Photographer David Levene documents veterinary care at London Zoo during its 200th anniversary year

Guardian photographer David Levene spent 2025 documenting veterinary procedures at the Zoological Society of London's London and Whipsnade zoos, capturing intricate medical care for species ranging from king cobras to mountain chicken frogs. The project coincided with ZSL's 200th anniversary, highlighting the organization's scientific mission since its 1826 founding by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Levene observed procedures including cataract removal on Hugo the rhino, ear canal examination for Asiatic lion Bhanu, gallbladder surgery on a critically endangered mountain chicken frog, and health checks on dormice bred for UK conservation programs. The veterinary team includes five vets, six nurses, pathologist Simon Spiro, and resident Harriet Woodhall, with historical figures like first female reptile curator Joan Beauchamp Procter and pioneering vet Oliver Graham-Jones mentioned. Levene took approximately 50,000 photographs, gaining unprecedented access to operations requiring dozens of staff for large animals like 2,200kg rhino Nsiswa. The work reveals ZSL's role in global conservation through programs like the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme and Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, while maintaining detailed health records and postmortem investigations for scientific advancement.