Welcome to a new blog with yours truly! This series will introduce some of the filming locations used to create the Harry Potter films, exploring how the team behind the films made these locations into something truly magical! The next stop on our wizarding tour is London Zoo's Reptile House!
Reptile Houses had been a staple of London Zoo before it was even open to the public; the one you can visit today was built in 1926 and was designed by Dr Joan Beauchamp Procter (Reptile Curator) and architect Sir Edward Guy Dawber. Dr Procter's keen interest and knowledge of the reptiles meant that her influence and input was key in constructing the new Reptile House - which features differentiated lighting with 'hot spots' to keep the reptiles warm, as well as 'vita glass' - a high-tech concept at the time, which provided UV light that the reptiles needed.
Filming for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone took place here in November 2001. The Dursley family visit for Dudley's 11th birthday on 23rd June 1991, which ended in disaster after Harry's accidental magic made the glass disappear, and Dudley was trapped inside the enclosure, while the snake escaped the zoo.
- The enclosure where the Burmese Python spoke to Harry Potter for the first time in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is actually where the zoo's Black Mamba lives!
- Harry's visit to the zoo with the Dursleys in the films directly contradicts the books, where Harry states he's never been into London before visiting Diagon Alley.
- In the books, you might remember that the snake was actually a Boa Constrictor, not a Burmese Python at all! The snake's species was changed for filming.
That's all for this week - stay tuned for the next edition to explore more filming locations and learn more about how the Harry Potter films were created! Have you ever visited London Zoo or its Reptile House? Let us know in the comments!
