Love on the Edge of Existence
After countless hours of observing and photographing the Socorro doves at ZSL London Zoo, I finally caught a glimpse of the most beautiful interaction between our breeding pair. A wonderful display of affection. For the Socorro Dove (Zenaida graysoni), a rare and precious bird, finding a mate is more than just a matter of the heart. It is a matter of survival. Vanished from the wild in 1972, and with fewer than 200 of their kind left in collections across the world, every pair of these doves is a ray of hope for their species. Their love is not only beautiful, but also vital for their conservation. (Camille Munday, August 2023).
I am truly honoured that this photo has been shared by many others on various platforms, including ITV News.
The video below shows this photo on ITV News (at 43 seconds), as well as another (at 54 seconds) and reveals one of the many important things we do at ZSL London Zoo; Our Annual Stock Take, which is part of our Zoo's role in the international conservation effort.
Considering the Blackburn Pavilion Walkthrough alone houses more than 60 birds, you can imagine how long it took our team to count all of our animals that day!