The international scientific, conservation and educational charity was founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.
Come 1847, London Zoo opened to the public and is now home to 755 species, including 112 that are threatened in the wild.
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A hippo and his keeper at London Zoo in 1900
The zoo is situated at the northern edge of Regent's Park and has been home to numerous famous animals, including Guy the gorilla, a tiny primate who arrived at the zoo on Guy Fawkes day in 1947, clutching a tin hot-water bottle.
Josephine, a great Indian hornbill was for many years the oldest animal in the zoo before her death in 1998 at the age of 53. And Belinda, a red-kneed bird-eating spider who appeared in adverts for the zoo and helped people overcome their arachnophobia.
London Zoo
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circa 1890: Three young girls taking a ride on a camel in London Zoo, one girl is sitting on its neck. A keeper has hold of the camel. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1900: A captive lion in Regents Park Zoo, London. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1850: Visitors to the camel enclosure at the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park, London. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1914: Visitors looking at a camel in its enclosure at Regents Park zoo, London. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1875: Curious visitors crowd around an elephant at the Zoological Gardens, Regents Park. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1910: A parrot chained to a perch at London Zoo. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1905: An orang-utan in London's Regents Park zoo. (credit:Getty)
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circa 1900: A yak standing in a stream of its own urine at London Zoo, Regent's Park. (credit:Getty)
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Elephant rides at London Zoo in Regent's Park, 1864. (credit:Getty)
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A hippo and his keeper, 01 Jan 1900 (credit:Getty)
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A stereoscopic image of a king penguin at London Zoo, circa 1900. (credit:Getty)
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CIRCA 1913: London Zoo: Exotic Birds (credit:Getty)
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The Hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens, Regents Park, London, 1852. (credit:Getty)
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The Zoological gardens. London Zoo. Peilcans and a penguin. Illustration from 'London town ', (credit:Getty)
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The bear and the buns. A child feeding a bear at London Zoo. Illustration from 'London town (credit:Getty)