photograph taken September 21, 2011 a young male orangutan named Tori reaches to visitors at its enclosure at the Taro Jurug Zoo in Solo city, Java island.
This stunt appears to be a combination of fund raising, an internet reality television show and a Guinness World Record attempt, according to stories online. The female lion, Katya, is due to deliver a cub during that time.
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Zoo owner and artist Aleksandr Pylyshenko lies next to female African lion Katya inside a cage at a private zoo situated in his yard in the city of Vasilyevka, southeastern Ukraine August 3. Pylyshenko decided to spend five weeks in a cage with a pair of African lions, Katya and Samson, to get money for improving the lions' living conditions, according to local media. He is broadcasting it on internet to attract the public's attention to plight of wild animals in private Ukrainian zoos, which do not get enough funding.
Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Zoo owner and artist Aleksandr Pylyshenko paints a picture inside a cage with female African lion Katya, at a private zoo situated in his yard.
Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images
A kitten sits in front of Alexander Pylyshenko and African lioness Katya in his private zoo.
Wilfredo Lee / AP
A Caribbean Flamingo chick pokes its head out from under the wing of one of its parents sitting on a nest mound on display at Zoo Miami, Friday July 22, 2011 in Miami.
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