Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo have started their annual stock take of all their residents.
Counting all the animals which number 1,500 individuals with 176 different species presents a challenge for the zoo staff.
Jo Elliott, animal registrar, is responsible for making sure not a single creature is missed.
She explained that the colourful Australasian parrots called rainbow lorikeets are particularly difficult.
She told the Scotsman: "When you've got lots of the birds flying around in the rafters it's very difficult to count them.
"So we have to come up with clever ways to do it. With the rainbow lorikeets, the keeper brings them into a small area for breakfast before we are open to the public and counts them then. The keepers are very versatile."
All animals must be counted individually including the 100 rare partula snails which are less than 1 cm in length.
The keepers use tags and leg bands as well as micro-chips to help with identification.
Ms Elliot said that most keepers can recognise the animals in their care without the need for these.
She said: "They get to know them quite quickly. They even know the penguins in our huge penguin colony individually.
"They all have their own characters."
She added: "It's difficult to get a tag that is visible on the monkeys, but the keepers can recognise them by their facial expressions and distinctive markings, such as freckles."
The zoo obtained several new arrivals this year including two Sumatran tigers, Tibor and Chandra, some paradise cranes and a wild ancestor to the domestic chicken - the Chinese jungle fowl.
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