The public artwork, due to be unveiled this summer, will honour Joan Procter at the same location.
Procter was the zoo’s first female Curator of Reptiles and a figure who helped change the care and understanding of reptiles in the early 20th century.
The mosaic is the work of artist Linder Sterling and will be displayed at London Zoo. Made with marble tesserae and framed in granite, the mosaic depicts an Ethiopian mountain adder and will be unveiled this summer as part of ZSL’s anniversary celebrations.
ZSL’s chief executive, Kathryn England, said: “Joan Procter was a visionary scientist whose work transformed the care and understanding of reptiles at ZSL and beyond.
“Her wonderful turn of phrase, ‘Think of this sometime’, which will be recreated in her distinctive handwriting on the artwork, resonates deeply at ZSL – if we all think of wildlife, of the planet, more often, then we can achieve great things for all that live on it.
“As we celebrate 200 years of ZSL, it is fitting to honour Joan Procter’s legacy with a major new artwork that reflects our scientific heritage and uncovers a story that deserves greater recognition.”
Ms Procter died at the age of just 34, but in her lifetime reimagined how reptiles were housed and studied. She is credited with designing enclosures that recognised reptiles’ need for UV light and caring for the first Komodo dragons at the zoo.
The artwork is part of a partnership between ZSL, the Contemporary Arts Society Consultancy (CASC), and artist Linder Sterling, supported by the Pears Foundation. It follows ‘zine’ workshop sessions hosted by Linder with students, young people, and older participants at ZSL’s two conservation zoos, London and Whipsnade.
Research was also carried out at the ZSL Prince Philip Zoological Library & Archives and the Library & Archive at Girton College, Cambridge.
The Zoological Society of London, founded in 1826, is a conservation charity working to restore wildlife globally, alongside operating its two conservation zoos in London and Whipsnade. Its projects span more than 80 countries.
