British police are asking for help in finding a number of valuable stuffed animals that were stolen during a burglary.

The items taken from a taxidermy warehouse in Wandsworth, southwest London, include lions, a giraffe, a zebra, a sloth and a chimpanzee in a top hat.

The culprits arrived in a Luton van with a grey cab and white body and used angle grinders to get into the building on March 1st, sometime between 7.20pm and 7.41pm.

They also made off with antiques, including a globe, plus a total of 18 stuffed animals.

Some of the stuffed animals that were stolen | Image: Metropolitan Police

The retail value of the items is around stg£100,000 (€129,655), according to police.

Detective Constable Edward Bird said: "This was not a random crime, the burglars had come prepared and well equipped".

"This was a criminal enterprise and these thieves need to be stopped before they commit further crimes".

"The items they stole are of high value and are very distinctive".

"I am appealing for anyone with information to contact police, in particular I would ask anyone who deals in such animals to be on the look-out and contact police immediately if you are offered any of the stolen items".