ZOOKEEPERS have started the biggest job on the calendar as they count every animal for the New Year stock take.

The annual count at Drusillas Park, Alfriston, is undertaken by keepers around the country every year.

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.

With hundreds of individual animals, the process can take several days as counting some of the smaller creatures also takes a “great deal of double-checking.”

Over the last 12 months, Drusillas has welcomed several new additions, including baby meerkats Joey, Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel and Phoebe.

All the new arrivals, which also include Domino the colobus monkey, must be accounted for and checked in the annual stock take.

According to the park the yearly event provides an “opportunity to ensure that all the records are up to date” and reflect accurately the number of residents at the zoo.

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

Drusillas’ zookeepers will be taking particular care to ensure all their details have been recorded correctly.

Zoo animal manager Mark Kenward, who is overseeing the task this year, said the process is time consuming.

He said: “Of course we know what animals we have at the park but the annual stock take is a chance for us to ensure that all our records are spot on. There’s an awful lot to do and it can be very time consuming, but I really enjoy doing it.

“It makes a nice change to my usual activities at the park.”

Each of the animals must have their own record card with details of parentage, among other information.

Once completed, the information is submitted to a central database and used by organisations such as the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to manage conservation.

The inventories are also available to local authorities who issue and renew the licences for zoos and aquariums.

Last year Drusillas, which is currently closed under Tier 4 restrictions, raised more than £5,000 for The Sloth Conservation Foundation, which aims to protect endangered sloths in the wild through research and conservation initiatives.