Do I look big in this? Whipsnade’s wild and wonderful creatures sized up

From the world’s smallest primates – the pygmy marmosets – to towering giraffes, 200 different species of animals were sized up against tiny sets of scales and giant rulers.

Zookeepers are recording the vital statistics of each of the attraction’s 3,000 animals to ensure that the health and wellbeing of each animal can be closely monitored by keepers throughout the year.

A range of techniques are used in the animal audit, from training the sea lions to hold their flippers up to be measured, to tempting the brightly feathered macaw and the scaly python onto the weighing board with treats.

The animals’ measurements are recorded into the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) where they can be shared with zoos around the world and used to compare information on thousands of endangered species.