Which ZSL Scientist Are You?
From coining the word “dinosaur” to uncovering the secrets of vampire bat saliva, the scientists of ZSL have changed the world.
Take our quiz to find out which legendary ZSL-linked scientist best matches your personality. Are you a fearless explorer, a detail-loving haematologist, or a revolutionary naturalist? Let’s find out…
1. What's your ideal weekend activity?
2. What most excites you about nature?
3. Which of these would you most like to add to your CV?
What's your research style?
5. What’s your approach to challenges?
Sir Harry Johnston – The Explorer
You’re drawn to bold journeys and love the thrill of exploring the unknown - whether that means physical travel or scientific breakthroughs.
You're cut from the same cloth as ZSL Fellow Sir Harry Johnston, the explorer who brought the Western world's attention for the first time to the okapi - the only living relative of the giraffe, endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Though he never saw the animal alive himself - unlike the people who had long lived alongside the species - his curiosity led to its formal scientific description in 1901.
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Sir Richard Owen – The Biologist
You want to make history and you're fine doing it your own way, even if you have to ruffle some feathers to do it.
Bold, learned, and unafraid to challenge others, you're ZSL Fellow Sir Richard Owen, the 19th-century biologist who coined the word “dinosaur” meaning terrible reptile, or lizard. Owen studied a wide range of animals at ZSL's scientific zoo - now known as London Zoo - and interpreted them in new ways, defining modern palaeontology.
Though a contentious figure in his lifetime (he very publicly disagreed with shock horror Charles Darwin) his work helped shape our modern understanding of ancient life.
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Charles Darwin – The Naturalist
You value real-world insight, believe in scientific curiosity, and never shy away from questions that shake the status quo.
You’re a natural-born observer, a thinker, and deeply curious - just like ZSL Fellow Charles Darwin. In 1831, Darwin boarded the HMS Beagle to travel the world and study wild life up close - an adventure that led to his theory of evolution by natural selection.
At ZSL, Darwin studied live animals like Jenny the orangutan, whose behaviour cemented his belief that humans and apes are related.
Dr Christine Hawkey – The Haematologist
You love research with real-world benefit and get excited about science that crosses the veterinary-human boundary.
You have a detail-oriented mind and a passion for solving puzzles - often ones no one has noticed yet. You're Dr Christine Hawkey, ZSL’s trailblazing haematologist from the 1960s.
Fascinated by vampire bats, she discovered the anti-clotting compound in their saliva, paving the way for medical advances in human blood treatment. She also - no biggie - transformed veterinary care for wild animals by standardising blood testing protocols for the first time, which are still used globally by wildlife vets today.
Dr Annie Porter – The Parasitologist
You’re the kind of person who sees what others miss and contributes in quiet but vital ways. Your superpower is solving mysteries the rest of us never notice.
Quietly meticulous, often overlooked but always essential - that’s you, and that was ZSL's Dr Annie Porter. For over 20 years, she tracked parasites in zoo animals, raising standards of animal care and improving our understanding of the incredible animals most people never see.
During the rationing years of WWII, she even cultivated edible fungi to feed staff. Thanks Annie. And thank you.
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