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Queen Elizabeth’s fantastic beasts: hippos from Liberia, crocodiles from Gambia, an elephant from Cameroon … the wild animals gifted to the British royal over the years

Queen Elizabeth’s menagerie includes hippos, crocodiles, anteaters, an elephant and panthers. Photos: EPA-EFE/AFP
Queen Elizabeth’s menagerie includes hippos, crocodiles, anteaters, an elephant and panthers. Photos: EPA-EFE/AFP
Royalty

Over her 67-year-reign, she has been gifted not just stallions but exotic birds and reptiles and some of the world’s largest mammals, most of which she donates to ZSL London Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo and bird sanctuaries across the UK

It is no secret that Queen Elizabeth loves her corgis and horses, of which she has plenty. She has been gifted not just stallions but exotic birds and reptiles, and some of the world’s largest mammals, most of which she donates to ZSL London Zoo – the oldest scientific zoo in the world – Whipsnade Zoo and bird sanctuaries across the UK.

 

Here are some of the most exotic animals gifted to the queen over her 67-year-reign.

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Her majesty received two pygmy hippos from the president of Liberia. Photo: handout
Her majesty received two pygmy hippos from the president of Liberia. Photo: handout

The year 1961 was a bumper one for exotic gifts for the queen as she received two pygmy hippos from the president of Liberia and two young Nile crocodiles from the people of Berending, on Gambia River.

The cat not the car, a black jaguar with her cub. Photo: EPA
The cat not the car, a black jaguar with her cub. Photo: EPA

In 1968, while on a trip to Brazil, she was gifted two sloths and two jaguars she named Marques and Aizita.

An African forest elephant named Jumbo was gifted by the president of Cameroon in 1972. Photo: AFP
An African forest elephant named Jumbo was gifted by the president of Cameroon in 1972. Photo: AFP

In 1972, the queen was given an African elephant named Jumbo, by the then-president of Cameroon. On his flight over to the UK, Jumbo’s in-flight meals consisted of bananas, avocados and sugar.

Aldabra giant tortoises can live for up to 250 years. Photo: SCMP
Aldabra giant tortoises can live for up to 250 years. Photo: SCMP

The same year the government and people of the Seychelles gifted her majesty two Aldabra tortoises. These giant tortoises can live up to 250 years.