IT’S that time of year again when staff at Drusillas Park start the biggest job of the zoo calendar - counting each and every animal for the New Year stock take.

The annual count is one of the biggest jobs in the diary and is undertaken by keepers around the country.

It is completed as part of compliance with zoo legislation which requires zoos and aquariums to keep precise records of every animal birth, death, arrival and departure.

A lot has changed over the last 12 months and Drusillas has welcomed several new additions.

Quite a few new faces can now be found around the zoo, including bouncing babies Pumpkin and Spice the twin common marmosets, and ginormous new residents Diego and Oli the giant anteaters.

All the new arrivals must be accounted for and checked in in the annual stock take.

Head Keeper Mark Kenward, pictured, is overseeing the task this year and certainly has his work cut out.

With approximately 1000 individual animals made up of over 100 different species the process can take several days.

Plus counting some of the smaller creatures also takes a great deal of patience and plenty of double-checking.

Each of the animals must have their own record card, holding details of parentage and other important information.