14,500 animals to count in one week

LONDON (AP) - Keepers at London Zoo are counting more than sheep.

Three giant Galapagos tortoises, a Komodo dragon, and a critically endangered baby mangabey monkey are among the new residents at the central London zoo to be included in this year's annual head count.

The zoo's large population — more than 14,500 animals, including thousands of insects — means it will take keepers about a week to complete the census, which started Tuesday.

Other new additions include a pair of aardvarks and the first lion cubs born at the zoo in a decade.

The zoo says it hopes 70-year-old Galapagos tortoise Dirk and the Komodo dragon, a 7-year-old female called Rinca from South Africa, will mate — each with its own kind — and help boost the numbers further this year.