Darwin the Zoologist
Charles Darwin was a member of the Zoological Society of London. He was elected initially as a Corresponding Member in 1831, shortly before going on the famous voyage of exploration on HMS Beagle. He became a full Fellow of ZSL later, and served on its Council.
ZSL owns London Zoo, then called the Zoological Gardens. Darwin found it to be a very useful resource, gaining information from ZSL zookeepers and zoologists. For example, he corresponded with ZSL Secretary P L Sclater, a noted ornithologist, and asked him to check the bird names in one of his manuscripts. Darwin also consulted with John Gould about the finches he had collected in the Galapagos Islands, leading to his idea of natural selection.
Darwin observed the behaviour of the Zoo’s animals directly, including Jenny, the first orangutan to be shown at London Zoo. She arrived in 1837. It was Darwin’s first sight of an ape. Jenny made a profound impression on Darwin, leading him to write in his notebook: “Let man visit Ouranoutang in domestication, hear expressive whine, see its intelligence when spoken [to]; as if it understands every word said… see its passion & rage, sulkiness, & very actions of despair; ... and then let him boast of his proud preeminence ... Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble and I believe true to consider him created from animals.”
Darwin’s observations of animals at London Zoo also contributed to his book ‘The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals’.
![Two of the finches Darwin collected in the Galapagos Islands, leading to his idea of natural selection. The images of finches were published in The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836; edited and superintended by Charles Darwin [and others], Part III. Birds by John Gould,1841.](/library/gallery/zoological/finch.jpg "Two of the finches Darwin collected in the Galapagos Islands, leading to his idea of natural selection. The images of finches were published in The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836; edited and superintended by Charles Darwin [and others], Part III. Birds by John Gould,1841.") |
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The Zoologist Society of London
The Zoological Society of London was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1826. Two year later London Zoo was opened on April 27, 1828; it is the world’s oldest scientific Zoo and opened the first Reptile house in 1849. There are currently over 600 species of animals at ZSL. ZSL not only welcomes schools visiting the zoo but it also runs outreach programmes for London schools, their Outreach Officers deliver fun and interactive sessions about conservation and the environment.
 For more information visit www.zsl.org/education/schools |
