How many scorpions and meerkats? London Zoo counts its critters

LONDON — How do you count scorpions?
Very gingerly, it turns out.

“You use tongs and pick them up by the stinger,” said London Zoo senior keeper Tony Dobbs Thursday. “You avoid the pincers at all costs. You could get a nasty nick if you’re not counting carefully.”
Thursday was counting day at the London Zoo, so Dobbs had to count not only scorpions (13) but also the zoo’s meerkats, millipedes, and many other animals.
The annual count is a legal requirement for all British zoos, and it’s also a useful tool for monitoring animal conservation efforts. Zookeepers say it makes sense to have a census.
“We have to tell the zoo licensing authorities exactly how many animals we have,” said zoological director David Field, standing next to the manmade otters’ pond. “It’s not just the number of animals, it’s who we’ve got, because many of our animals (are) individually identifiable. And once we have all of this information, we send it to a global animal database that gathers information from zoos all around the world, and this information forms the essential scientific foundation for the management of our conservation breeding programs.”
Some of the counts are easy. Dobbs had no trouble tallying three meerkats in a spacious enclosure Thursday, although they did seem nervous when he walked in carrying a clipboard. They hid in tunnels and behind bushes until they saw the scraps of food he was carrying.
“Once they realized there was no threat, they were fine,” said Dobbs.
But some species offer a formidable challenge.
Piranha, for example, are very difficult to count, not just because of their strong jaws and impressive teeth, but because of their speed in the water.
“They can be quite tricky because they move around the tank very fast,” said Dobbs. “It’s can be a nightmare to count 20 fish. But to be honest they’re not as dangerous as people think, as long as they’re well fed. But we tend to avoid putting too much flesh into the tank, just in case.”