Get up close to colourful free-flying birds, endangered reptiles and tiny mouse deer*.

The new forest habitat is home to 14 new species, including several linked to our conservation work around the world.

The Tropical House is home to six species of birds; Victoria crowned pigeon, superb fruit dove, Grosbeak starling, orange-headed thrush, Palawan peacock pheasant and Mindanao bleeding-heart dove.

Some of these species will be flying free and others are ground-dwelling species, which will share the space with Javan chevrotain (mouse deer) – the world’s smallest hoofed animal*!

In separate areas, you can see:

• Radiated tortoise, a critically endangered species of tortoise. In the wild, radiated tortoises are found only in Madagascar, one of the eight countries where we carry out conservation work around the world.

• Turquoise dwarf gecko*, a tiny, electric-blue gecko found only in Tanzania, where we work with local partners to protect this critically endangered species.

• Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko*, an extremely well-camouflaged gecko species that mimics the leaves of the forests of Madagascar where it lives.

• Look closely, and you’ll also spot four species of African beetle*. Found in the forests of Africa, their bold patterns help them to stay camouflaged and hidden from predators.

*We're introducing species to the Tropical House gradually to give them time to acclimatise to their new habitat. The mouse deer will be introduced at the end of May and the geckos and beetles in early June.