British poet laureate Simon Armitage has met schoolchildren at London Zoo, where he recited the new poem he has written to mark ZSL’s 200th anniversary.
The Moon And The Zoo celebrates the connection between wildlife and humans in honour of the conservation charity, which was founded in 1826.
The poem has also been released as an animated film, which imagines the moon as a silent, nocturnal keeper, moving through London Zoo after dark.
The animation, illustrated by Greg King and narrated by Armitage, is being shared ahead of ZSL’s milestone anniversary next week on April 29.
In the poem, he conjures a night-time world where animals are cared for in quiet, unseen moments, as the world sleeps.
“It slides in under the turnstile after dark, moves in a silent arc at an ancient pace, dabs its ointment on the gibbon’s paw, nitpicks its way through the troop of gorillas, smooths the silverback’s fur,” the poem reads.
Culminating as dawn breaks, the piece ends with a reflection on shared responsibility: “Then morning breaks; the moon hands over the keys of the world and trusts them to us.”
Armitage said: “The night is a metaphor for the unknown, and the moon is an eternal witness to the lives it watches over.
“I liked the idea of the moon reflecting the work of ZSL – the care, knowledge and dedication that so often happens quietly, out of sight.
“The poem reflects the role ZSL has played in bringing the wonder of wildlife into people’s lives – igniting curiosity, imagination and a lasting sense of connection. To that end, its final lines are a gentle handover to us all.”
London Zoo was founded two years after ZSL, in 1828, and famous visitors have included Beatrix Potter who was inspired by sketching the animals, and Winnie The Pooh creator A A Milne.
He visited with his son, Christopher Robin, who named his toy bear Winnie after a real bear at the zoo named Winnipeg.
ZSL fellow Charles Darwin also developed much of his thinking at London Zoo.
The charity’s chief executive Kathryn England said: “For 200 years, ZSL has worked to bring people closer to wildlife and inspire action to protect it.
“Simon’s poem captures both the wonder of those encounters and the responsibility that comes with them. With our anniversary just days away, it’s a powerful reminder of the role people can play in the future of wildlife.”
The full animation and poem can be viewed at www.zsl.org/poem.
