London is one of the biggest cities in the world. It’s littered with different neighbourhoods and areas for locals and visitors alike to find whatever they want to entertain themselves with. From the most famous tourist attractions in the world like Buckingham Palace to nightlife that lasts into the morning, London definitely has something for everyone. In this article we’re going to put that to the test and discuss how animal lovers can feast their eyes on not only the local wildlife but creatures from further afield in the UK’s capital city.
London Zoo
A zoo is the obvious place to see animals in every city, and London Zoo does not disappoint, offering an array of animals from all over the world. Animal tourism is growing in popularity and was said to be worth over $155 billion in 2022, according to Polaris Market Research. In fact, London Zoo welcomed over 1 million visitors in 2023. This popularity of animals can be seen across different industries these days too. For example, in the iGaming industry, products like the fluffy favourites slot game give gamers the opportunity to enter the animal kingdom. Mixing the two worlds of betting and animals, gamers can see ducks, rhinos, giraffes, and many more, as well as all the normal offerings from a slot game like free spins and wilds. While plenty of wildlife shows continue to appear across streaming platforms and on our televisions, the most popular is hosted by one of the UK’s favourite icons, David Attenborough.
A Trip Through City Parks
The parks of London bring with them many wonderful animals. The peacock, for one, is famous for its colourful plumage, and it wanders through many parks unashamed, giving those lucky enough a view of its fantastic feathers. Native to the Indian subcontinent, it arrived in the UK in the 14th century.
While many of the green spaces have lakes that cover a large amount of ground, fishermen can come to catch an array of fish. Birdwatchers can also spend plenty of time seeking out flying creatures in the capital. Hyde Park and St. James’ Park are some of the most popular places to see ducks, swans, and geese, while foxes, deer, and squirrels are some of the larger animals that can be spotted.
The Natural History Museum
New York’s Natural History Museum is one of the most famous globally, featured in Hollywood movies and hosting an array of fossils from some of the planet’s largest animals. However, London’s offering in Kensington isn’t too bad, either. The museum’s website encourages visitors to travel through over 4.6 billion years of the world’s history, so it is anything but boring and the museum even runs membership or volunteer programmes. Inside, different exhibitions run alongside the mainstays. No matter what time of the year, there will always be dinosaur fossils, as well as those of the earliest humans. Both extinct and living mammals, amphibians, and fish can also be found throughout.
As is clear, then, London has plenty to offer to all tastes, and for those who love animals, it’s no different. There’s an exciting array of locations and venues where you can learn all about London’s unique animal world.