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King Charles Checks Penguin Heartbeat at Zoo
9 Jul
Summary
- King Charles and Queen Camilla visited London Zoo.
- The royal couple helped give a penguin a health check.
- They also met and fed a 31-year-old Galápagos tortoise.
King Charles and Queen Camilla recently visited London Zoo, marking the 200th anniversary of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). During their visit on Thursday, the royal couple engaged in a hands-on health check of a Humboldt penguin named Lannister. King Charles, with a red stethoscope, listened to the penguin's heartbeat while it sat calmly on a rock. Queen Camilla also joined in with a blue stethoscope, and the zoo vet noted that Lannister behaved "very well" for them.
The King and Queen also met Polly, a 31-year-old Galápagos tortoise, and assisted in feeding her. Queen Camilla used tongs to offer watermelon, while King Charles offered leaves by hand. The visit highlighted ZSL's conservation efforts and the establishment of a new wildlife centre dedicated to disease research and veterinary training.
This occasion marked King Charles's first tour of the zoo as patron, a role held by the monarch since the zoo's founding in 1828. The ZSL, established in London's Regent's Park, pioneered the concept of the world's first scientific zoo.
