Zookeepers armed with clipboards and cameras began the week-long count on Tuesday morning as they worked to tally the animals at the famous Regent's Park attraction.

Dan Simmonds, head zookeeper, said it was a "special" but "challenging" task.

"It can be really tough when you have a little squirrel monkey bouncing around, and we've got 14 or 15 of them, but the keepers do an amazing job of identifying them," he said.

The stocktake occurs every January after New Year and is a condition of the zoo's licence.

Among the new animals in 2022 are Terry, a baby sloth born in October, and Arya, an Asiatic lioness who moved from Paignton Zoo last April.

A newborn tiger - the zoo's third - has also joined, and Mr Simmonds said zookeepers are "really excited".

The cub was born to Sumatran tigress Gaysha just before Christmas and has not yet been sexed.

During the stocktake, not every animal is counted individually.

An ant colony, for example, counts as one, to save keepers from tallying up every single insect.